Over one million adults are subject to guardianship in the U.S., often without adequate rights or resources for recovery. The system disproportionately impacts the vulnerable, including the poor and disabled. Effective reforms are needed to treat guardianship as a last resort, rather than a routine process. Evidence from Massachusetts highlights thousands of vulnerable individuals trapped in institutional settings, at severe risk due to lack of representation and support. Comprehensive changes are necessary to prioritize individual autonomy and community integration instead of confinement.
The current guardianship system is flawed and carries profound human consequences, systematically stripping civil rights from the most vulnerable individuals in society.
An estimated 3,000 to 4,000 'unbefriended' or 'unrepresented, at-risk' individuals in Massachusetts face significant risks to their health due to decisive incapacity.
Collection
[
|
...
]