Restraints and seclusion used improperly at St. Peter state hospital, group alleges

Minnesota’s troubled psychiatric hospital in St. Peter continues to restrain and seclude patients in ways that violate the hospital’s own policies, according to a report released Wednesday by Legal Aid’s Minnesota Disability Law Center.

In a 16-month investigation, the nonprofit legal advocacy group found that staff at the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter isolate patients in locked rooms, and strap them to restraint chairs, among other measures, even when patients and staff are not at risk of imminent harm. In some cases, the hospital appears to use these measures as punishment rather than emergency protection, according to the report.

http://www.startribune.com/restraints-and-seclusion-used-improperly-at-st-peter-state-hospital-group-alleges/319733951/