Coalinga State Hospital
Encyclopedia
Coalinga State Hospital (CSH) is a state mental hospital
in Coalinga, California
.
The facility opened on September 5, 2005 and was California’s newest state hospital, the first to be constructed in the state in more than 50 years. It is a maximum security civil-commitment facility built to ensure that sexually violent predators stay out of the community. Currently, the hospital houses 850 sexually violent predators (SVPs) and 100 mentally disordered offenders. The hospital previously housed fifty mentally ill prisoners from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and still maintains the contract and resources to house this forensic population, but the California Department of Mental Health aims to designate CSH as a civil-commitment facility only. The SVPs are men who fall under the sexually violent predator (SVP) laws (first Megan's Law
and later Jessica's Law
), where the men are deemed too likely to reoffend to be released and are housed indefinitely at the hospital until they are deemed no longer a danger to the community. Less than 1% of the 100,000 registered sexual offenders in the state of California fall into the SVP category.
Treatment is offered, but is not required. Approximately 1/3 of individuals accept California's sex offender treatment. The hospital has a 1,500 bed capacity (as of August 2010 the hospital is 63% full). The median age of SVPs is 47.1 and this is expected to increase as the hospital's population continues to age.
Instead of calling the population housed at CSH "patients" or "inmates," hospital policy is to call them "individuals" because they are civilly-committed. Staff address the individuals by their last names (i.e., Mr. Jones) to maintain professional boundaries. This is because many of the charms that allowed the offenders to compromise their victims are also used on hospital staff to acquire drugs, trade goods, or sex. CSH provides extensive training for all new employees on how to manage and report manipulation.
The hospital is located at the edge of the Coastal Mountain Range
in the heart of California just outside the City of Coalinga, nestled up against the adjacent Pleasant Valley State Prison
. Coalinga is located ten miles west of Interstate 5
. It is four hours north of Los Angeles
, three hours south of San Francisco, and about one hour southwest of Fresno
, California's sixth largest city.
The hospital uses a five-phase treatment program for SVPs that was developed when SVPs were still mostly all treated at Atascadero State Hospital
. The rigorous program focuses on helping SVPs manage their impulses, take responsibility for their actions, and see their crimes and victims from a realistic perspective. The hospital also has recreational facilities including a gym, softball field, arts and crafts, graphic design room, woodworking opportunities, and a music room. Individuals are allowed to purchase electronic goods, rent dvds, and other perks with a token economy
system called the "By Choice" program. This system is designed to reward positive behaviors, which are designated by each individual's treatment team. Up to 100 points can be rewarded per day (a bar of soap sells for 500 points in the point exchange store). The annual operating budget of CSH is $152 million (or $157,894 per individual).
Currently, California law allows SVPs to be committed to the hospital indefinitely (under Jessica's Law) as long as they are receiving 'treatment'. 70% of the 850-plus SVP individuals refuse treatment, which is intensive, and requires admission of guilt and the use of institutionally mandated language, as well as polygraph and phallometric testing. As of November 2007, 26 of the 37 budgeted staff psychiatrist positions were vacant, with some inmates having to camp out waiting for a clinician to show up. As of April 2009 the facility had released only 13 inmates in its history.
BBC television documentary entitled A Place for Paedophiles
, in which the lives of once convicted paedophiles are documented, whilst being indefinitely incarcerated at the hospital until further notice. The hour long programme aired for the first time on BBC Two
in the United Kingdom on 19 April 2009, as the seventh in a series of Theroux specials.
A documentary designed for American audiences is currently in production by "Inside Edition."
Mental Hospital
Mental hospital may refer to:*Psychiatric hospital*hospital in Nepal named Mental Hospital...
in Coalinga, California
Coalinga, California
Coalinga is a city in Fresno County, California. The population was 13,380 at the 2010 census, up from 11,668 at the 2000 census. It is the site of both Pleasant Valley State Prison and Coalinga State Hospital. Coalinga is located southwest of Fresno, at an elevation of 673 feet .-Early...
.
The facility opened on September 5, 2005 and was California’s newest state hospital, the first to be constructed in the state in more than 50 years. It is a maximum security civil-commitment facility built to ensure that sexually violent predators stay out of the community. Currently, the hospital houses 850 sexually violent predators (SVPs) and 100 mentally disordered offenders. The hospital previously housed fifty mentally ill prisoners from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and still maintains the contract and resources to house this forensic population, but the California Department of Mental Health aims to designate CSH as a civil-commitment facility only. The SVPs are men who fall under the sexually violent predator (SVP) laws (first Megan's Law
Megan's Law
Megan's Law is an informal name for laws in the United States requiring law enforcement authorities to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders. Individual states decide what information will be made available and how it should be disseminated...
and later Jessica's Law
Jessica's Law
Jessica's Law is the informal name given to a 2005 Florida law, as well as laws in several other states, designed to punish sex offenders and reduce their ability to re-offend...
), where the men are deemed too likely to reoffend to be released and are housed indefinitely at the hospital until they are deemed no longer a danger to the community. Less than 1% of the 100,000 registered sexual offenders in the state of California fall into the SVP category.
