Hundreds protest electro-shock therapy at Judge Rotenberg Center

CANTON, Mass. — A large protest has ended at a local facility which uses a controversial form of electro-shock therapy.

At one point 200 demonstrators, many in wheelchairs, were at the Judge Rotenberg Educational center in Canton.

The protest was organized by a group called ADAPT, and those who attended held signs and blocked access to the facility.

“You see things like this in a Halloween House of Horrors, but they are the reality in JRC all year long,” said Nancy Hyson-Houghton, an organizer with ADAPT’s Massachusetts chapter. “Disabled people shouldn't be locked away in the JRC and similar institutions because they can’t get the services and supports they need to stay at home.  Disabled people don’t deserve to be tormented.  It’s time to stop the torture and free our people!”

Back in April, the food and drug administration proposed a ban on the use of electric stimulation devices to treat patients who have aggressive behavior or who injure themselves.

The Judge Rotenberg Center is the only place in the country that uses the treatment.

"We were dismayed by the tactics taken by these protestors. They aggressively tried to enter our school buildings and for several hours made it impossible to transport the students we serve home so they could relax after their classes and enjoy their dinner together in the homes they live in, in area neighborhoods,” a statement from the center said.

Cox Media Group