“The doctor had warned me that it would be bad...It was horrible.”

The exposure of Willowbrook State schools inhumane conditions and treatment of patients, brought to light by investigative journalism and advocacy efforts, led to a turning point in the history of mental health care and the culminating in the institution's closure. Shifts in society were strongly impacted by the set rules of justice efforts to help protect patients. This highlighted the power of investigations, that led to the reporting to the public awareness and helped induce social change.