Lincoln Behavioral Center – Youngstown, OH
What remains of the blighted Lincoln Behavioral Center in Youngstown, Ohio? You could either ask the rats that reside throughout its decaying walls, or you could refer to this article. I might choose the second through personal opinion. Given four years of being consumed by dilapidation, we can rule out a cleanly abandoned establishment, but instead welcome in a monument to decay; filled with history and ant problems.
Formerly Woodside Hospital; a state mental health facility, located at 800 E. Indianola Ave., later to be renamed to The Lincoln Behavioral Center at a currently unknown date.
“Center’s runaways concern neighbors”:
On Sunday, August 5, 2001 a report was filed for 30 center residents escaping from the institution. Now free to roam the streets and yards throughout the city, leaving civilians in a state of panic, fearing for their homes and safety. It was common for residents to carry police scanners with having the center located in the center of their neighborhood. Lincoln housed nearly 200 children and teens from the ages of 8-18 being placed under referral by either juvenile courts or Children Services boards from counties around the state. Federal policies prohibited the lock down of youth within the establishment, leading to employees having a very hard time keeping track of where every patient was at any given moment.
“We’re very concerned,” Makosky said. “This is very close. It’s easy [for the juveniles] to disappear into here and you never know what they’re liable to do.”
“I have had runaways in my own yard,” said Barbara Kelly, “I don’t feel there’s adequate protection. … I don’t feel they’re adequately watched.”
In the year of 2000, police had responded to the facility over 200 times, and at least 30 of those calls involved runaways. Of these 200 calls, 16 arrests were made. Teen patients would leave through unlocked doors, and hop the barbed-wire fences surrounding the perimeter. However, besides the calls responding to runaways many others were in reference to fistfights or simply just residents becoming angry and unruly. In this same year, Lincoln Behavioral served about 1,000 children. Children and teenagers could have been admitted for a number of instances including domestic violence, car thefts, sex offenders, or they may have been truant from school. Few patients had committed actual felonies. During the year of 2008, 70 youths were moved out of the facility. They were loaded into large, white vans at 10 a.m. And returned to the counties from where they originally were sent. This information was documented by a reporter who was then very quickly ordered off of the property. A scrambled mess of old medication bottles, restraints, patient records, and patient beds have been left behind, scattered through its floors. Drawings and paintings from children remain where they were placed on walls while decay and destruction surround them on the inside of this brick giant.
A strange coincidence here is some comments that have been posted on the internet in connection with the many runaway cases. As was stated by Fred Parsons he recalled a time when a runaway was staying in an abandoned house. The teen was seen peeking through windows and finally asked some community members for a ride home. Teenage patients have been found walking along freeways in an attempt to get home, even if it was as far away as Cleveland. A Youngstown Detective Sgt. Sam Scott had also stated that many of them seem most interested in just getting home. Below are comments pulled from the internet on a post referring to the closing of the facility.
“Finally! Lincoln Behavioral Healthcare, LLC has been closed. Wow! That is awesome. I feel sorry for the employees because they will have a hard time finding a job in the Youngstown area. But on another note, they probably will be treated better somewhere else. The food that those residents were subjected to eat was a disgrace. Dog and Cat food looked better and more edible. The living environment was poor. Molded walls, no air, old furniture, terrible flip flops were given to them to wear. No coats for the residents in the winter time. They would have gotten better treatment in jail…. at least they would have been warm with option to purchase food items. Have you ever seen the movie, ” The devil’s advocate”? Good movie……similar individual in the movie.”
“My heart goes out to all the employees affected by this lay-off. They have families, bills and additional living expenses that will be greatly affected by this. The truth is Carl Vaccar, CEO lives in a 1million dollar home, two-story car garage, RV, 2 Harley Davidson Motorcycles, Show cars, etc. He never invested any funds into the building. The building living environment was not fit for a rat to live in. He and his wife are guilty of using those innocent children as pawns to support their life style. They proclaim to be Christians but we know Christians don’t lie nor steal money from people. He has been getting away with this for years and it finally caught up with him. Thank God. God said, “Venegance is mine”.
