In 1967 the governor of California signed into law a bill effectively ending involuntary commitment of people suffering from mental disorders. At the time 22,000 Californians resided in state mental hospitals. Ten years earlier the number had been 37,500. These institutions were seen as dehumanizing. Involuntary commitment would now be restricted to those who were deemed as potentially dangerous to themselves or those around them. The commitment had to be sponsored by a family member and/or ordered by the court. A mentally-ill patient who refused treatment typically did not receive any at all. That governor won election to the presidency with a landslide victory in 1980.
