In The Politics of Autism, I write about the dangers of eugenics and euthanasia. Though it is hard to know for sure, it seems likely that some of those subjected to forced sterilization were autistic.
Phil Barter at The Press-Democrat:On the final day of 2021, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a program meant to soothe some of the harm the state had inflicted on its wards over the span of a century.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, and continuing through the end of 2023, California would work to identify and compensate survivors among the 20,000-plus victims of involuntary sterilization in state institutions and prisons.
Well over a year later, the agency responsible for administering the program is reporting minimal gains.
By April 28, according to data furnished to The Press Democrat, the California Victim Compensation Board had approved just 80 applications, less than 20% of the number it had received.
More relevant to Sonoma County — where the former Sonoma State Home in Glen Ellen became the American epicenter of forced sterilizations in the first half of the 20th century — only three applicants from the so-called “eugenics era” had been approved. All three of those people had been sterilized at Sonoma State Home, later known as Sonoma Developmental Center....How to apply for compensation as a victim of involuntary sterilization
Applications will be accepted through Dec. 31, 2023, and are completely confidential. Compensation paid to any claimant or claimant’s trust will not impact a survivor’s Medicaid or Social Security status or benefits, and will not be considered income for state tax purposes or for community property, child support, restitution or a money judgment.
There are four ways to get connected.
Online: www.victims.ca.gov/fiscp
Call the California Victim Compensation Board: 800-777-9229
Email: fiscp@victims.ca.gov
Mail: P.O. Box 591, Sacramento, CA 95812-0591