Given this information in a large chunk it could make most sit back and wander their mind as to everything that went on within the walls of this now empty building.
Wow I was looking up Lincoln. place and found this. The last time I was there mr lowe and mrs mcqueen was runnin the place but mrs mcqueen lost her job there and mr fitzgereld lost his job seen him on the news but it was the old building on lincoln ave. Wow sad case story
when i seen this i started to shake bad memories are here for a lot of kids and adults
Yeah I remember Mr Lowe an Mrs McQueen wow I sucked when Mr Lowe quit an Megan I feel for u for real I lived through the hell an I bet we seen each other a hundred times I think we might have wrote each other an were friends I’m not sure if your the Megan I wrote its been along time but I would love to talk more about it with u an become friends my names mike cole give me a call sometime 7402604499 hope to ttys have a lovely night my friend keep your head up
Megan I was in Lincoln place to until I was 21 and then they drop me my County drop me it was horrible when they put up that fence it was like we were living in hell
Thats funny i was there as well.. What year for u if u dont mind me asking
i was there 2002 to 2005 and being there was way better than where i ended up
I am so happy this place is closed. I was put in this place without committing a crime period as a teenager. By a social worker named Kahlilah Magbee! They took my belongings and treated me like crap. At the time i was taking care of my siblings. 3 of my mother youngest children. My heart was broken. The restrained me all the time due to the fact i didn’t do anything and didn’t want to be there. Dr.Rodgers kept telling me i was gone to have a home soon. They kept me locked up until i was well over an adult. Took my rings,chains, cell phone, money, and 2 pagers. Never returned them when they just put me on the streets. I had to sleep around a bunch of crazy things. But every night i was scared in this place. And didn’t belong there i was doing good. Taking care of my siblings and that selfish act messed my life up. I still have nightmares. Cant believe i ran across this article. I know why they were trying to get away even if they did belong there. It was alot going on. And i wish i never had to go through what I’ve witnessed and had to take part of. Just the thought of forcefully being somwhere for not doing anything creeps me out. I’m glade if i was to pass or something my kids don’t have to deal with that. Left me scared for life.
Hello I was a student at Lincoln place and I never got my transcripts from here I just wanted to no if u guys still had them my phone number is 216-965-5752 give me a call please
ylife.you can get them from the B.O.E i had to.
i was a resident of this place and i was beaten and molested and hurt by the girls and residents there on a daily bases i went there in the year i think of 2003 or 2004 the judge that sent me there quickly came to noticed that this place was no place for kids i was just 8 years old when i was sent there it was an awful experience
Whats your last name? i was there at the same time…2003-2004
I lived in that building from 2003 to 2005 and it was the best thing for me so so talk bout what you dont know
Hey Brandon Patterson we were friends in there we were on the same unit I was there the whole time u were my names mike cole hey give me a call brother my numbers 7402604499 hope to ttys buddy
yeah okay you think that this good … ya better think different.. this place was only good to you if you were the one beating people up and a bully and liked this nasty shit.. I was rasied right with love and shelter until I came here me and four girls excaped two of us made it.. and the girl I made it with fighted and hated me everyday but this place has caused me to really have mental problems in my adult life… teribble terrible…stabbed beated and verbally abused
I think I remember you. I was one of the four girls but I didn’t make it. This place was terrible and you literally had to fight for your survival everyday.
I think I remember you also.
hey i was there in 2004 what unit was u on?
