Contact: Dr. John C. Ziegler, Director,
Office of Public Information
Phone: (334) 242-3417
Montgomery – The historic 33 year mental health lawsuit
originally styled Wyatt vs. Stickney, may end as early as
Friday, December 5, 2003, at a fairness hearing held by U.S.
District Judge Myron Thompson. The hearing is set for 10:00
a.m. in the ceremonial courtroom 2F in the Frank M. Johnson,
Jr. Federal Courthouse on One Church Street in Montgomery,
Alabama. In October a joint motion of compliance with the
settlement agreement was filed by both the plaintiffs and
the defendant, Department of Mental Health and Mental
Retardation, (DMH/MR) in the case. The judge set the
fairness hearing to consider any objections to ending the
case. It is within the judge’s discretion to rule at the
hearing or at a later time.
Governor Bob Riley, Mental Health Commissioner Kathy Sawyer,
and other stakeholders are expected to attend the fairness
hearing and will be available to speak with the press after
court has adjourned. Officials from the DMH/MR are hopeful
that the ruling will be handed down quickly as both parties
in the suit have agreed that the department is in
substantial compliance with the settlement agreement which
was signed on January 21, 2000. Full implementation of the
three-year settlement agreement began October 1, 2000.
Commissioner Kathy Sawyer said, “Wyatt has brought about
many positive reforms in the public mental health system.
Over 95% of Alabama citizens with mental illness and mental
retardation are now served in community settings rather than
in state institutions. Because of Wyatt, people with mental
disabilities now have the right to personally prescribed
health care plans and the dignity and freedom to experience
recovery through community based services.” Governor Riley
praised all of the parties involved by saying, “When I talk
about efficiency in government, I frequently use the
department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation as an
example. The imminent termination of this case is an
affirmation of our continuing commitment to maintain and
improve services for the thousands of Alabamians served by
the DMH/MR each year.”
The landmark Wyatt vs. Stickney lawsuit was filed in 1970 on
behalf of a committed resident, Ricky Wyatt, at Bryce
Hospital. Dr. Stonewall Stickney was State Mental Health
Commissioner at the time. The plaintiffs in the class action
lawsuit argued that the conditions in Alabama’s mental
health facilities were inhumane, and the patients lacked
appropriate individualized care. In 1972 Judge Frank M.
Johnson, Jr. handed down a ruling that established minimum
standards for providing treatment and habilitation in state
mental health and mental retardation facilities. Over the
past 33 years, implementation of these standards literally
transformed the landscape of the mental health system in
Alabama and in the nation.
