Anne Burke is chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. Burke told reporters Tuesday that her “call to action” came in response to a report compiled last year by a committee she put together. It found that the judicial system often lacks compassion, treats mental illness as a crime, and skirts treatment alternatives or diversion from jail.
It’s part of a national effort to review courts’ interactions with defendants or litigants who deal with mental health issues and so-called co-occurring disorders such as substance abuse.
