Report: Auction Preceded Move To Group Homes In Illinois
In this Feb. 27, 2012, file photo, the Gillespie building, a residential building at the Jacksonville Developmental Center in Jacksonville, Ill., is seen during a media tour of the facility. Seth Perlman/Associated Press
A published report details problems that occurred during former Gov. Pat Quinn's administration as Illinois closed a large institution for disabled adults. The Chicago Tribune reports state officials required group home operators to promise not to undermine the state's closure plans - or risk getting no referrals to fill empty beds.
The Department of Human Services held what amounted to an auction in April 2012 where a state official read aloud medical histories of Jacksonville Developmental Center residents.
Group home officials raised their hands for residents they would take.
Sixty-seven businesses signed the loyalty pledge to avoid being shut out. Former Quinn adviser Jerry Stermer says the system was changed when group home operators complained.
The Tribune's story is part of an investigation that found at least 42 deaths linked to abuse and neglect in group homes or their day programs over the last seven years.
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