Most Inmates with Mental Illness Still Wait for Decent Care

Most Inmates with Mental Illness Still Wait for Decent Care

Posted on February 3, 2019

In 2007, Ashoor Rasho and 12,000 other inmates with mental illness sued the Illinois Department of Corrections, alleging that the agency punishes inmates with mental illness instead of properly treating them. A settlement was reached in 2016, when the state agreed to revamp mental health care and provide better treatment. But a federal judge has ruled that care remains "grossly insufficient" and "extremely poor." The agency has not hired enough mental health staff to provide care to everyone who needs it.