A settlement has been reached in the case of Messier vs. Southbury Training School (STS), which is a class action suit which lists ARC-CT as the plaintiff and the Department of Developmental Services as the defendant.
The Southbury Training School was opened in the 1930s as a residence for people with mental retardation. STS is a state facility run on 1600 acres with 125 buildings. It has its own power station, and various facilities. Residents are supposed to take part in day programs, both on and off the grounds. Over the years there have been numerous suits brought regarding the conditions of the facilities and human and civil rights violations. In 1986, with the census at 1,111 individuals, STS was prohibited from taking in more residents. Public Act 95-236 mandated that no more applicants be accepted and criteria be established to monitor the progress of the resident in community and training placements. Today Southbury has 450 residents, with the average age of 62 and the average length of stay currently 49 years.
In the case of Messier vs. Southbury Training School, the plaintiffs were six former residents of STS as well as several agencies and organizations such as People First of Connecticut, Western Connecticut Association for Human Rights, the ARC of Connecticut and several others. The plaintiffs requested that STS be closed and the residents relocated to placements in the community, citing poor care and abuse at the hands of STS staff. The trial was held from January through October 1999. In December of 1999 both sides entered into mediation.
Over the years, all but one issue were resolved with a ruling by June of 2008. A settlement regarding the final issue was reached on July 12, 2010. The Department of Developmental Services must ensure that it remains in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) when placing residents in community living arrangements. The agreement further states that skilled professional treatment teams must make recommendations about appropriate placements. Residents and their guardians must have sufficient information to make informed decisions about placements before residents are moved. The settlement also provides that DDS must support integrated community placements for residents, but does not call for the closure of STS. The judge ruled that the ultimate decision is up to each resident and his or her guardian.
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