Dying and disabled Illinois prisoners
Hundreds who are medically incapacitated are kept behind bars, despite new medical release law
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Hundreds who are medically incapacitated are kept behind bars, despite new medical release law
The Joe Coleman Medical Release Act was expected to have freed hundreds of terminally ill and medically incapacitated prisoners in Illinois by now, but only a few dozen have been released.
Prisoners in Illinois can request early release if terminally ill and expected to die within 18 months or medically incapacitated and need help with daily tasks.
“Our prison system is now completely overburdened by people who pose absolutely no risk to public safety but are tremendously expensive to care for.”
Terminally ill or medically incapacitated prisoners can apply for early release. But the Illinois Prisoner Review Board has denied twice as many requests as it OKed — and seven prisoners died months after their applications were rejected, an Injustice Watch / WBEZ investigation found.