Skip to main content

The timeline can be navigated by dragging the pointer on the timeline bar, located at the bottom of the screen on the desktop version and on the left of the screen on mobile. To filter by a specific topic, make a selection on the dropdown “Filters” menu or click “Search” to do a keyword search. To learn more, click “Read More” below.

Read More

The New York State Asylum relocates, and the building is converted to a women's prison.

Date: 1892

The Story of Disability Justice
DCRJ
PIC
HOSP
LLP

The asylum was the first institution in the U.S. created for incarcerated people with mental, developmental, divergent, and emotional disabilities. Based on rising costs and the need for a women's prison, the buildings of the facility are converted to a State Prison for Women.

In 1892, the institution relocates to Matteawan and becomes "Matteawan State Hospital." The hospital is intended to institutionalize patients who are deemed "chronically dangerous" (Yasinac, 2007). It will continue to operate until legislation is passed in the 1960s against the state criminalizing and incarcerating people with mental, emotional, developmental, and divergent disabilities. By the 1970's, it will become the "Fishkill Correctional Facility," a medium security prison.