Several area lawmakers are demanding joint hearings of the Illinois House and Senate Human Services and Mental and Behavioral Health Committees after news reports surfaced this week detailing horrific instances of abuse, neglect, sexual assault and torture of individuals living in Illinois-run facilities serving developmentally disabled citizens.
State Senator Terri Bryant says the Pritzker administration has failed time and time again to prioritize for the developmentally disabled and have consistently left them behind.
“Will they once again choose to take the easy way out and announce even more facility closures instead of committing to the work needed to address the problems. Or will they force the residents of the facilities to leave their homes against their will for CILA’s. These individuals who already have their own history of abuse and neglect as well as those facilities having that history.”
State Representative Charlie Meier says changes are needed.
“We need to track these incidents by location and trends. We need to increase the administrative and security inspections. We need to remind our employees if they see something they have to report it. We have to encourage and welcome parents and guardians to be there with their loved ones. To watch over them. We can’t have them locked out where they can’t see what’s going on. When families aren’t there more abuse can happen. We need new leadership and directors.”
Meier says with everything going on at Choate there is a problem when the same director remains in place.
State Representative Dave Severin says they are issuing the new call for hearings into the abuse problems after their earlier request for hearings into the abuses at Choate were ignored by the Democrats. He says the hearings must be open, honest and transparent and they need to hear from administration officials, facility officials and offices from the Department of Human Services.
The Republican legislators say they have already put forward a plan to fix many of the issues needed to protect the vulnerable citizens.
