4,537 Comments for Pennhurst State School

Many Institutions & "Insane Assylums" began as TB hospitals...thus the on-sight medical facilities & locations far from "urban" areas.

Lynn...while i admit that there are some disturbing facilities across the nation, PA has learned & is still learning from the horrible experiences patients were subjected to while residents of Pennhurst. First & foremost....better oversight. PA leads the nation in incident managment & reporting of incidents that happen to MR/DD/II residents whose services are funded under Medicaid Waivers. Providers of service are held to "task" when issues of abuse, neglect & exploitation are discovered. When abuse, neglect &/or exploitation is confirmed through investigative discovery, staff responsible are often referred to local law enforcement. When gross neglegence is suspected/confirmed, providers are often de-licensed as a result. (Their operational license is revoked.)


a You are also giving more credit to some of the current facilities than they deserve for their care. As was the case in the past, facilities today do only as well as they are funded and as well as they are surveyed.

Also...many parents were simply told or pressured to have their disabled children placed there by their medical professionals. That was the norm then, but it certainly has changed over time. Advances in cognitive therapies, social acceptance of the mentally disabled & better oversight of state & privately run facilites that care for the mentally disabled have moved this system toward what we would all call....an "Everyday Life".

Please don't forget that many of the Pennhurst patients were there from early childhood or even birth.... they didn't know what it was like outside, they didn't know their families, they didn't know what it was like to be loved.... because they never had it in the first place.

Many state institutions were self sustaining....the patients farmed the land for food, water treatment facilities were on site & most had generated their own electricity through a "powerhouse" that was usually a short distance from the campus.

There were also many violent patients kept at Pennhurst. They would keep them in the basement as to prevent them from assaulting the other patients/staff.

Phantom,

You truly know nothing about respect. Even if it is abandoned and with time it's collapsed and has been rotting, I'm sure if you were to live in a dear home of yours that you left, you woulnd't want anyone snooping and taking from you even if you abandoned that home. Why? Simply this, although you see financial value and profit and so call "fame" for tagging and taking from this place, the true value is what that objects been through. Stealing this suction machine is like me taking ashes from a cremation chamber from Auschwitz and being proud of possesing the remains of a victim of the endless flames.That suction machine has removed quite a bit of mucus and other things since that's their purpose. But from what I'm aware, these things can choke you if you mistreat them. Show some respect and dignity towards those that suffered here. You probally won't consider what people say, if you have the attitude to steal and be proud of it, may you one day find you stole form yourself the best gifts of all: Grace and peace.


May pennhurst be preserved, and Motts, I really appreciate your shots. It truly is art, and I don't only see sadness in these shots, but the lesson of anguish and learning.

because everyone needs tires for the stairs!

Yeah, I remember working on the x-ray control shown above. It had tubes for the timer and tubes (6012) to control the main contactor as it was called that fed primary voltage to the HT or high tension transformer.

that is truley a spirit wandering why there are people invading his space and trying to see what they are doing there. there have been so many deaths there some are bound to be trapped and not even know that they have passed on.

I would love to tour this place

I would pay $10,000.00 for that picture. seriously!

I love this cite. I have been following Mott's pictures for a long time. I have never posted, but had to tell you, you people are plain stupid. Why don't you all read before you post. You may just learn something.

Back in my old days we had to be quick as a turtle! Yes, that's right, ol' Crazy Cartman was sure an athlete. Participated in the 300 B.C. olympics, yes sure I did. These missles were used to keep you in tip top shape. I would come out of my room to get a cup of tea and A MISSiLE COMES AND LAUNCHES TOWARDS ME. I TAKE OFF MY CLOTHES BECAUSE I WAS SWEATING FROM THE INTENSITY I HAD FROM FEEDING MY FAT GERBIL. I FLOPPED ON THE DECK OF THE FLOOR LIKE A FISH ON A BOAT. THEN THE MISSILE PASSES ME LIKE I'M KATE MOSS.

BTW, THE EARTH IS FLAT.

You lil' whipper snappers! I outta' smack you in shape! The first place I would go if I'm homeless (which I'm not, I live on a nice BIG pile of concrete with many people coming and going and with pretty lights always on so that I don't get scared in the dark) I would live on a BIG pile of concrete with many people coming and going and with pretty lights always on so that I wouldn't get scared of the the dark! Does that make sense to you little whipper snappers?! Kids these days... ... never use their brain.