February 27, 2007
State Taking Steps to Ensure Safety and Security at MDC
By Joan Miles
DPHHS Director
A February 25 article in the Independent Record about the Montana Developmental Center (MDC) in Boulder, entitled “Treatment Center or Corrections Facility,” raised an important issue that our department has been working hard to address for the past several years. We appreciate that reporter Martin Kidston took the trouble to come to MDC and visit personally with some of our staff and residents.
While the story did a good job of defining the issue – and sharing one man’s advocacy on behalf of some Montanans with developmental disabilities – we wish the story had gone a little farther. It did not touch on a significant effort that the state is undertaking to create a safer environment at MDC.
People with developmental disabilities are not all alike, and their disabilities do not all manifest themselves in the same way. Many can lead productive lives in a community setting with a little help and guidance. That’s the ideal we strive for.
But a few have such poor impulse control because of their delayed mental development that they end up in trouble with the law. That raises difficult questions: “How should someone with a developmental disability be held accountable to the law for his or her actions? Where do these people belong?”
In 2003, the Montana Legislature recognized that prison may not be the best place for these individuals. So it clarified that the courts have a legal alternative: judges can commit them to the Department of Public Health and Human Services for treatment.
(By the way, your story said that MDC began “accepting” criminal commitments about three years ago, implying that it was our decision. Actually, the law gives us no choice but to accept those who are committed by the courts to our care.)
We agree that prison is an inappropriate setting for most, if not all, people with developmental disabilities. We also recognize that criminal commitments to MDC might pose a risk to residents and staff, as well as to the people of Boulder. That’s why, in 2005, we asked the Legislature to approve construction of a state-of-the-art secure-care facility at MDC. Lawmakers gave us the green light, and we broke ground on the $2.5 million building in December. It’s supposed to be finished next November.
This new unit will be completely enclosed within a security fence. Residents will not be allowed to leave the unit without being accompanied by staff. But the residential setting will be much more pleasant and homey than a prison cell. And the emphasis will be on treatment, not incarceration, with the ultimate goal of return to a community setting if at all possible.
In the meantime, we do have a temporary 12-bed locked unit for residents who have serious behavioral problems. But this old and energy-inefficient facility is inadequate in many ways. We consider it only a stop-gap until our new unit is finished.
There are those who don’t approve of this new secure facility. Some disability advocates believe everyone with developmental disabilities should get care, treatment, and services in a less-restrictive community setting. Close to 4,000 of our clients with developmental disabilities do.
But as your story pointed out, there are a handful who are not yet ready for community life. They need treatment in a secure setting both for their own well-being and that of others.
One more thing: We have always valued our relationship with the people of Boulder. Many of our staff at MDC live there. We have scheduled two town meetings, on March 7 and 14, from 7:30 to 10 p.m., in the staff development classroom at MDC. We invite Jefferson County residents to come and discuss with us the changes in mission and population at MDC. We value their thoughts and opinions.
To learn more, contact MDC at 406-225-4472.
(Joan Miles is director of the state Department of Public Health and Human Services, which manages the Montana Developmental Center.)
Page last updated: 03/08/2007
