For years, medicine has moved away from the traditional model of having large psychiatric care institutions, but in recent times that pendulum has begun swinging back, as medical and law enforcement experts alike have realized that they serve an important role in society that’s difficult to replace. With that in mind, the state is breaking ground on a new, $400 million, 300-bed forensic state hospital, which will be built near Georgia Regional Hospital in south DeKalb County. The hospital will be the largest of its kind built in decades and already has hundreds of patients currently in the criminal justice system lined up. Kevin Tanner, commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, says it’s a necessity. “We need the bed capacity today. As soon as we can get the hospital open, the better it will be for the system.”
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psychiatric care system centered on institutionalization
