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* Press release…

Judge Approves Agreement in Ashoor Rasho v John Baldwin

The Illinois Department of Corrections is pleased that the settlement agreement in the case of Ashoor Rasho v John Baldwin has been approved. U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm accepted the agreement on Friday, May 13th, noting that the Department’s plans for improving the delivery of services for mentally ill offenders are “fair and reasonable.”

The agreement requires the Department to update its policies for treatment and observation, increase out of cell time for mentally ill offenders housed in segregation, construct four residential treatment units aimed at providing individualized care for mentally ill offenders, provide an inpatient level care for offenders who require the most intensive level of treatment, and hire additional staff to accommodate the changes.

While the Department does not admit liability regarding the allegations made in the suit, it does recognize that providing adequate care for offenders with mental illness will improve their quality of life and ultimately improve safety within its correctional facilities. The Department has already taken significant steps to comply with the terms of the agreement:

· The Department has updated its policies to ensure that Mental Health Professionals are involved in all disciplinary actions taken against those identified as having a mental illness.
· The Department has revised its segregation policies for all offenders, which will continue to result in a significant reduction of segregation time.
· Construction continues on the residential treatment units at Dixon, Pontiac, and Logan Correctional Centers as well as the former IYC Joliet facility.
· The Department has hired additional mental health staff for the treatment units at Dixon and Logan.
· The Department has partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Illinois to develop curriculum and ensure all IDOC staff receives training on how to better interact with, communicate with, and understand the needs of those who require treatment.
· The Department has hired an internal legal advisor and has secured an external monitor to ensure that it remains in compliance with the agreement.

The Ashoor Rasho case has lingered in the courts since 2007 after an offender at Pontiac Correctional Center filed suit challenging the delivery of mental health services within the IDOC. The Department reached a partial agreement in 2013 but had not been able to fully implement a plan to streamline mental health services. Governor Rauner’s commitment to improving the state’s correctional system put the case on a fast track and his administration worked diligently with the IDOC legal team to reach a suitable agreement.

* Related…

* AP: Judge OKs settlement in lawsuit on mentally ill inmates

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, May 16, 16 @ 10:34 am

Comments

Looks good on paper, but this is becoming a nightmare for line staff of the Dept of Corrections!!! People are getting hurt because of how some of this is being implemented. The message inmates are getting is they claim any mental illness, they can’t be disciplined for anything. And the inmates are running with that (and getting away with it). It’s fast becoming like the 1970s, 80, and early 90s.

Comment by Anon Monday, May 16, 16 @ 10:43 am
Had an inmate assault an officer at Sheridan CC. No history of mental illness. The next day he starts claiming that he works for the CIA and they are coming to get him out. The assault charge went away…

Comment by Anon Monday, May 16, 16 @ 10:57 am
Hmmm…maybe the General Assembly should sue?

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Monday, May 16, 16 @ 11:31 am
Once again it takes the legal system to fund social services. In this case, our prison system is developing mental health treatment facilities. I couldn’t think of anything good to say for last week’s what is Illinois question. I still can’t, but would go with: Illinois, the piecemeal state.

Comment by Earnest Monday, May 16, 16 @ 11:33 am
This has nothing to do with the Illinois budget situation.

It has to do with trial lawyers nationally finding sympathetic judges to demand that states run things according to their policy preferences. This is a judge deciding that he knows better what the state should or should not do for inmates and ordering the state to spend money and do things over and above what the elected legislature enacted.

These lawsuits, with lawyers backed by left-wing “experts”, demanding huge expansions of government services. The lawyers get huge legal fees, paid for by taxpayers, and the “experts” are hired to monitor compliance, also getting a huge payday, courtesy of the taxpayers.

This is not to say that IDOC doesn’t need to do a better job of providing mental health services to inmates, but it is not the job of a federal judge (with no expertise in mental health) to decide what improvements are needed.

Many progressive activists have figured this out, signed up equally left-wing trial lawyers, and pushed their policy goals through consent decrees that end up costing taxpayers billions of dollars.

Comment by Adam Smith Monday, May 16, 16 @ 11:53 am
so the gov is letting mental health treatment for the public disintegrate, including drug treatment which is often a secondary problem of mental health…. but is expanding mental health services for inmates.

Basically Gov Rauners socila services are being setup to only be provided after we imprison people. seems cheaper to care for people before jail…. we of course need treatment for inmates as well

Comment by Ghost Monday, May 16, 16 @ 12:11 pm
It is a terrible idea to spend hundreds of millions of dollars expanding and building additions to maximum-security facilities. This is precisely the part of government we should be reducing.

Comment by Wayne Bibliotech Monday, May 16, 16 @ 12:54 pm
Is drug treatment not included?

Comment by Mama Monday, May 16, 16 @ 3:03 pm