PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Dike, Charles C. AU - Bugella, Barbara A. AU - Hillbrand, Marc TI - U.S. Department of Justice Investigation of a State Psychiatric Hospital AID - 10.29158/JAAPL.230009-23 DP - 2023 Sep 01 TA - Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online PG - 367--376 VI - 51 IP - 3 4099 - http://jaapl.org/content/51/3/367.short 4100 - http://jaapl.org/content/51/3/367.full SO - J Am Acad Psychiatry Law2023 Sep 01; 51 AB - The Department of Justice investigation of state psychiatric hospitals is nothing like investigation by more familiar regulatory agencies such as The Joint Commission or Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). For one, it comes with the threat of serious legal consequences for both the state psychiatric hospital under investigation and the state in general. Although little has been written about this topic, much of what has been written describes a negative, painful, and expansive experience affecting every aspect of the hospital system. Using an example of a state psychiatric hospital that has been investigated by the DOJ, this article examines this portrayal and explores whether there are positive aspects of such investigations that have been overlooked.