The Judge Rotenberg Center is a residential psychiatric institution in Canton, Massachusetts. Since its founding in 1971, the Rotenberg Center has become infamous for its use of controversial methods to treat children and adults with behavioral problems and developmental disabilities. "Students" at the center are subjected to contingent skin shock, an extreme version of applied behavior analysis, which is a common treatment for autism and other developmental conditions.
The electric shocks given to individuals at the Rotenberg Center are severe. According to one expert, the shocks are at least six times more potent than the most powerful legal stun gun. According to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), the Center's practices have been condemned by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, and six residents have died while in the center's care.
