Coalinga State Hospital - Revision history

Xtjvimds16dovrfc at 00:18, 5 June 2025

2025-06-05T00:18:13Z

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	__NOTOC__[[Image:Csh.PNG\|thumb\|Prison-like structure]]'''Coalinga State Hospital''' (f. Sep, 2005) is a 1500-bed state mental hospital near Coalinga, California, operated by the California Department of Mental Health (DMH) and used by the American state to imprison "[[Sexually Violent Predator]]s" after they have served their prison sentences. This controversial practise, known as "civil commitment", takes advantage of mental health diagnostics to enforce what are probably unconstitutional, extended prison sentences. The term "Sexually Violent Predator", criticised later in this article, includes those convicted of crimes including the mild fondling of younger minors.		__NOTOC__[[Image:Csh.PNG\|thumb\|Prison-like structure]]'''Coalinga State Hospital''' (f. Sep, 2005) is a 1500-bed state mental hospital near Coalinga, California, operated by the California Department of Mental Health (DMH) and used by the American state to imprison "[[Sexually Violent Predator]]s" after they have served their prison sentences. This controversial practise, known as "civil commitment", takes advantage of mental health diagnostics to enforce what are probably unconstitutional, extended prison sentences. The term "Sexually Violent Predator", criticised later in this article, includes those convicted of crimes including the mild fondling of younger minors.

	The hospital, located hours away from any major city in California and almost adjoined to Pleasant Valley State Prison, is used to incarcerate a small number of diagnosed, mentally ill offenders from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), with a much larger number of patients made up of men committed under the sexually violent predator (SVP) laws - first [[Megan's Law]] and later [[Jessica's Law]]. The latter group are deemed too likely to [[~~recidivism~~\|reoffend]] to be released and are imprisoned indefinitely at the hospital until they engage in and complete rigorous sex offender treatment and agree to rigid conditional parole requirements.		The hospital, located hours away from any major city in California and almost adjoined to Pleasant Valley State Prison, is used to incarcerate a small number of diagnosed, mentally ill offenders from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), with a much larger number of patients made up of men committed under the sexually violent predator (SVP) laws - first [[Megan's Law]] and later [[Jessica's Law]]. The latter group are deemed too likely to [[Research:_Recidivism_and_other_offending_figures\|reoffend]] to be released and are imprisoned indefinitely at the hospital until they engage in and complete rigorous sex offender treatment and agree to rigid conditional parole requirements.

	==Coercive treatment==		==Coercive treatment==

Jim Burton at 00:04, 5 June 2025

2025-06-05T00:04:51Z

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	==Protests==		==Protests==

	As of 2008, as much as '''75%''' of the population remains on strike, refusing to cooperate with the "impulse control" treatment program. A number of the inmates participated in a hunger strike, to call attention to conditions at the unit. The strike came to public attention through a press release issued jointly by detainees and the support group Friends and Families of California Detainees. It was also highlighted in an evening news broadcast from Pacifica Radio station KPFA on August 24, 2007. Inmates and [[~~sex offender activism~~]] critics have charged that the controversial SVP program, instituted in 1998, is based on public fear instead of science, and that the hospital functions essentially as ex post facto imprisonment, or an unconstitutional extension of detainees’ prison sentences imposed after their time has been served.		As of 2008, as much as '''75%''' of the population remains on strike, refusing to cooperate with the "impulse control" treatment program. A number of the inmates participated in a hunger strike, to call attention to conditions at the unit. The strike came to public attention through a press release issued jointly by detainees and the support group Friends and Families of California Detainees. It was also highlighted in an evening news broadcast from Pacifica Radio station KPFA on August 24, 2007. Inmates and [[RSO Activism]] critics have charged that the controversial SVP program, instituted in 1998, is based on public fear instead of science, and that the hospital functions essentially as ex post facto imprisonment, or an unconstitutional extension of detainees’ prison sentences imposed after their time has been served.

