The Illinois Department of Corrections continues to flounder in its efforts to care for inmates with mental illness, according to a new report by the court-appointed monitor on a 2016 lawsuit settlement. Some prison facilities main a "culture of abuse and retaliation" against mentally ill offenders, the report states.
A lawsuit was filed Tuesday against two Illinois Department of Corrections officials over the agency’s cancellation of a debate class for inmates at the Stateville Correctional Center.
A federal judge has ruled the Illinois prison system is still providing inadequate mental healthcare to inmates and that the treatment qualifies as cruel and unusual punishment.
The Illinois Department of Corrections on Wednesday announced most of its workers have completed mental-illness training. It's part of the settlement in a long-running legal dispute over how Illinois prisons treat inmates with mental-heath disorders.
A study finds that women prison inmates in Illinois are treated more harshly than men and spend more time behind bars than necessary. The federally funded review of the overcrowded Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln found inmates are called "crazy" and "worthless" by staff members. Meanwhile, the head of the Illinois Department of Corrections is adding training on effective communication with women inmates and dealing with those who are mentally ill.
