A tale of two villages

"Early in the 20th century New Jersey was one of the first states to segregate mentally ill patients in state-run institutions. Administrators and scientists at the Vineland Training School and Skillman Village for Epileptics did research which validated the theory that 'feeblemindedness' was inherited, untreatable and associated with anti-social behavior. A statute passed in 1911 that permitted involuntary sterilizations of people with chronic mental disorders and epilepsy was overturned two years later by the state's Supreme Court. Nevertheless, New Jersey eugenicists continued to promote similar legislation in the misguided belief that they were benefiting society. The American example was used to justify racist policies initiated in Nazi Germany where what began with coerced sterilizations of the 'unfit' evolved to 'mercy killing' and then to genocide. Although forced sterilizations were not performed in New Jersey, in other states more than 65,000 Americans were sterilized against their will ..."--Publisher description.