Connecticut officials installed 24/7 video surveillance at a state-run psychiatric hospital troubled by cases of physical abuse of patients.
The Connecticut Valley Hospital’s Whiting Forensic Division is where the state keeps people found mentally incompetent to stand trial.
Hospital CEO Hal Smith told members of a legislative task force that the video surveillance keeps staff more accountable. It’s monitored by nursing directors on duty.
“They can see all of the camera angles in their units. Then the directors of nursing will look sporadically, or they’ll look at any isolated incident.”
Smith says an independent security firm provides remote backup monitoring of all the cameras. He says the footage is destroyed after 45 days to preserve patient privacy.
Smith took the job at Whiting after 10 employees at the hospital were arrested and charged with the systematic abuse of a patient two years ago.
