Straitjackets and leather restraints still have a place at the Utah State Hospital - but that place is in the time capsule buried in the newest building on the hospital campus.
"In 50 years, we all hope the world will be in peace and a cure will have been found for mental illness," said Janina Chilton, public relations spokeswoman for the hospital, as the contents of the time capsule were reviewed for an audience gathered to cut the ribbon on the Lucybeth Rampton Adult Services Building Tuesday."Some of these items represent the way the mentally ill were treated for years and serve as a reminder of how far we've come in our understanding of mental health," said Chilton.
Time capsule mementos included pictures of the original Territorial Insane Asylum built in 1896, photos of early staff members and items like the Oregon Boot and the Uttica Crib - used to restrain unruly patients - as well as photographs of the new Rampton building and policies and procedures manual based on developing mental health instead of defining overly simplistic causes of mental illness.
Rampton said "her building" will help people make the transition from regarding the mentally ill with shame and fear to regarding each patient as an individual in need of help.
"This is bittersweet as it makes me remember a lot of things in over 20 years of treatment," said the former first lady of Utah, who has suffered from bouts of severe depression during her life. "We still have long ways to go, but we don't lock Aunt Margie in the attic anymore and not talk about it. We don't call mental illness a `little trouble with the nerves.' "
Rampton spoke briefly during the rain-soaked ceremonies that Lt. Gov. Olene Walker called "refreshing."
"Somehow this rain is symbolic of a new start, a new beginning," said Walker. "Lucybeth has that same quality of renewal and the strength of these mountains in the background."
Walker said the Rampton building is only the second in the state to be named after a woman, and it is fitting it recognizes a woman of courage.
The $9.5 million facility is the "next step in the changes coming in treatment of the mentally ill," said superintendent of the hospital, Mark I. Payne.
"This state-of-the-art building is the standard we want."
It has spaciousness and a feeling of openness, said Payne. The ceilings are high, the hallways wide and the windows low to give patients greater visibility and a better sense of freedom.
It is also designed to be flexible and allow the staff a variety of options in treatment.
Patient advocate Fred Collings said the building that was replaced, the Frederick Dunn building, was old and hot and drab.
"There were lots of bars. You know, the feeling was one of they didn't want you to get out."
It was also overcrowded, said Collings, with 100 patients to each of the three floors.
The Lucybeth Rampton facility has only two patients to most rooms and even a few single patient rooms.