Deal Reached In Class-Action Suit On Mentally Ill Inmates
In this Aug. 20, 2008 file photo, guard tower No. 7 stands between South House to the left, and North House to the right and the cafeteria in the center of the Pontiac Correctional Center in Pontiac, Ill. Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press
Lawyers representing 11,000 mentally ill Illinois prisoners have reached a settlement with the state in a 2007 class-action lawsuit alleging that substandard treatment constituted "cruel and unusual punishment.''
Filings this week notified a federal judge in Peoria about the deal. It still requires court approval.
A Wednesday email to The Associated Press from plaintiffs' attorneys says the agreement will ensure mentally ill inmates get better access to care and will reduce the time they spend in solitary.
It calls for the Illinois Department of Corrections to build four new treatment units, including at the Pontiac and Dixon prisons. The statement says construction will cost around $40 million.
One Chicago-based plaintiffs' attorney, Harold Hirshman, calls the deal a "monumental settlement that will have a lasting impact.''
An IDOC spokeswoman didn't have an immediate comment.