The hypothesis that coercive-restrictive features of the contemporary hospital milieux are necessary to the therapeutic and safety task of the hospital was tested by comparing three ward situations in varying degrees of coercion-restrictiveness. The situations were equivalent in other important respects. Review of patients' records indicated that the therapeutic, satisfaction, and safety outcomes of these three situations were similar. We conclude that a relatively high degree of coercion-restrictiveness may not be justifiable on therapeutic or safety grounds.