Hello Brian , I know this is over a year since you have posted that inquiry.  I can tell you a little bit .  I am in the same boat . I have a Aunt who was taken there by the State. Both my father and his brother were taken in by family members. However my Aunt was "mentally challenged" to what degree I do not know but she was in Mansfield. Odd seeing that is where I wound up living and have been for the last 32 years. All I've been able to find out is this , and its NOT pleasant . There are to date 88 people missing , meaning not accounted for. If you died there chances were you were cremated. If you were a "ward" of the state as she was, then the state was under no obligation to bury them or mark a grave for them.  I am sorry for your loss but it appears we are not alone. I don't think the state counted on years later folks doing ancestry infor. If you ask me the State need to answer for this.  I think its a disgrace and dis respectful regardless of how ill they were . You have my condolences you can try record digging in town hall in Mansfield.

feel free to email me at LJPOULIN@sbcglobal.net 

IVe Been There once before back in 2000. It was me my buddy joe and his pal shmitty we sat around getting tipsy fr a while then decided to go in once it was dark. We smashed out one of the windows and jumped on in. Once we were in we walked down one of those corridores and wound up in the torture room. In the torture room there was an electric chair and a bunch of poison bottles. we walked out unknowing that shmitty was still in the room we heard a yell turned around and shmitty was in the electric chair with the poisin bottle in his hand DEAD

I think we all would have heard this on the news if this was the case. If you are going to make up a story, at least try to be convincing about it.

My comment to your log. UNBELIEVABLE. My aunt was there ward of the state, yes had some mental disability. I know your post is old , however I am doing my family tree. Unfortunatate there IS no information on her, don't know when she went there , do know she died there as my father said she did. But NO burial of anything for these poor souls. I think the State should truly be ashamed of themselves. Regardless of what the mental disability was they were humans and HAD families. I feel so disheartened. If you feel you can help me find out what happened to her please contact me at LJPOULIN@sbcglobal.net

I was there recently. Many buildings to walk around and see. Building are in great shape. The police did not bother the two of us as I think they saw our cameras and did not intend to enter any of the buildings. Each building is of it's own desighn. We spent 3 hours walking the property and even had lunch on the lawn. Very safe there and no weird feelings at all.      BCM58@AOL.COM

        ps....there are plenty more asylums to visit in Conn.

Makes me wonder why TAPS has never been to these places of eyewitness claims.

I think paranormal activity is over exhagerating what people have seen and heard. I believe there is something out there but why is everyone on the show stay.

No one is lying about anything of the house in the show "paranormal witness" - I know the house in question very well, its sits right on RT.32 just outside of the campus of the mansfield training school grounds - Ive know several people that have had a experences there - One person was a watchman for the grounds after it closed - He claimed alot of strange things, dooors opening & closing, moaning sounds and shadows - The other person worked on the grounds maintenace crew - He always said that strange things would happen - The crew would leave there tools in one place and the next day they would be moved in someway, sometimes even to another room.

I worked at MTS as a nurse from 1977 to 1987.  Beautiful grounds and great place to be employeed. I work 3rd shift at Knight Hospita then 1st shift at Stafford Circle before transferring to Kennedy, Walters and Colchester cottages. I worked with caring and dedicated staff that went above and beyond what was asked of them to provide a home and family feeling for the residents in their care. Was the facility perfect...No! But the residents were surrounded by people who cared and many were active in trying to better the conditions. The closing of this facility did not provide a better quality of life for the residents. At MTS they had peer groups and  a community of caregivers that not only monitored the residents treatment and safety but monitored  each other to decrease the incident of abusive that may take place.

I worked  2nd shift at MTS as a Mental Retardation Worker I from August 1983 to August 1986 at which point I was promoted to a MRW II working at the East Center Street Group Home in Manchester. I worked in most of the buidings on grounds including Knight Hospital. I would disagree with the writer above as for a majority of individuals with disabilities living in the community today enjoy better health and a quality of life that is far more enriching then the canteen at MTS. Thirty years later I work as a State Compliance Officer for the Massachusetts DDS. I agree that many of us provided the residents with the best care we could within an institutional environment. The challenge of this environment was working with the union bosses (at least my experience at MTS) that were mean and abusive, my goal was to work around them while trying to keep people safe.

I started in Willimantic Cottage as an MRW I, then served as a State School Instructor for one year when we took individuals from the cottage to implement teaching programs at the school, then my last year was supporting individuals in independent living (now the correctional facility).

My best memories of MTS was bringing people into the community and taking them on recreational trips. My most lasting memories are the times I was able to advocate on behalf of someone to prevent harm (like the Dr who was going to perfofm a procedure on a woman without anesthesia, I told them I would report them and that she needed to be sent to Windham Hospital).

There is one document that I have kept which I received on my first day of training at MTS which hangs on my office wall today,

I worked at MTS as a Mental Retardation Worker I from August 1983 to August 1986 at which point I was promoted to a MRW II working at the East Center Street Group Home in Manchester. I worked in most of the buidings on grounds including Knight Hospital. I would disagree with the writer above as for a majority of individuals with disabilities living in the community today enjoy better health and a quality of life that is far more enriching then the canteen at MTS. Thirty years later I work as a State Compliance Officer for the Massachusetts DDS. I agree that many of us provided the residents with the best care we could within an institutional environment. The challenge of this environment was working with the union bosses (at least my experience at MTS) that were mean and abusive, my goal was to work around them while trying to keep people safe.

I started in Willimantic Cottage as an MRW I, then served as a State School Instructor when we took individuals from the cottage to implement teaching programs at the school, then my last year was supporting individuals in independent living (now the correctional facility).

My best memories of MTS was bringing people into the community and taking them on recreational trips. My most lasting memories are the times I was able to advocate on behalf of someone to prevent harm (like the Dr who was going to perfofm a procedure on a woman without anesthesia, I told them I would report them and that she needed to be sent to Windham Hospital).

There is one document that I have kept which I received on my first day of training at MTS which hangs on my office wall today,