Treatment is offered, but is not required. Approximately 1/3 of individuals accept California's sex offender treatment. The hospital has a 1,500 bed capacity (as of August 2010 the hospital is 63% full). The median age of SVPs is 47.1 and this is expected to increase as the hospital's population continues to age.
About the facility
The state began construction on Coalinga State Hospital in the fall of 2001. According to the hospital's official Web site, CSH has 1.2 million gross square feet (gsf) of floor space. This includes 900,000 gsf for clinical services and programs, 158,000 gsf for support services, 75,000 gsf for administration, and 67,000 gsf for plant operations.Instead of calling the population housed at CSH "patients" or "inmates," hospital policy is to call them "individuals" because they are civilly-committed. Staff address the individuals by their last names (i.e., Mr. Jones) to maintain professional boundaries. This is because many of the charms that allowed the offenders to compromise their victims are also used on hospital staff to acquire drugs, trade goods, or sex. CSH provides extensive training for all new employees on how to manage and report manipulation.
The hospital is located at the edge of the Coastal Mountain Range
Coast Ranges (California)
The Coast Ranges of California constitute one of the eleven traditional geomorphic provinces of California. They include several but not all mountain ranges along the California coast...
in the heart of California just outside the City of Coalinga, nestled up against the adjacent Pleasant Valley State Prison
Pleasant Valley State Prison
Pleasant Valley State Prison is a minimum/medium/maximum security state prison in Coalinga, Fresno County, California. The facility houses Sirhan Sirhan, the convicted assassin of Senator Robert F...
. Coalinga is located ten miles west of Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
. It is four hours north of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, three hours south of San Francisco, and about one hour southwest of Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, California's sixth largest city.
The hospital uses a five-phase treatment program for SVPs that was developed when SVPs were still mostly all treated at Atascadero State Hospital
Atascadero State Hospital
Atascadero State Hospital is located on the central coast of California, in San Luis Obispo County, half-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is an all-male, maximum-security facility, that has patients from all over the state...
. The rigorous program focuses on helping SVPs manage their impulses, take responsibility for their actions, and see their crimes and victims from a realistic perspective. The hospital also has recreational facilities including a gym, softball field, arts and crafts, graphic design room, woodworking opportunities, and a music room. Individuals are allowed to purchase electronic goods, rent dvds, and other perks with a token economy
Token economy
A token economy is a system of behavior modification based on the systematic positive reinforcement of target behavior. The reinforcers are symbols or tokens that can be exchanged for other reinforcers. Token economy is based on the principles of operant conditioning and can be situated within...
system called the "By Choice" program. This system is designed to reward positive behaviors, which are designated by each individual's treatment team. Up to 100 points can be rewarded per day (a bar of soap sells for 500 points in the point exchange store). The annual operating budget of CSH is $152 million (or $157,894 per individual).
Intake and Occupancy
In California all prisoners with sexual assault or pedophilia crimes are flagged and reviewed six months prior to parole . To be labeled under the category of SVP an individual must have at least one identified victim, have a serious mental illness (most commonly paraphilia NOS or pedophilia), and must have established a relationship with a person with the intent to cause victimization. Paraphilia NOS is a catch-all diagnosis used to describe most individuals who have committed sexual assault (i.e., rape). Prior to parole, the designation of SVP is assessed by two independent evaluators (licensed mental health professionals). If both evaluators agree that the prisoner meets the criteria he is sent to CSH for treatment. If one agrees and the other does not, an additional two evaluators review the prisoner's history. If those final two reach agreement, the prisoner is then a ward of the state and civilly committed to CSH.Currently, California law allows SVPs to be committed to the hospital indefinitely (under Jessica's Law) as long as they are receiving 'treatment'. 70% of the 850-plus SVP individuals refuse treatment, which is intensive, and requires admission of guilt and the use of institutionally mandated language, as well as polygraph and phallometric testing. As of November 2007, 26 of the 37 budgeted staff psychiatrist positions were vacant, with some inmates having to camp out waiting for a clinician to show up. As of April 2009 the facility had released only 13 inmates in its history.
Louis Theroux BBC documentary
The hospital formed the basis of a Louis TherouxLouis Theroux
Louis Sebastian Theroux is an English broadcaster best known for his Gonzo style journalism on the television series Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends and When Louis Met.... His career started off in journalism and bears influences of notable writers in his family such as his father, Paul Theroux and...
BBC television documentary entitled A Place for Paedophiles
A Place for Paedophiles
A Place for Paedophiles is a British documentary that was televised on 21 April 2009. Produced and presented by Louis Theroux, the documentary ran for 80 minutes, and took place at Coalinga State Hospital, a hospital for paedophiles...
, in which the lives of once convicted paedophiles are documented, whilst being indefinitely incarcerated at the hospital until further notice. The hour long programme aired for the first time on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
in the United Kingdom on 19 April 2009, as the seventh in a series of Theroux specials.
A documentary designed for American audiences is currently in production by "Inside Edition."