Resident Stories & Advocacy
While understanding legal documents is vital to learning about STS and how it has changed with time, its story is incomplete without talking about firsthand resident experiences. Without allowing a space for the residents themselves to share their experiences, there is no guarantee that what’s being relayed on their behalf is truly what they felt about their time living there. I've compiled all of the first-person accounts I found below.
People First of CT
Brief History
TJ Monroe
Former President/Founder of CT Chapter of People First
In “Pity is a Four-Letter Word,” Joseph Shapiro discussed the self-advocacy movement and provided a short biography of TJ Monroe, the founding member/president of People First of Connecticut. The author briefly touched upon how Monroe lived at STS for 11 years, where he experienced physical and sexual abuse, after which he stayed at a group home for another 12 years. When I Googled him to learn more, I found his website, which featured a background page with a 1996 article from Cincinnati Enquirer–“'3328' now has a respected name.” Even before reading the full article, the title gave me the chills. An entire person was reduced to a simple four-digit number. I knew that the conditions at STS were horrible to say the least, but for residents like Monroe to be fully stripped of an identity like that is appalling. The author quotes prompts the reader to imagine what life would be like spending your childhood in an institution for 11 years in complete isolation and no identity. Monroe said, “I want them to listen to all clients, to all people, and to know that labels hurt us…I have rights. I am a person. I have a name.” Despite having faced so many hardships throughout his life and being chalkmarked as ‘retarded’ and ‘3328’, Monroe found success through self-advocacy, which he made his goal to help others achieve too. He continues to take charge of his own life and bulldoze through the walls of ableism, and recently in 2022, he even went skydiving for his 70th birthday.
Photograph of TJ Monroe shaking hands with Peg Dignoti, president of CARC at the time - "Pity is a Four-Letter Word"
New York Times - February 2, 1992
Cathy E. Juni
Former President of People First of CT
The article pictured to the left features a Q&A with Cathy, former president of People First of CT. She talked passionately about self-advocacy and disability rights and briefly touched upon her experiences living in both Willowbrook and STS too. Click on one of the pictures or find the link below to read Juni's full responses!
Southbury - 60 Minutes Segment
Featuring the McCoys (McCoy v. Belmont), Cathy Juni, and various other parents and residents
In 1995, a 60 Minutes segment about STS hosted by Ed Bradley was aired. It began with an interview with parents of Leo Jr. and Billy McCoy, who worked together with their lawyer to file a lawsuit against STS (McCoy v. Belmont). Leo and Billy were institutionalized at just 8 and 11 years old as recommended by various doctors at the time; STS was supposed to be the best option for parents to help their children gain independence and receive personalized care. However, due to the neglect and lack of physical therapy, both brothers were irreversibly left in grave conditions, and throughout their stay at STS, they would have unexplained injuries, which led them to believe that there may have been physical abuse involved as well. The McCoys were adamant that change at STS was absolutely necessary. Yet, this perspective wasn’t shared by all parents. Bradley conducted a separate group interview with parents who are advocates of keeping STS open, and they all voiced that STS had essentially been a saving grace and that institutionalizing their children was the best decision they could have made. Dr. James Conroy, who studied institutional vs. community settings and even published a study showing the vast improvements in MTS residents who were moved into the community, noted that parents are scared that if there isn’t STS, what else? Former residents of Southbury say otherwise, many of them having joined People First of CT, an advocacy group fighting to help more residents leave STS. We get to hear the stories of Cathy Juni and a few other former residents who say that STS deprived them of freedom, many of them whose parents disagreed with their leaving the institution. Hearing this directly from the residents themselves shows that while advocates of STS may not have any bad intentions, their perspectives are ignorant.
Hartford Courant - July 9, 1988
"They want out"
First conference held by People First of CT
The release of "They want out" was a huge step forward for the disability rights movement in CT. It covered the first ever conference held by People First, where people with disabilities, many of whom are former/current residents of STS, demanded change. Click on one of the pictures or find the link below to engage with quotes directly from the People First members!
Links:
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Richard Messier
A Plaintiff of Messier v. STS
A 2006 article entitled "Caregivers help disabled man lead able life" tells the story of Richard Messier before, during, and after STS. Found wandering alone in Waterbury, Messier was immediately institutionalized. He stayed at STS for 36 years, where he was constantly isolated, and he had all his teeth removed. Once he finally left STS, he found a home in community living and made a family. While transition certainly wasn't easy, he grew comfortable, developed new interests, and learned new things.
The article mentioned that Messier would have the opportunity to share his own story on an episode of Able Lives TV. I was unable to locate a working link to the segment, however, I reached out to one of the producers/editors of the series and am waiting to hear back. Hopefully his story will be coming soon!