The Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center was originally established in 1916 as the New York City Reformatory at New Hampton (also known as New Hampton Farms). The facility was built in order to replace the New York City Reformatory on Hart Island. The facility in New Hampton used agricultural, forestry and construction programs to rehabilitate juvenile delinquents. Inmates participated in constructing the many buildings that occupied over 800 acres of land, and they also raised crops in order to feed inmates at other New York City penal institutions. By the 1930s, the reformatory began to resemble a small city with dairy and animal farms, vegetable gardens, water purification system, sewage disposal, power house, bunk houses and recreational facilities. All the buildings and farms were maintained by inmates under custodial and civilian supervision. In 1946, the State took possession of one of the buildings known as Cubicle Building No. 1. The reformatory program had deteriorated, and the State began to recognize that the facility did not offer adequate treatment programs for its inmates. In 1958, the New York Department of Corrections released the entire facility to New York State, and by the 1970s, it was converted to a forensic psychiatric hospital, which replaced the Matteawan Asylum in Fishkill. In 2012, the State Office of Mental Health announced its planned closure of the Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center by 2017. Today, Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center is a secure adult psychiatric center with 278 beds, and it houses and treats people deemed both mentally ill and too violent for society. It is the largest forensic facility in New York State.
Prior to federal regulations placed on asbestos in the late 1970s, asbestos was incorporated into dozens of materials used in the construction and maintenance of Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center. Pipe covering, insulating cement, gaskets and packing material contained asbestos. Inhaling dust and particles from the application and removal of asbestos-containing materials placed workers at risk for developing serious health problems, such as mesothelioma or lung cancer. Even those who were not in direct contact with asbestos materials remain at risk for the development of asbestos-related diseases.
If you or a loved one worked construction or maintenance at Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center in New Hampton, New York, and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer, please contact us for a free and confidential case evaluation.