(December 2, 2008)—A 62-page U.S. Justice Department report to Gov. Rick Perry released Tuesday says at least 53 mentally disabled patients in large Texas residential facilities have died in the last year from preventable conditions.
The federal report, which details inspections of 12 state facilities including the Mexia State School, says the Texas facilities violate the rights of residents and called the number of injuries "disturbingly high."
Read The Full Letter Of Findings
The letter of findings says the state schools fail to provide adequate mental health services or treat patients in integrated community settings and outlines the results of the inspections.
The report says a comprehensive inspection of the Mexia State School in May by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found 37 deficiencies related to federal standards including failure to address serious and recurring problems, failure to protect clients’ rights including the right to be free from abuse, neglect and mistreatment, failure to protect clients during investigations and failure to have adequate staff to meet clients’ needs.
The findings mark the third time in three years the Justice Department has investigated the Texas facilities.
Similar findings of mistreatment at the Lubbock State School came out in 2006.
This week's letter involves deficiencies in 12 other state schools.
State officials are reviewing the letter, said Cecilia Fedorov press officer for the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services.
“In the meantime, the state will continue its collaborative effort and good faith negotiations with DOJ to reach a detailed and comprehensive agreement regarding the operations of the state schools and centers. Texas will also continue ongoing improvements in the quality of care provided at state-run facilities,” she said.
Fedorov said recent system-wide improvements include the addition of 1,690 new positions, better staff training, a reduction in the use of restraints and expansion of community-based services for state school residents.
But State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, issued a statement calling the letter of findings “a sad confirmation of state government’s failure to protect its most vulnerable citizens at our state schools.”
“The Texas Legislature needs to address these issues when we convene in January so residents of our state schools get the quality of care they deserve,” Coleman said.
In May, an Associated Press analysis of state records showed that nearly 58 percent of the 822 firings or suspensions since fiscal 2004 for abuse, neglect or exploitation of residents at 13 state facilities for the mentally and developmentally disabled involved just four of the schools; Lubbock, Denton, San Angelo and Mexia.
The Justice Department advised state officials in August about the investigation of conditions at the state schools.
The Mexia facility opened in 1946 on the site of a World War II prisoner of war camp that housed about 5,000 German POWs.
It houses about 500 people with mild to profound retardation and has about 1,400 employees.
Major Facilities
Abilene State School
Austin State School
Brenham State School
Corpus Christi State School
Denton State School
El Paso State Center
Lubbock State School
Lufkin State School
Mexia State School
Richmond State School
Rio Grande State Center
San Angelo State School
San Antonio State School
Justice Department Web Site
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