	In the KPFA report, Allan Marshall, director of Friends and Families of California Detainees, explained:		In the KPFA report, Allan Marshall, director of Friends and Families of California Detainees, explained:

The Admins at 13:37, 15 March 2023

2023-03-15T13:37:43Z

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	On December 27, 2019, a petition for a writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States was filed in the matter of Pashtoon Farooqi v. State of California, challenging, inter alia, conditions of confinement at Coalinga State Hospital.<ref>https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/18/18-7220/78233/20190104120128981_00000007.pdf</ref> The Supreme court subsequently refused to hear the case.<ref>Farooqi v. California, 139 S.Ct. 1293 (2019) https://www.leagle.com/decision/insco20190304c49</ref>		On December 27, 2019, a petition for a writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States was filed in the matter of Pashtoon Farooqi v. State of California, challenging, inter alia, conditions of confinement at Coalinga State Hospital.<ref>https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/18/18-7220/78233/20190104120128981_00000007.pdf</ref> The Supreme court subsequently refused to hear the case.<ref>Farooqi v. California, 139 S.Ct. 1293 (2019) https://www.leagle.com/decision/insco20190304c49</ref>

	Three-quarters of CSH's 850-plus detainees refuse to participate in a core treatment program, undermining a central piece of Coalinga State Hospital's purported mission. The vast majority refuse to participate beyond the first phase of a five-phase therapy regimen. Only 25 to 30 percent of sexually violent predators consent to participate in the active phases of California's sex offender treatment program.<ref>http://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1064&context=californialawreview</ref>		Three-quarters of CSH's 850-plus detainees refuse to participate in a core treatment program, undermining a central piece of Coalinga State Hospital's purported mission. The vast majority refuse to participate beyond the first phase of a five-phase therapy regimen. Only 25 to 30 percent of sexually violent predators [[consent]] to participate in the active phases of California's sex offender treatment program.<ref>http://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1064&context=californialawreview</ref>

	===Organised protest===		===Organised protest===

JohnHolt: /* External links */ BLs can't write a redirect rule

2021-09-19T18:36:03Z

External links: BLs can't write a redirect rule

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	*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalinga_State_Hospital Wikipedia]		*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalinga_State_Hospital Wikipedia]
	*[~~http~~://~~www.dmh~~.ca.gov~~/Services_and_Programs/State_Hospitals~~/Coalinga/~~default.asp~~ Official site]		*[https://dsh.ca.gov/Coalinga/ Official site]
	*[~~http~~://~~sexgulag~~.~~org~~/ ~~Sexgulag.org~~] ~~- Opposition group~~		*[https://voicesofthegulag.blogspot.com/ Voices of the Gulag] and [https://sexgulag.blogspot.com/ Sex Gulag] - Opposition groups
	*[~~http~~://~~www~~.~~voicesofthegulag~~.~~org~~/ ~~Voices of the~~ Gulag] - Opposition ~~group~~		*[https://www.nambla.org/coalinga.html Prison scandal at Coalinga] - Used as a source
	*[~~http~~://nambla.org/coalinga.~~htm~~ Prison scandal at Coalinga] - Used as a source

	==References==		==References==

	[[Category:Official Encyclopedia]][[Category:Hysteria]][[Category:Law/Crime]][[Category:Law/Crime: American]][[Category:History & Events: American]][[Category:History & Events: 2000s]][[Category:Organisations]][[Category:Organisations: Unsympathetic]][[Category:Organisations: Public]][[Category:Organisations: Real-life]][[Category:Organisations: American]]		[[Category:Official Encyclopedia]][[Category:Hysteria]][[Category:Law/Crime]][[Category:Law/Crime: American]][[Category:History & Events: American]][[Category:History & Events: 2000s]][[Category:Organisations]][[Category:Organisations: Unsympathetic]][[Category:Organisations: Public]][[Category:Organisations: Real-life]][[Category:Organisations: American]]

JohnHolt at 18:30, 19 September 2021

2021-09-19T18:30:18Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:30, 19 September 2021
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	At the same time, the periodic assessments that are supposed to be performed to determine whether an inmate is eligible for confinement seem to be missing in action: “Our number one issue is the assessments which they have never done on any of us. I’ve been here at this hospital for eleven months and I’ve never seen a psychiatrist. They’ve never done an evaluation to determine where I’m at or what I need for treatment or what’s necessary for me to be released or any of that stuff” says inmate Michael St. Martin in the KPFA report.		At the same time, the periodic assessments that are supposed to be performed to determine whether an inmate is eligible for confinement seem to be missing in action: “Our number one issue is the assessments which they have never done on any of us. I’ve been here at this hospital for eleven months and I’ve never seen a psychiatrist. They’ve never done an evaluation to determine where I’m at or what I need for treatment or what’s necessary for me to be released or any of that stuff” says inmate Michael St. Martin in the KPFA report.

