I don't know if this is true but supposedly the movie "one flew over the cuckoo's nest" had an impact on the decision to shut down the asylums. In the 1970's there seemed to be sense asylums did more harm than good. It may also have been a cost issue. One thing is certain - there are definitely people who don't belong on the streets and out in public. I don't see why we can't re-open or build new places to house them.