I lived in that building from 2003 to 2005 and it was the best thing for me so dont talk bout what you dont know
Look I was there in 1993 until 95 don’t defend these animals i should’ve became a police so I could take them to jail in now 36 ill never forget what happened to me that bitch Jean McQueen should be in jail!!
u r right those staff there should have been charged criminally . I spent few months in there horrible conditions unsafe
I was there is 2004 it was a hell hole i saw fights the food was bad living conditions were poor they keep us in a room with a tv on all day. I did make couple of friends but if u was there u know hell on earth creepy place but some good people there…
I got to go thru that program in1997 my senior yr in H.S held my daughter in that place for the first time Judge Steve O. Williams from Fairfield Co. seen no reason to let me out early for having a child being the pot head I was. Its all good with me I stood up for What I believed in moved my ass to the west coast and can now grow my own medicine to make sure Im not just some test dummy for the food and drug administration…Daughters about to finish H.S. and off to college.
Theres a thousand bad things I could say but ain’t gonna change shitu. 35 now trying to start school myself That judge sentenced me to a life of hardship giving me a record as a child (the war on drugs ended any kind of help for any individual convicted of such things for life) that fool kept me on probation til I was 21 not that I was checking in…
Shawn W.Vinyard
An to anyone that was in Lincoln place I’d really like to talk to you an become friends cause we went through hell an we know what it was like . give me a call my new or old friends have a great day an night my number is 7402604499 hope to ttys my friends
I was placed here at age 11 till I was 14 years old I was beat by the girls and stuff and raped in my sleep beacuse some of us was over Medicaid and did not wake up but just a few times I was placed there because of me acting out because I was lied on by my foster sisters!! And children service believe it and sent me here I went days with out eatting beacuse bugs being in my food my counselor that’s was there she said if u dont tell me something even if its not ture they will not let u out ever so I then start making what they wanted me to say things that I have done. Childern run from here because of the sexaul and physical adbuse we went thur I am sure its different for everone but for my unit this was the truth I never filed a report because it would never get to a person high enough to stop what many of us went through I am now 23 years old who has mental health problems and PTSD and sad thing is this isn’t just the only facility were this happens I was one of the lucky ones and I am truly blessed some of us got beat to death then later they said they runaway we all new that was not true some of the staff help us trying tell us how to run and they would get us help some how we alwAys got found most of us just did want to be adbused any more!! This still effect my life as I am now married and try to hold down a job!!
I had a great time there around 2002. Plenty of a.c. and the food was great! I was sent there by a juvenile court. I noticed we were only a small part of the people who were there. I wondered why the other population was there. I kept quite and minded my own business. But those stupid kids causing problems all day did get taken away and beaten by staff. I believe they deserved it.
youre fuct in the head if you believe this
Wasn’t a good time for me you should remember me then
so would love to hear from others story
I was sent to Lincoln Place when I was 12 in 2001. Definitely was not a positive experience. I was jumped constantly because I was one of a few white girls there. I was an easy target because a lot of the little girls assumed I had it better. Reverse racism is a thing.. A lot of memories. You knew a fight was going to happen when girls took off their shirts. I remember Mrs. Hoff being a bitch to me. I remember the shitty food they fed us and sneaking Oreos and Lornadunes in our underwear bc you would be hungry again an hour after eating. I remember listening to Avant and Silk and getting my hair braided by girls that bullied me. I remember a crazy Jamaican woman who put me in a chicken wing and snapped my arm out of place all because I didn’t stop crying. I made an arm sling out of a belt and toughed it out because they wouldn’t let go to the Doctor. I remember school being a joke and feeling trapped with a bunch of angry little girls. We were not people, we were numbers counting under every doorway. We had gym and I played volleyball and passed secret notes to a boy in the gym. That place was not right.. The laundry room used to be a morgue.. Glad to see that building finally collapse in all its darkness. The boys side had it a lot easier..
a corrupt place for sure
I was there in I believe 2004 and spent a little while there. If anyone was in there with me I’m sure you remember me. This place was crazy but I wouldn’t say it was horrible.
I was in the I believe in 2004. This is crazy to see it all destroyed.
