Seclusion and Restraints: A Failure, Not a Treatment – Seclusion and restraint of psychiatric patients are known to be dangerous practices that can result in serious injury, trauma and even death. The Harvard Center for Risk Analysis estimates that 50 to 150 deaths occur nationally each year because of psychiatric seclusion and restraints. Here in California, at least 14 people have died and at least one has become permanently comatose while being subjected to these practices since July of 1999. This does not reflect those who are injured or traumatized – California does not keep track of those data. We do know, however, that at a very conservative estimate, over 100,000 Californians are involuntarily committed to psychiatric facilities each year, and that along with voluntary patients, they are at risk of being subjected to seclusion and restraints (S/R).