On December 20, 1996, the U.S. Department of Justice notified the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services of its intention to investigate the Hammond Developmental Center, a state-run facility for individuals with developmental disabilities, in Hammond, Louisiana, pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1997 et seq. The Department of Justice suspected that the conditions of confinement at Hammond violated the residents' constitutional rights, and it asked the Health and Human Services officials for any complaints of abuse, neglect, and inappropriate use of restraints they may have received.

The investigation was initiated upon the recommendation of the Special Litigation Section of the Department of Justice on October 16, 1996. That division had received calls from Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals describing abuse, neglect, and the use of chemical and physical restraints in lieu of adequate behavioral treatment; the Special Litigation Division had also separately received reports from residents' families containing similar details.

We have only the Department of Justice's letters in the file, so we have no further information about the outcome of the investigation or what actions, if any, the institution took to address the concerns.

Laura Uberti - 07/21/2006


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