My name is shane wright.. I was ther in 2004.. I graduated from highschool there.. I am looking for some of the people that were there then.. My jennifer greeneisen.. But a couple more.. If this sounds familiar.. Hit me up.. Allen7714@gmail.com..
i was here in 2006 it wasnt a good place but i met some good people i ran away amd was rapped in the process made it home tho just to be sent to anothet one called ffl these places ruined who i was ill never be the same buy now imma mamma of 4 and im a great one at that fuck ur past it doesnt define your future
but there is no future without a pass
I’m a nurse now judge betty ruben they didn’t break me you placed me there to die i guess bit I’m a nurse i make it 26 years later I’m still mad ass hell jean McQueen if you still alive god got something in store for you just hope nobody treat your kids or grandkids the way you did everyone else’s kids you crazy bitch thank you mr brown you saved my life!
Is crazy to see it torn down but thank God I was there for two years who all remembers me Steve Nixon
I was there in 1993 to 1996 it was hell mostly because of me i was bad but it taught me alot i was jumped by the girls and the staff would tell them to do it (miss mcqueen) was the devil if you try to runaway you had to go to a time out room she would make the other girls come in and jump whoever tried to leave mrs sanders was sweet so was sharella and miss Stephanie mr brown all made a difference in my life but that devil miss mcqueen better hope im never her nurse yeah im a nurse!! I dont hold grudges but the shit she put me through no child should never have to experience that and all the staff that thought i was lying its been 21 years my story still the same i wonder y i should’ve became a judge so i can lock her ass up!! The only thing good about the place is that its gone
Not sure if I’m the Sanders your talking about. If so let me know. Clvbwn@yahoo.com
I was there from November of 95 to March of 96 and I’m looking for some of my friends I made there. When I was there I had no problems woth anyone.
Interesting article. I myself was in lincoln place twice in the early nineties. I must say there were questionable things but i learned invaluable lessons that has endured even till this day. I was a very very bad youth and was given a second chance and never looked back.
This place was a disgrace it definitely did more damage than it ever did good. I was never physically abused by any of the staff but it was complete horror watching some of the people be tortured. There were certain staff there that I just couldn’t stand but I kept my mouth shut to get out because if you open your mouth when you weren’t supposed to something was going to happen. I had a couple of staff that I really enjoyed being around and they took very good care of me. If it wasn’t for those staff and a best friend named Jasmine I would have never made it. I’m not really sure if anybody else knows about this either but if I remember correctly that place was haunted and if it wasn’t they seriously put me on drugs to make me hallucinate because I have never been so afraid in my entire life still to this day it brings tears to my eyes and the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up just thinking about it. I think it’s crazy to be honest that the damage that was done to the all of us has still yet to be reported so we get to face the problems as adults trying to figure out how to get rid of the horrifying images and feelings out of her head. No justice there we just got to deal with it. What’s more sickning is that, as the caseworker who drove me to this facility had a very interesting answer to my question about what it was like there…i asked “wats it like there” she replies “well, do u know how to fight?” That to me is just plain inhuman because if she already knew the dangers of where she put me so why was I or anybody else sent there in the first place??? Hoping anyone who knew me looks me up on facebook christina nunyabizniz and my nickname there was teenie.i was kinda the big sister on c unit.in there in 2004
i think i know u – u were there with brittany hampton and amber spires
Was it Jasmine flowers
i was there then too i think i know u i tried that facebook i couldnt find you
hey i was sent to this place by cuyahoga county juvy court in 2005 it was a horrible feeling being their but i was over medicated and dont even remember it well anymore. Definitely remember horrible living conditions chipping paint cage like fencing around windows (anyone else remember that?) staff that didnt even try to help us or look after us. A perfect example of the failure of the juvy courts for sending people their. I do remeber seeing violence and people trying to take my snacks. yes some of the other inmates were alright but probably the most corrupt place i have ever seen. one thing is true it made me appreciate freedom like never before when i got out.
