Willowbrook Mental Hospital Documentary
Geraldo won a peabody award for this documentary and it continues to be studied in colleges and universities across the country.
Willowbrook mental hospital documentary. The exposé documentary revealed the horrific living conditions and the neglect of the mentally disabled children left in the care of this facility. By 1969 willowbrook designed with a capacity for 4 000 patients reached its peak of 6 200. At the time it was the biggest state run institution for people with mental disabilities in the united states. Willowbrook state school was a state supported institution for children with intellectual disabilities located in the willowbrook neighborhood on staten island in new york city from 1947 until 1987.
The school was designed for 4 000 but by 1965 it had a population of 6 000. This is the original willowbrook documentary aired on eyewitness news that spurred protests investigations and ultimately over a decade later the closing of the willowbrook institution. Investigative reporter geraldo rivera and his camera crew were invited in unbeknownst to administrators by dr. Willowbrook received another surprise visitor in 1972.
Directed by geraldo rivera. A talented young politician robert f. Investigative reporter geraldo rivera s 1972 exposé of willowbrook state school staten island new york more info. In 1972 an up and coming reporter for abc geraldo rivera was able to sneak into willowbrook aided by a disgruntled employee.
It was the largest mental institution in the united states and host to some of the country s most deplorable living conditions. In 1997 rivera returned to the willowbrook beat by serving as commentator on a 57 minute documentary about the school called unforgiven. The first the american public heard of the horrors of willowbrook was from a speech made by a promising young politician. Kennedy compared the institution to a snake pit but his assassination in 1968 left the country with one less powerful advocate for mental illness.
Willowbrook click to see the complete page on willowbrook the last great disgrace 1972 investigative reporter geraldo rivera s exposé documentary of the willowbrook state school. With bernard carabello robert f. A shocking exposé of the deplorable conditions and abuses from the willowbrook state school for children with intellectual disabilities.