The Brief
- A federal lawsuit has been filed against the Illinois Department of Corrections, alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- The lawsuit claims IDOC left 21 men with disabilities in deteriorating conditions at the now-closed Stateville Correctional Center while transferring non-disabled inmates to safer facilities.
- The individuals were reportedly subjected to extreme isolation, hazardous living conditions, and lack of access to essential medical care and programs.
CHICAGO – A newly filed lawsuit accuses the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) of abandoning 21 disabled prisoners at the now-shuttered Stateville Correctional Center, despite transferring the rest of the facility’s population to safer locations.
What we know:
The lawsuit, filed by Equip for Equality and the law firm Much, claims that after IDOC closed Stateville in 2024 due to unsafe living conditions, it failed to move individuals with disabilities, leaving them in the prison’s deteriorating infirmary—or hospital.…