			==More recent events==

			A federal judge ruled a similar program in Minnesota to be unconstitutional. The U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota held that Minnesota's civil commitment scheme was a punitive system that segregates and indefinitely detains a class of potentially dangerous individuals without the safeguards of the criminal justice system.<ref>http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/state-hospital-civil-commitment-ordered-for-molester/article_082c88f2-1bcb-11e5-b97c-5bc36e113cfc.html</ref><ref>https://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/06/17/sex-offender-program-unconstitutional</ref> However, the Eighth Circuit Court of the United States subsequently reversed.<ref>https://ecf.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/17/01/153485P.pdf</ref>

			The controversy extended beyond the U.S. when UK Courts identified the detention of certain Coalinga inmates as a human rights violation. This occurred in 2015, when the state of California sought to extradite an alleged child sexual abuser known only as Mr. G from the United Kingdom. (Mr. G was later identified as Roger Alan Giese.) The UK courts did not permit this extradition, as they were made aware that Mr. G could be subject to post-sentence imprisonment at Coalinga State Hospital. The court heard evidence that stated that the Sexually Violent Predator Act's "civil commitment scheme" is applied too broadly in California, meaning that many people could be classed as being of "unsound mind" even if their diagnosis fell "far short" of this definition within the meaning of Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Therefore, the court ruled that Mr. G's detention at Coalinga would have amounted to a "flagrant" breach of Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20190305044704/http://blogs.law.unc.edu/ncilj/2015/12/15/us-civil-confinement-clashes-with-uk-and-eu-humanrights-laws/</ref>

			On December 27, 2019, a petition for a writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States was filed in the matter of Pashtoon Farooqi v. State of California, challenging, inter alia, conditions of confinement at Coalinga State Hospital.<ref>https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/18/18-7220/78233/20190104120128981_00000007.pdf</ref> The Supreme court subsequently refused to hear the case.<ref>Farooqi v. California, 139 S.Ct. 1293 (2019) https://www.leagle.com/decision/insco20190304c49</ref>

			Three-quarters of CSH's 850-plus detainees refuse to participate in a core treatment program, undermining a central piece of Coalinga State Hospital's purported mission. The vast majority refuse to participate beyond the first phase of a five-phase therapy regimen. Only 25 to 30 percent of sexually violent predators consent to participate in the active phases of California's sex offender treatment program.<ref>http://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1064&context=californialawreview</ref>

	===Organised protest===		===Organised protest===
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	==External links==		==External links==

			*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalinga_State_Hospital Wikipedia]
	*[http://www.dmh.ca.gov/Services_and_Programs/State_Hospitals/Coalinga/default.asp Official site]		*[http://www.dmh.ca.gov/Services_and_Programs/State_Hospitals/Coalinga/default.asp Official site]
	*[http://sexgulag.org/ Sexgulag.org] - Opposition group		*[http://sexgulag.org/ Sexgulag.org] - Opposition group
	*[http://www.voicesofthegulag.org/ Voices of the Gulag] - Opposition group		*[http://www.voicesofthegulag.org/ Voices of the Gulag] - Opposition group
	*[http://nambla.org/coalinga.htm Prison scandal at Coalinga] - Used as a source		*[http://nambla.org/coalinga.htm Prison scandal at Coalinga] - Used as a source

			==References==

	[[Category:Official Encyclopedia]][[Category:Hysteria]][[Category:Law/Crime]][[Category:Law/Crime: American]][[Category:History & Events: American]][[Category:History & Events: 2000s]][[Category:Organisations]][[Category:Organisations: Unsympathetic]][[Category:Organisations: Public]][[Category:Organisations: Real-life]][[Category:Organisations: American]]		[[Category:Official Encyclopedia]][[Category:Hysteria]][[Category:Law/Crime]][[Category:Law/Crime: American]][[Category:History & Events: American]][[Category:History & Events: 2000s]][[Category:Organisations]][[Category:Organisations: Unsympathetic]][[Category:Organisations: Public]][[Category:Organisations: Real-life]][[Category:Organisations: American]]

