MESA, Ariz. – Arizona lawmakers will be assessing their options in the coming weeks to build a new mental health facility for the state’s criminally insane.
With only six of the facility’s 10 forensic buildings still useable, Arizona State Hospital has deteriorated beyond mere renovation, according to an East Valley / Scottsdale Tribune report. The four unusable buildings are so badly deteriorated and contaminated with asbestos, they have been evacuated. The laundry list of poor conditions includes more than 20 patients evacuated when galvanized pipes burst last Fall, staff evacuated when offices began sinking into the ground, and an accused killer escaping by squeezing through a bathroom window.
More than 122 years old, the institution houses approximately 135 “guilty except insane” criminals charged with assault, child molestation and murder. According to Senate Majority Whip John Huppenthal, R-Chandler, legislators have reached a consensus that a totally new facility is needed. The problem is finding adequate funding.
Governor Janet Napolitano has requested $32 million to fund a new hospital, while the state Department of Health Services has asked for $37 million. The funds may be paid over time or contingent on a healthy economy.
