State making progress in overhaul of prison mental health

Feb. 04--PEORIA -- Despite the lack of a state budget and a slow response to employment ads looking for hundreds of new workers, the Illinois Department of Corrections is making progress in its efforts to improve conditions for 11,000 mentally ill prisoners, according to reports provided Friday in federal court.

Lawyers for the state and inmates outlined improvements, including mental health assessments conducted of new inmates and the hiring of about 250 mental health workers, in an appearance before U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mihm.

Still, both sides agreed with a state-appointed monitor that substantial work remains in order for the state to comply with a May 2016 settlement of a landmark lawsuit.

The agreement calls for new residential treatment units in three prisons -- Pontiac, Logan and Dixon correctional centers -- and the former Illinois Youth Center in Joliet. An additional 300 clinical staff members to treat seriously mentally ill inmates and 400 new security staff members for the treatment units also must be hired.

The total cost to implement the mental health upgrades is about $80 million.

In a phone call to the courtroom, independent monitor Dr. Pablo Stewart cited the state's "budget realities" as one of the causes of the state's struggle to comply with the agreement. Unfilled staff positions "have a significant impact on every aspect of the settlement agreement," said Stewart.

IDOC lawyer Terence Corrington said renovations are expected to be completed in June on portions of the Elgin Mental Health Center to make room for 22 male and 22 female inmates whose mental illness requires hospitalization. The lack of a facility for inmates with the greatest treatment needs was a major stumbling block in reaching the settlement.

Alan Mills, one of the lawyers for inmates, said the development of treatment plans is "a good step forward," but the response to calls for inmates having a mental health crisis remains an issue.

Legal fees reduced

Lawyers for inmates and the state also reached an agreement that requires the state to pay $3.8 million in legal fees in connection with the eight-year court battle.

In their initial request for legal fees, four law firms requested $6 million in fees but agreed to the lower amount.

Under the agreement, the law firms will be paid $1.9 million but the balance will be set aside and paid only if the DOC fails to comply with the order. The arrangement is an incentive for the state to follow through with its obligations and provides the state with $1.9 million to use toward the improvements, said Mills.

The Chicago law firms spent almost 11,000 hours on the case, according to the request for fees. Fees will be divided among four legal groups: Dentons US, Equip for Equality, Mayer Brown and Uptown People's Law Center, all of Chicago.

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