media emphasized stories of escapes and riots at Crownsville, and subtle differences in word choice suggested that while residents may have expected the institution to manage aggressive Black patients, they anticipated the rehabilitation of white patients. By the late 1940s, stories about violent escapes, aggressive Black men, and the anxieties of white residents were becoming routine. The press started advancing a narrative: Black patients at Crownsville, often painted as uniquely violent and disgusting, were to remain under increased supervision. Even as white patients deserved sympathy and
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