Illinois law sets 20-day deadline for state to place jail inmates found unfit for trial
The Cook County Sheriff's Office announced that Illinois had signed House Bill 649 into law, a measure aimed at the delays that leave defendants with serious mental illness in jail after a court finds them unfit. Sponsored by Rep. Art Turner and Sen. Bill Cunningham, it requires court orders to reach the Department of Human Services within five days, where none was previously required, and gives DHS 20 days from receipt to evaluate the person and decide on placement, down from 30.
If DHS misses the deadline, the sheriff's office can open an inquiry, and the department has two business days to respond. When the law was signed, the Cook County Jail was holding 20 people awaiting DHS placement, including one who had waited 117 days.
This is a government press release rather than independent reporting, but it is the primary record of the statute that later became the legal basis for sheriffs' contempt motions and lawsuits over transfer delays.
Source: Legislation to End Delays in Placing Individuals in Custody with Serious Mental Illnesses in State Care Signed into State Law — Cook County Sheriff's Office
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