Gov. Charlie Baker's administration is calling for major changes at Bridgewater State Hospital, a prison that treats mentally ill people who have been either charged with or convicted of a crime.
The plan unveiled Tuesday calls for moving inmates serving criminal sentences to a new secure facility at the nearby Old Colony Correctional Center.
The state plans to hire a new vendor to treat the remaining patients at Bridgewater State Hospital. The facility would remain under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Correction, but corrections officers would remain mostly outside the 22-acre complex and have limited contact with patients.
Bridgewater has been under increased scrutiny since the 2009 death of a mentally ill man who was being restrained by guards. Three were later charged in connection with the case.
