Winnebago Mental Health Institute

“I don’t wanna put too many details in here because I don’t want Google to filter it and I want people to actually see it but I was locked up here and in a few other (notably just as bad) facilities for 4 1/2 years of my life from 10-14. The treatment I faced and witnessed here is beyond inhumane. I watched staff encourage disordered eating habits, give a 7 year old girl remote batteries and told her to “just do it” after she said she wanted to unalive herself. I watched CHILDREN get beat on by grown men staff, I got s*xually assaulted by staff, the list goes on. Again I don’t want google to filter so im keeping it as clean as possible but this place needs to be SHUT DOWN! You people robbed me of my childhood and early teen years.”

“Zero STARS. A PA, Jennifer Pajakinas, diagnosed my mother wrongly with dementia. On that, she was deemed incompetent and locked up as a ward of the state for 3 years and made an invalid. This place should be shut down. A mere aide would have known my mother didn't have dementia. Is that a racket going on here? Feel free to contact me. Germantown.”

“I was admitted there against my will in 2025 because it was "state policy", I am a veteran and someone called making false allegations against me for being drunk, on drugs and homicidal. I was completely clean and in long term sobriety. Said individuals who made the allegations were abusing the system because they knew this law. I kept telling them I was fine, sober, and had no SI/HI issues, it didn't matter.........I am a veteran and its state policy. I was told numerous times to shut up and keep quiet if I wanted to get out. While there my hands were cuffed to my waist and I was made to wear leg shackles anywhere I went "for their safety". I don't know what they were giving me but I was becoming increasingly aggressive while there. They would lock me in my room for no apparent reason throughout they day then mock me through the door window. At one instance they brought in an SRT with shields and batons to give me one of those shots to knock you out. I kept telling them I was fine and nothing was wrong with me, they wouldn't listen. I was harassed and watched every second of the day and given fake scenarios they wanted me to interact with. The whole thing was some type of surveillance/interrogation program. This went on for 5 days until I was finally granted a release. I was made to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement as well as a Settlement Agreement in order to leave. I'm not even from Wisconsin, I'm from Georgia. I was picked up while on my way to go on a bow hunting trip with a friend that owns property a couple hours west of there. Then they had the nerve to send me a bill for the whole ordeal months later that I was told was "mandatory" due to state law and I had no choice in the matter. This place needs to be shut down and demolished. Everything about my 5 day confinement there was a violation of human rights and illegal/mental torture tactics. Why this place has not been investigated and shutdown I have no clue. No charges, no citations, no diagnosis. Just straight up psychological abuse and an NDA/Settlement Agreement in order to leave.”

“I was there for 4 days and my issue was never addressed. I seen NOBODY!!! Half the employees treated you as an inconvenience. The other half was nice though. I think they tap their phones too. It sounds paranoid but I had my wife call channel 6, the next day I was released. I hope you don't have a loved one or family member there. If you do, find them somewhere else to go. It's literally a step above jail.”