JohnHolt at 18:15, 19 September 2021

2021-09-19T18:15:41Z

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	*[http://nambla.org/coalinga.htm Prison scandal at Coalinga] - Used as a source		*[http://nambla.org/coalinga.htm Prison scandal at Coalinga] - Used as a source

	[[Category:Official Encyclopedia]][[Category:Hysteria]][[Category:Law/Crime]][[Category:Law/Crime: American~~]][[Category:History & Events~~]][[Category:History & Events: American]][[Category:History & Events: 2000s]][[Category:Organisations]][[Category:Organisations: Unsympathetic]][[Category:Organisations: Public]][[Category:Organisations: Real-life]][[Category:Organisations: American]]		[[Category:Official Encyclopedia]][[Category:Hysteria]][[Category:Law/Crime]][[Category:Law/Crime: American]][[Category:History & Events: American]][[Category:History & Events: 2000s]][[Category:Organisations]][[Category:Organisations: Unsympathetic]][[Category:Organisations: Public]][[Category:Organisations: Real-life]][[Category:Organisations: American]]

The Admins at 21:17, 20 April 2009

2009-04-20T21:17:06Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:17, 20 April 2009
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	The hospital, located hours away from any major city in California and almost adjoined to Pleasant Valley State Prison, is used to incarcerate a small number of diagnosed, mentally ill offenders from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), with a much larger number of patients made up of men committed under the sexually violent predator (SVP) laws - first [[Megan's Law]] and later [[Jessica's Law]]. The latter group are deemed too likely to [[recidivism\|reoffend]] to be released and are imprisoned indefinitely at the hospital until they engage in and complete rigorous sex offender treatment and agree to rigid conditional parole requirements.		The hospital, located hours away from any major city in California and almost adjoined to Pleasant Valley State Prison, is used to incarcerate a small number of diagnosed, mentally ill offenders from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), with a much larger number of patients made up of men committed under the sexually violent predator (SVP) laws - first [[Megan's Law]] and later [[Jessica's Law]]. The latter group are deemed too likely to [[recidivism\|reoffend]] to be released and are imprisoned indefinitely at the hospital until they engage in and complete rigorous sex offender treatment and agree to rigid conditional parole requirements.

	~~[[Image:Csh2.PNG\|thumb\|left\|Admin entrance]]~~

	==Coercive treatment==		==Coercive treatment==
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	==Bad staffing==		==Bad staffing==

	The DMH has had difficulty staffing the program. High staff turnover rates and a dearth of licensed psychologists and medical staff have been cited by the detainees as ongoing issues at the facility. According to St. Martin, “they don’t have any staff here. They had 11 psychologists. They’re now down to 8 psychologists because three just left. Of those 8 psychologists, only four of them are licensed so they only have 4 licensed clinicians. They have 3 psychiatrists here at the hospital for about 700 people and those psychiatrists have been brought in from India. The second thing is that we have this huge, huge deficit of doctors here -- medical doctors.”		[[Image:Csh2.PNG\|thumb\|left\|Admin entrance]]The DMH has had difficulty staffing the program. High staff turnover rates and a dearth of licensed psychologists and medical staff have been cited by the detainees as ongoing issues at the facility. According to St. Martin, “they don’t have any staff here. They had 11 psychologists. They’re now down to 8 psychologists because three just left. Of those 8 psychologists, only four of them are licensed so they only have 4 licensed clinicians. They have 3 psychiatrists here at the hospital for about 700 people and those psychiatrists have been brought in from India. The second thing is that we have this huge, huge deficit of doctors here -- medical doctors.”

	The hospital’s founding director, [[Walter Thomas Voss]], had no credentials in the fields of psychology, psychiatry or medicine. According to the press release announcing his appointment in 2002, Voss was a Navy veteran with a BA degree from the University of Phoenix and 25 years of experience as an administrator of medical facilities within the California Department of Corrections -- facilities which have received extensive press coverage for their shockingly inadequate standard of care. Voss has since resigned and his replacement has also resigned.		The hospital’s founding director, [[Walter Thomas Voss]], had no credentials in the fields of psychology, psychiatry or medicine. According to the press release announcing his appointment in 2002, Voss was a Navy veteran with a BA degree from the University of Phoenix and 25 years of experience as an administrator of medical facilities within the California Department of Corrections -- facilities which have received extensive press coverage for their shockingly inadequate standard of care. Voss has since resigned and his replacement has also resigned.
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	*[http://sexgulag.org/ Sexgulag.org] - Opposition group		*[http://sexgulag.org/ Sexgulag.org] - Opposition group
	*[http://www.voicesofthegulag.org/ Voices of the Gulag] - Opposition group		*[http://www.voicesofthegulag.org/ Voices of the Gulag] - Opposition group
	*[http://nambla.org/coalinga.htm Prison scandal at Coalinga] - Used as a source.		*[http://nambla.org/coalinga.htm Prison scandal at Coalinga] - Used as a source