truly a horrible place that should have been closed down many years before it was. I was sent there by Cleveland juvy courts in 2005 scary place chipping paint, fence like caging around the windows ( anyone else remember that?) staff didnt really help us much and we were just teens. lots of violence and i remember seeing a kid get taking away by staff and we never saw him again. people begging me to give them their snacks. only good part was i got the ride there from juvy with some girls but then we were seperated. definetly makes u appreciate ur freedom when i got out, but i agree with others stories can have negative affect like ptsd that last once released
such a horrible place can leave u with mental issues after you get released
cleveland court sent me their in 2005 staff didn’t really care to try to help us much. People were pushing me to hand over my snacks. I remember seeing a kid get taken away by staff and he was taken to some place were the “bad ones” were taken i think the staff was doing real corrupt things to the bad ones. It did make me really appreciate my freedom once i was released tho. i was on heavy medication so i dont remember that much thank god
My name is Heather Creagh. I was placed there in the mid to late nineties. There was an 11 yr old girl named ‘Lil bit” that I remember. There is a white female that became my friend and was put there cause her Aunt could not handle her. If you see this I remember you. I remember the girls who would go A-wall some came back beaten n raped and some you never saw again. I’ve found some chick who drank bleach and probably died… I’m from Medina and spent my 15th birthday there. If by chance you were there with me my email Heather0762001@gmail.com I hope you’ made it out okay. Sending love to all who survived this place.
I was there with you and lil bits name I think was hazel
Yeah, Hazel sounds familiar. Does anyone remember that girl I was speaking of? I think her name was maybe Andrea? Memories of my childhood/adolescence are spotty to say the least. Yvonne that’s awesome you’re nurse! I couldn’t do it. Hence, why I’m a sleep tech. Did anything ever happened McQueen??
I remember you
This place was a hellhole (I still won’t wear flip flops in my adult life). I was there all spring of 07′ on sheltercare. Mr Allen, Ms. Parm, and big Boss (mr.scott) on sheltercare all were cool. I’d give the staff money to go to the store and get me stuff or raid the vending machines for BBQ rib chips. The food was terrible, the breakfasts were a flat egg and a lil swig of oatmeal. The hot weather sucked so bad with no air conditioning. This place taught me one thing, how to be a survivor when the world is screwing you over. I miss most of the staff especally Ms. Parm. with her special Jamaican accent. I felt sorry for some of the staff, I’m their age now and couldn’t imagine working a job like that at that place.
P.S WE all have to carry on from the aftermath that this place caused to our lives. I’ll still never look at a pop tart the same way again (hunger was real)
I was in early ’04, and you ain’t lyin! I couldn’t imagine working there.. and you got lucky with the vending machine! We didn’t get no special treatment like that… Lol. I can truly compare that place to jail tho…. And it’s really not different…js. Same food, same boredom, same missery!
Wow as a tenager i was in Lincoln Place I remember a lot of the faces and it was a bitter sweet experiance i often think about some of the people i got to know there and often wonder what ever happened to them….
