The Horror of Pennhurst State School American Asylums
Summary
This episode details the horrific history of Pennhurst State School and Hospital in Pennsylvania, exposing decades of abuse, neglect, and eugenic experimentation against residents with disabilities. It covers the pivotal 1960s media exposés by the Philadelphia Inquirer and WCAU that revealed the institution’s "living nightmare" conditions to the public. The narrative follows the landmark Haldeman v. Pennhurst lawsuit, which established constitutional rights for institutionalized individuals and forced the facility’s closure in 1987.
Listen ad-free on Castria