	[[Category:Official Encyclopedia]][[Category:Hysteria]][[Category:Law/Crime]][[Category:Law/Crime: American]][[Category:History & Events]][[Category:History & Events: American]][[Category:History & Events: 2000s]][[Category:Organisations]][[Category:Organisations: Unsympathetic]][[Category:Organisations: Public]][[Category:Organisations: Real-life]][[Category:Organisations: American]]		[[Category:Official Encyclopedia]][[Category:Hysteria]][[Category:Law/Crime]][[Category:Law/Crime: American]][[Category:History & Events]][[Category:History & Events: American]][[Category:History & Events: 2000s]][[Category:Organisations]][[Category:Organisations: Unsympathetic]][[Category:Organisations: Public]][[Category:Organisations: Real-life]][[Category:Organisations: American]]

Jillium: /* Protests */

2009-04-20T20:02:49Z

Protests

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:02, 20 April 2009
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	:''“The term ‘sexually violent predator’ has unfortunately come into some popularity in this country and has come to mean something quite different from what any reasonable person would expect sexually violent would mean. Factors such as the age of the victim, the number of the victims and whether they are related or not. Those are factors which they take into consideration in calling someone sexually violent -- not at all what we would typically think of [as] violent. So they have sort of redefined terms which I believe is a means to inflame public opinion, and I think that has resulted in very Draconian, citizen based demand for further punishment of sex offenders.”''		:''“The term ‘sexually violent predator’ has unfortunately come into some popularity in this country and has come to mean something quite different from what any reasonable person would expect sexually violent would mean. Factors such as the age of the victim, the number of the victims and whether they are related or not. Those are factors which they take into consideration in calling someone sexually violent -- not at all what we would typically think of [as] violent. So they have sort of redefined terms which I believe is a means to inflame public opinion, and I think that has resulted in very Draconian, citizen based demand for further punishment of sex offenders.”''

	In their press release, Coalinga detainees charge the hospital administration with a wide range of abuses and raise the concern that the opacity of the system may also hide extensive corruption. Inmates claim they are subjected to extremely restrictive and arbitrary rules and procedures, poorly cared for by insufficient medical staff, inadequately fed and not allowed to see beyond the hospital walls.~~Coalinga~~		In their press release, Coalinga detainees charge the hospital administration with a wide range of abuses and raise the concern that the opacity of the system may also hide extensive corruption. Inmates claim they are subjected to extremely restrictive and arbitrary rules and procedures, poorly cared for by insufficient medical staff, inadequately fed and not allowed to see beyond the hospital walls.

	A particular point of concern is the coercive program of collective interrogation and conditioning, passed off by administrators as “treatment.” A premise of psychiatric practice is that a patient must be willingly engaged in a therapeutic project – a prerequisite which the SVP program fails to meet by its very nature. Inmates have expressed concern that this program, rather than being therapeutic or rehabilitative, is actually designed to collect information and facilitate biased staff “evaluations” slanted to keep them confined forever. Critics are also concerned that the commitments may not be based upon an inmate’s actions so much as his expressed beliefs.		A particular point of concern is the coercive program of collective interrogation and conditioning, passed off by administrators as “treatment.” A premise of psychiatric practice is that a patient must be willingly engaged in a therapeutic project – a prerequisite which the SVP program fails to meet by its very nature. Inmates have expressed concern that this program, rather than being therapeutic or rehabilitative, is actually designed to collect information and facilitate biased staff “evaluations” slanted to keep them confined forever. Critics are also concerned that the commitments may not be based upon an inmate’s actions so much as his expressed beliefs.

