When mental institutions are discussed in the United States, our minds go to dark places. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest soars off the pages and into the popular psyche of what mental institutions looked like during their existence. One hospital that embodies these traits is the Camarillo State Mental Hospital. Built in the 1930’s, Camarillo State was, at the time, the largest mental health facility in the United States, housing over 7,000 individuals at its peak. Many famous individuals were housed there, including jazz musician Charlie Parker who famously wrote the song “Relaxin’ at Camarillo,” about his brief stay there following a heroin overdose

To get a better feel about the rise, peak, and decline of Camarillo State, it is important to start at the beginning in 1929.

Acknowledgements

I would briefly like to thank the archivists both at CSU Channel Islands and The Los Angeles Times for helping contribute primary sources to this blog entry. To be forewarned, most of the documents are PDF files.

Origin (1929-1936)

During the 48th session of the California State Legislature, a bill was passed in order to appropriate funds in the amount of one million dollars to create a mental institution in Southern California, at the time called a “state hospital for the insane”. After a 3 year search for an appropriate site, the State of California purchased 1,648 acres of land from Joseph P. Lewis and Adolfo, two prominent lima bean farmers. Building of the facility began in 1933, with the state hospital becoming a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project under the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Three years after the beginning of construction, the facility was completed and a dedication ceremony was held to a crowd of 1,000-2,000 people by Governor Frank Merriam. At the time, the hospital had room for 6,000 patients, and was, as mentioned above, one of the largest facilities in the world.

Growth (1936-1975)

In the initial years, patients were transferred from surrounding hospitals to Camarillo State in order to alleviate burden from them. As the hospital grew in numbers, the scope of treatment and the types of patients treated also grew. In 1952, the hospital opened a Receiving and Treatment Unit in a ceremony attended by then-Governor and later Chief Justice Earl Warren. Another notable development that was important in the history of the hospital was the creation of one of the first autism wards in the country. Rather than being focused on harsher interventions that had proven ineffective in the past, the programs that autistic boys and girls went through were skills based, emphasizing real world experiences including “preacademic, academic, vocational, and self-help skills.”

In 1955, Camarillo State reached its peak population as a facility, housing 7,000 individuals. To give a bit of perspective, the City of Camarillo at the time had a population that was slightly more than 2,000 individuals, with a patient to civilian ratio of nearly 4:1.

Throughout the 1950’s and 60’s, the facility was also used to test schizophrenia drugs, and much of the scientific knowledge about such drugs stems from these early tests.

Controversy (1976-77)

As with many mental institutions in the 1960’s and 70’s, Camarillo State Mental Hospital was not completely free of controversy and horror stories that are heard on a regular basis. In a grand jury report produced in the period between 1976-1977, the County of Ventura made recommendations to the hospital in reaction to “unexplained patient deaths” at the facility. Some of these recommendations included having a strong chief executive, decentralizing the facility, reevaluating the hiring process, and instruction in legal consequences. Another aspect mentioned was the value of “community based centers,” as an alternative method of treatment of individuals with mental illnesses versus the permanence of institutionalization.

To this day, the human rights abuses at Camarillo State Mental Hospital are mythologized, with ghost-hunters and paranormal “experts,” coming to the remains of the facility to try and find the spirits of individuals that had passed in care.

Decline and Closure (1977-1997)

As spending was cut at the state and federal level for mental institutions, the cost of housing patients grew, and the number of patients at the facility declined, the argument for keeping Camarillo State Mental Hospital open became thinner and thinner. Though the facility had built a model vocational program in the 1970’s and 80’s for individuals with mental health problems to find work, numbers continued declining through the 80’s and 90’s.

In 1996, Governor Pete Wilson announced the closure of the facility, and transfer of patients to other mental institutions and community based centers began. Arguments were made by residents of both Ventura and Los Angeles county to keep the facility open due to the fact they perceived that the 800 individuals still housed there didn’t have places to go after the facility shut down.

In February of 1997, the California State Legislature passed SB 623, which began the process of transferring the land from being a state mental hospital to a university. Today, that university is California State University, Channel islands, the major university in Ventura County

Legacy (1997-Present)

Camarillo State Mental Hospital has carved itself into a unique place in popular culture. Many fans of the Eagles claim that the song “Hotel California,” is based off a band member’s brief stay at the facility in the 70’s. From 1997-2002, the in construction facility was used for numerous projects, including the filming of movies and music videos.

The controversial transfer of patients into the community was another legacy the hospital left behind. Though many were able to find comfort in services, some were not so lucky, and “fell through the cracks” in the worst possible ways.

As one of the largest facilities in the United States, Camarillo State Mental Hospital holds a unique place in history of mental health in the United States, and is an example of the collision of local, state, and federal policies.