same here
I was at Lincoln place in the 90’s. A few times my last time spent was march of 98 or 99. It was talk about them moving the building then when I left it was on Lincoln ave the new building staff talk about a psychiatric hospital I’m not sure if they moved it but we never had a gym And it was 3 blocks from the greyhound bus !! I remember ms butcher Ms man mr brown ms Johnson and mrFitzgerald
I can honestly say that my visit to Linclon Place wasn’t as bad as most. (I guess). I was there from early May to early August 2004. As I read through some of these comments, I can’t help but feel a small amount of surprise for some of the things that supposedly happened there. And I say ” small amount” because, i know that just because I wasn’t subject to any “mistreatment or sexual/physical abuse” during my 4 month stay, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. But I can honestly say that I was never really mistreated, by staff, in any way, on the contrary, Big A was my girl! She was the best! I think her real name was Ms. Alexander but everybody called her Ms. A or Big A. When she had a few minutes to spare on her busy shift she made that place feel somewhat normal…. She was our “Mom” figure…She listened and gave advice and tried to help as much as she could. I remember that the staff was spread thin, for real. This article says something about the staff not doing enough, well let me tell you! I remember that there was supposed to be 1 staff member per 10 children and when I was there there were at least 30 girls on my unit, 10 rooms 3 girls per room…and only 2 staff members, at most, at all times. Not only did they have to keep an eye on each and everyone of us, especially the new girls that were on suicide watch, they also had this book, it was a huge binded notebook that they had to record every and all movements, sentences, and actions with the exact time of said movements, sentences, and actions that every single one of us girls made at any given time….. As far as getting “physically abused” by the other kids you was in there with….. You was in juvy! What did you expect?! I’m sry but if you got beat up or picked on our whatever, it should have at least been expected…. And who gets themselves put into a place full of bad little teenage criminals and then cries when they get into a fight….pfft… I did my best to mind my own in there and it worked out for the most part… I can tell ya right now, I didn’t get beat on, that’s for sure!!!!! There was one girl in there with me who tried to show me how tough she was and intimidate me, but it didn’t work and she backed off… That’s about as far as that went… As far as the neighbors issue with the runaways, I can understand that….mainly because I was one of those kids who ran, and now that I’m an adult, I would find it annoying if it was in my neighborhood. But as far as the staff was concerned, I feel for them cause I know damn well it wasn’t nothing they could do about it! And even if they could, they didn’t get paid enough to chase us through the emergency exit doors, down 4 flights of stairs and over a 15′ chain linked fence. I would have sat back and waited for the local pd to do there job….. Period. All in all, Linclon Place wasn’t all that bad, not for me at least… At the time, (when I was 14yo) of course I thought it was hell; having to follow rules and show respect after not having to for so long and finally having a little bit of structure after having none! Now I look back and realize that had it not been for that place, I would most certainly either be in prison, or have been. And I wasn’t even that bad of a case, certainly not the worst. I feel like it kind of scared me straight, so to speak. And I’m kind of grateful. I feel like, had it been run by the right people, LP could have really made a difference.
My name is Adam may I was there in the early 90’s can’t remember exactly what year but I remember mr.vaccur Mr. Peace and Mr voles it’s weird my son has been acting up lately and I wanted to just show him were I ended up when I was younger and wow I came up on this about Lincoln place.by the way Mr voles I would love to see you try to punch me in the nose now lol glad yo see the he’ll on earth is shut down. And by the way I’m a successful adult now and one thing is for sure what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger there was only one person who ever gave a dam there and his name was Joe bonirigo thx joe.for always watching my back💪👊
If anyone did time with me there I would like you to know that I’m here for ya if you need to talk about those times you can email me at adammay115933@gmail.com
It’s crazy I always visit this site now to see what people are saying this place was horrible
Please email me I am writing a book and would love to hear people that were there as well simonejones741@gmail.com
I was place here 2003/2004. This place was nasty, not liveable and haunted. I remember a Mr. White who worked there. I don’t remember the names of the female staff which I got into it with all the time, but I would remember their faces. I stayed trying to run away and I stayed fighting because I needed to defend myself. This place was must I say again haunted, this was an old mental hospital before it became a behavioral hopsital. I honestly felt bad for bothering the residents and the workers because of the living conditions here. The schools were trash too this place had such a depressing heaviness to it.
i was their in the summer of 2004 in shelter care. defiantly felt haunted and was in fact formally a menial hospital . i saw fights we were kept in a common room most of the day watching tv staff was not friendly and helpful at all. the building conditions were not safe in fact when i was in jail the conditions and staff were nicer . the food was ok but far from good. the area were we ate was a big space though in the basement of the facility. an yea i agree with others posts that some of the staff should be charged with crimes for how we were treated. someone shold speak out
Was here off an on from 03-07 before being sent to ydc in Hudson ohio.
I was at Lincoln Place from November of 1995 through March of 1996 I ahd no trouble there. The staff was so good to me I actually was going to come to for a visit now that I live in Cleveland and found out ot was no longer there. So disappointed.
How would I go about getting paperwork from The time I was there back in 2004?