The Admins: /* Bad staffing */

2009-04-20T19:35:31Z

Bad staffing

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:35, 20 April 2009
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	The DMH has had difficulty staffing the program. High staff turnover rates and a dearth of licensed psychologists and medical staff have been cited by the detainees as ongoing issues at the facility. According to St. Martin, “they don’t have any staff here. They had 11 psychologists. They’re now down to 8 psychologists because three just left. Of those 8 psychologists, only four of them are licensed so they only have 4 licensed clinicians. They have 3 psychiatrists here at the hospital for about 700 people and those psychiatrists have been brought in from India. The second thing is that we have this huge, huge deficit of doctors here -- medical doctors.”		The DMH has had difficulty staffing the program. High staff turnover rates and a dearth of licensed psychologists and medical staff have been cited by the detainees as ongoing issues at the facility. According to St. Martin, “they don’t have any staff here. They had 11 psychologists. They’re now down to 8 psychologists because three just left. Of those 8 psychologists, only four of them are licensed so they only have 4 licensed clinicians. They have 3 psychiatrists here at the hospital for about 700 people and those psychiatrists have been brought in from India. The second thing is that we have this huge, huge deficit of doctors here -- medical doctors.”

	The hospital’s founding director, [[Walter Thomas Voss]], had no credentials in the fields of psychology, psychiatry or medicine. According to the press ~~releahttp://newgon.com/w/index.php?title=Coalinga_State_Hospital&action=submitse~~ announcing his appointment in 2002, Voss was a Navy veteran with a BA degree from the University of Phoenix and 25 years of experience as an administrator of medical facilities within the California Department of Corrections -- facilities which have received extensive press coverage for their shockingly inadequate standard of care. Voss has since resigned and his replacement has also resigned.		The hospital’s founding director, [[Walter Thomas Voss]], had no credentials in the fields of psychology, psychiatry or medicine. According to the press release announcing his appointment in 2002, Voss was a Navy veteran with a BA degree from the University of Phoenix and 25 years of experience as an administrator of medical facilities within the California Department of Corrections -- facilities which have received extensive press coverage for their shockingly inadequate standard of care. Voss has since resigned and his replacement has also resigned.

	==TV coverage==		==TV coverage==

The Admins at 19:30, 20 April 2009

2009-04-20T19:30:56Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:30, 20 April 2009
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	__NOTOC__[[Image:Csh.PNG\|thumb\|Prison-like structure]]'''Coalinga State Hospital''' (f. Sep, 2005) is a 1500-bed state mental hospital in Coalinga, California, operated by the California Department of Mental Health (DMH) and used by the American state to imprison "[[Sexually Violent Predator]]s"~~, such as those convicted of mild fondling of younger minors,~~ after they have served their prison sentences. This controversial practise, known as "civil commitment", takes advantage of mental health diagnostics to enforce what are ~~likely to be~~ unconstitutional, extended prison sentences.		__NOTOC__[[Image:Csh.PNG\|thumb\|Prison-like structure]]'''Coalinga State Hospital''' (f. Sep, 2005) is a 1500-bed state mental hospital near Coalinga, California, operated by the California Department of Mental Health (DMH) and used by the American state to imprison "[[Sexually Violent Predator]]s" after they have served their prison sentences. This controversial practise, known as "civil commitment", takes advantage of mental health diagnostics to enforce what are probably unconstitutional, extended prison sentences. The term "Sexually Violent Predator", criticised later in this article, includes those convicted of crimes including the mild fondling of younger minors.

	The hospital, located hours away from any major city in California and almost adjoined to Pleasant Valley State Prison, is used to incarcerate a small number of diagnosed, mentally ill offenders from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), with a much larger number of patients made up of men committed under the sexually violent predator (SVP) laws - first [[Megan's Law]] and later [[Jessica's Law]]. The latter group are deemed too likely to [[recidivism\|reoffend]] to be released and are imprisoned indefinitely at the hospital until they engage in and complete rigorous sex offender treatment and agree to rigid conditional parole requirements.		The hospital, located hours away from any major city in California and almost adjoined to Pleasant Valley State Prison, is used to incarcerate a small number of diagnosed, mentally ill offenders from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), with a much larger number of patients made up of men committed under the sexually violent predator (SVP) laws - first [[Megan's Law]] and later [[Jessica's Law]]. The latter group are deemed too likely to [[recidivism\|reoffend]] to be released and are imprisoned indefinitely at the hospital until they engage in and complete rigorous sex offender treatment and agree to rigid conditional parole requirements.