County historical society in Nebraska says continued secrecy perpetuates mental illness stigma

From The AP in Nebraska:

OMAHA, Neb. - The Adams County Historical Society says the state is perpetuating a stigma attached to mental illness.

The society says the state is doing that by refusing to release the identities of 957 people buried in a former psychiatric hospital cemetery.

The group continues to fight a court ruling that let the Hastings Regional Center withhold the names of those buried in unmarked graves in the institution's cemetery between 1889 and 1957. It says the state has no evidence those buried in the cemetery intended to be in unmarked graves or have their identities withheld decades later.

The historical society argues those buried in the cemetery should be treated with the same respect as anyone buried elsewhere.