NORWICH – About half of the approximately 100 people admitted to the Valley Ridge Center For Intensive Treatment since it opened in 2002 have been discharged, and most of them were returned to jail.

The New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmentally Disabled facility in the Town of Norwich regularly houses and treats 60, 18-35 year-old males who have a criminal past. Those returned to jail either violated their conditions of probation or parole, or were charged with new crimes.

Of the 46 released over four years, 37 percent were re-incarcerated; 33 percent advanced out and were transferred to a less restrictive OMRDD center to continue treatment; 28 percent were released by the court; and 1 died. Eight other individuals have been discharged, but await openings in the Finger Lakes Regional Intensive Treatment center and Broome County Local Intensive Treatment center. Both are in the process of expanding.

The information was provided during a meeting of the Valley Ridge CIT Board of Visitors Wednesday. Interim Director Chuck Kearley previously over-estimated by 10 the number who successfully advanced out and were transferred to an RIT or LIT at a board meeting in September.

According to Kearley, none of the former inmates/consumers let go after retention hearings in Chenango County Supreme Court remained in the county. He acknowledged, however, that the CIT has no control over where they do ultimately go.