A class-action lawsuit against the Illinois Department of Corrections could go to trial in 2018.
The lawsuit is being filed by advocates for the nearly 50,000 people that are in Illinois prisons. The lawsuit is being filed to ensure that all inmates in Illinois prisons receive quality medical and dental care. Attorney Camille Bennett says that up until federal Judge Jorge Alonso ruled that long-standing problems be addressed and improvements be made to the entire prison health-care system, lawsuits had to be filed in individual suits. Bennett, with the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, says that all prison facilities operated by the Illinois Department of Corrections should be included in solutions.
The recent ruling by Judge Alonso relied on a report conducted in 2015 by a group of medical experts. The experts found problems all across the Department of Corrections, including broken equipment, medical errors, and lack of sanitation/infection control. Bennett stated that the report noted the lack of qualified physicians and staff in the Department of Corrections.
A status hearing for the lawsuit is scheduled for tomorrow, May 23rd.