“Once You Enter, You Never Leave”

This 74-page report documents the plight of the more than 9,000 persons with intellectual or mental disabilities living in institutions in Croatia and the lack of community-based programs for housing and support. Human Rights Watch research found that while more than 4,000 persons with mental disabilities are living in institutional settings in Croatia, the country has places for only seven people in supportive community living programs. The situation is not much better for people with intellectual disabilities: Croatia has facilities for only about 250 people in community living programs, while approximately 5,000 remain in institutions.