In his 1948 book, "The Shame of the States", Albert Deutsch described the horrid conditions he observed:  ""As I passed through some of Byberry's wards, I was reminded of the pictures of the Nazi concentration camps. I entered a building swarming with naked humans herded like cattle and treated with less concern, pervaded by a fetid odor so heavy, so nauseating, that the stench seemed to have almost a physical existence of its own."" During the 1960s, the hospital began a continuous downsizing that would end with its closure. During the mid-1980s, the hospital came under scrutiny when it was learned that violent criminals were being kept on the hospital's Forensic Ward (N8-2A). In 1985, the hospital failed a state inspection, and was accused of misleading the inspection team. Reports of patient abuse were still rampant through the 1980s. One patient had reported that one of his teeth was pulled without "Novocaine". Another state inspection team was sent to evaluate the hospital in early 1987. By the summer of 1987, five of the Philadelphia State Hospital's top officials were promptly fired after the Byberry facility once again failed the state inspection. On December 7, 1987, a press conference was held to announce the closure of the Philadelphia State Hospital at Byberry. The teams most recently performing investigations described the conditions as "atrocious" and "irreversible." Though originally supposed to close the following year, patient issues delayed the process. Most importantly, two released patients were found dead in the Delaware River in two successive days after their release. The hospital officially closed in June 1990, with the remaining patients and staff having been transferred to Norristown State Hospital or local community centers. It did not take long for people to rediscover Byberry after it closed. The buildings were not demolished at first because of asbestos poisoning concerns. Looters broke in several weeks after the closing and began to steal everything of value, especially copper piping and wiring. After the looters had removed everything of value, vandals trespassed on the grounds, smashed windows, and started fires. Urban explorers wandered the halls and the extensive underground network that connected each building though tunnel corridors. By 2000, Byberry saw an explosion of people visiting the abandoned hospital. The internet offered extremely exaggerated stories and legends, as well tips on gaining access to the abandoned buildings while avoiding police and security. Satanists held ceremonies on the grounds, and amid reports of dead animals being found, the police were frequent visitors. By 2003, the Philadelphia State Hospital at Byberry site was a complete and utter ruin; graffiti covered every buildings exterior and interior, every window was smashed, and anything flammable remaining when the hospital closed was now ashes.