Willowbrook The Last Great Disgrace (Letchworth Segment) [1971]

Conditions at Letchworth Village

Letchworth Village appeared from the outside to resemble a college campus, but the report described severely poor conditions inside. The reporter and camera crew arrived two hours before Congressman Mario Biaggi’s scheduled tour, suspecting the Department of Mental Hygiene might be trying to improve appearances. Clothing was brought in, and cleanup began before the official visit.

A staff member said patients often lacked clothing because there were too few supplies and attendants to keep them dressed. Staffing was extremely inadequate: at times, just four or five attendants were responsible for about 100 residents. Biaggi condemned the conditions, saying he had seen nothing comparable during his visits to prisons and hospitals.

The report also highlighted overcrowding. Although federal funding required at least 80 square feet per patient, residents reportedly had only 35 square feet. An otherwise empty ward could not be opened because the facility lacked the 38 staff members needed to run it.

More than 300 residents who were capable of working outside the institution were instead being used to compensate for the staff shortage, for about $2 a week—roughly what they might earn in an hour outside. The excerpt ends as the reporter introduces another development from the day of the visit.

Presenters and Contributors

• Unidentified reporter/narrator
• Congressman Mario Biaggi
• Unidentified Letchworth Village staff member(s)