CHICAGO (AP) — A new report by court-approved researchers paints a bleak picture of medical care in Illinois prisons. It describes treatment delays, haphazard follow-up care, chaotic record keeping and a litany of other problems.
The 405-page report was filed late Tuesday night in federal court in Chicago in a class-action suit against the Illinois Department of Corrections. The report was based on visits to Illinois prisons and the examination of thousands of records.
It concludes health care for inmates “has been unable to meet minimal constitutional standards.”
The experts scrutinized a sample of 63 recent Illinois prisoner deaths from illness. It found “significant lapses” in care in 60 percent of those cases, calling that “unacceptably high.”
The department of corrections was expected to release a statement soon after the report was filed.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
