State Hospitals and Mental Health
Policy Committee September 17, 2025
NORRISTOWN, Sept. 17 -- State lawmakers participated in a roundtable discussion and toured portions of the campus of Norristown State Hospital in Montgomery County, including walking through patient areas to see the state of the facilities firsthand. Some of the 30 buildings on campus, which spans 255 acres, are in the process of being replaced with more modern facilities. The institution first opened in 1880, and the hospital expects to break ground in 2026 on a project to replace buildings constructed in the 1940s and 1960s. Norristown is one of only two forensic psychiatric hospitals in the state.
- Host: Rep. Greg Scott (D-Montgomery), Rep. Mike Schlossberg (D-Lehigh)
- Testifiers:
- Jessica Keith- Chief Executive Officer, Norristown State Hospital
- Hon. Henry S. Hilles III- Court of Common Pleas, Montgomery County
- Dr. Clarence Watson- Director of Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program, University of Pennsylvania
Media Release + News Coverage
Photos
- Click here to view photos of the roundtable discussion and tour