Judge Rotenberg Educational Center
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The Judge Rotenberg Educational Center (JRC, formerly known as the Behavior Research Institute) is a private education center for mentally handicapped children, located in Canton, Massachusetts. JRC is currently approved by the New York State Education Department as a residential school serving students with autism, mental retardation, emotional disturbance and multiple disabilities. It caters for students who exhibit serious behavioral disorders that interfere with learning, and provides an intensive 24/7 behavioral treatment program.
The Center was founded as the Behaviour Research Institute in 1971 by Matthew L. Israel, a psychologist who trained with B. F. Skinner [1]. In 1985, after representations from the National Society for Autistic Children and other advocacy groups, the Massachusetts Office for Children sought to close the Institute[2]. It was allowed to continue operation using aversion therapy under a settlement agreement [3] approved by Chief Judge Ernest Rotenberg, and subsequently became known as the Judge Rotenberg Center.
The Center again attracted widespread condemnation and controversy when it became known that it was using electrical shocks [4] to discipline its students. Concerns prompted investigation by New York City Council[5] and an independent report was commissioned[6] which was critical of both processes and oversight at the facility.
[edit] References
- ^ History and Basic Principles of JRC
- ^ ibid.
- ^ Settlement Agreement Probate and Family Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, dated 29 December 1988
- ^ Israel, M.J. (2002) Use of skin-shock as a supplementary aversive at the Judge Rotenberg Center, also details other forms of corporal punishment used on students
- ^ NYCC proceedings
- ^ Observations and Findings of Out-of-State Program Visitation hosted at Boston Globe (document is public-domain)
