Inclusion Daily Express -- Committee Formed To Monitor Conditions At State Schools

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Committee Formed To Monitor Conditions At State Schools
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
January 18, 2008

AUSTIN, TEXAS--A special legislative committee has been formed to monitor conditions at state-run institutions and to address the waiting list for community services for about 100,000 people with intellectual disabilities.

Wednesday's Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday that Texas State House Speaker Tom Craddick created the 9-member panel in response to reviews that showed continued problems with treatment of residents at state facilities.

Last July, the Dallas Morning News revealed that abuse and neglect have been rampant in these institutions for the past several years.

The newspaper reviewed documents related to 474 confirmed cases of abuse or neglect in nine out of twelve state-run facilities since 2000. Of those, about one-half were related to neglect, while another third were cases of physical abuse. Most of the incidents occurred in the previous two years.

The confirmed acts of neglect included such things as leaving residents in soiled clothing for hours, leaving them behind on outings, and keeping them inside hot vehicles in the summer time. The abuse included such things as kicking, slapping, hitting, and pushing residents; using excessive force during restraints; feeding hot peppers to residents and refusing to let them have water; and punishing one resident by forcing her to walk around with socks stuffed in her mouth.

"The Legislature recognized there were immediate needs in institutional care for Texans with disabilities," Craddick said in a written statement this week. "Though funding and supervisory changes have occurred, further attention is warranted."

Related:
Craddick picks panel to watch Texas state institutions for disabled"
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/2008/red/0118a.htm
"Newspaper Reveals Hundreds Of Abuse And Neglect Incidents In Texas Institutions" August 3, 2007 (Inclusion Daily Express)
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/archives/07/08/03/080307txinstabuse.htm

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