Established in the mid 19th century,  this “Asylum for the Criminally Insane” housed inmates who had been convicted of the most extreme offenses imaginable, including egregious crimes against children, homicide, and even cannibalism, however, the state facility became entrenched in controversy after becoming widely recognized for its horror stories regarding its utter disregard for human life. The hospital became known for its blatant mistreatment of the mentally ill and for violating the most basic of human rights. The patients were treated with cruelty, callousness, and a blasé ineptitude by the staff, who would often beat, torture, starve, and mock them. They were left in crumbling, claustrophobic, alienating prison like jail cells as if human degradation and disregard were to be some form of salvation for the mentally troubled.  
The undisputed heavyweight of state psychiatric hospitals, this place was anything but a hospital. Hospitals exist to help heal lives, while this place only helped to destroy lives. It is the area’s oldest and largest psychiatric prison, a maximum-security fortress of sorts, the bulk of which was built over 100 years ago.
Widely known and often criticized for its out right disturbing and ever controversial use of restraints, this place was a true nightmare for anyone doing time and a major problem is that a lot of  innocent people were locked up here, and not only were they locked up against their will, but they were often beaten, starved, assaulted, and tortured at the hands of the guards, staff, and of course other patients.
This historic institution has a storied narrative marked by death, destruction, and disorder all leading to a relentless quest for reform to help escape their shameful reputation and their unforgettable past.