S1047

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would require a court order for admittance into the Moderate Security Unit (MSU) at the New Lisbon Developmental Center was unanimously approved by the Assembly today, receiving final legislative approval.

“The MSU at New Lisbon serves a vital role in providing a structured environment for developmentally disabled individuals who are prone to violence,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chairman of the Senate Health Committee. “Some flourish under this kind of setup, but it’s not intended for everybody. We need strict regulations in place to ensure that the MSU isn’t misused as a day care center for developmentally disabled residents, when placing nonviolent residents in the program jeopardizes their safety.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would require a court order for admittance into the Moderate Security Unit (MSU) at the New Lisbon Developmental Center was unanimously approved by the Senate today.

“The MSU facility at New Lisbon is intended to serve a segment of the developmentally disabled population that needs a more structured environment,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chairman of the Senate Health Committee. “It is a place where patients with a greater risk of violence are offered the care and treatment they need to live with their disability. To allow non-violent individuals with disabilities to mix freely with people that fit the MSU profile is a recipe for disaster, and is likely to get someone injured, or possibly killed.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would require a court order for admittance into the Moderate Security Unit (MSU) at the New Lisbon Developmental Center was approved by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee by a vote of 7-0.

“The MSU is an institutional setting for special needs prisoners with developmental disabilities, and we need to make sure that we don’t send vulnerable patients with no history of violence into a potentially dangerous environment,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chairman of the Senate Health Committee. “The MSU is specifically intended to provide regimented treatment to patients deemed dangerous to themselves and others, and that sort of an environment is not necessarily suited to every patient. We need protections in place to ensure that those suffering from developmental disabilities are not placed in harm’s way in the course of their treatment.”