Introduction to the Issue
How to handle severely mentally ill people who are unfit to stand trial in a system lacking the state psychiatric hospital beds to restore them to health? That’s the question a state-mandated task force of lawmakers, court officials and mental health professionals has been meeting about since October under a new law signed by Gov. JB Pritzker.
Background of the Problem
It’s also one of the systemic issues noted in a Chicago Sun-Times series, “Failure to Treat, Failure to Protect,” which examined the backgrounds of several people exhibiting serious mental illness who were arrested in high-profile attacks downtown in which victims were killed or badly injured. The series found mentally ill people who are unhoused are far more likely to be victimized than to harm someone else, but there are some who spend decades cycling through jails, prisons and hospitals with their problems never fully addressed until they commit a serious offense.
Recent Incidents
Since the series was published in April, several more attacks have occurred in which the accused people had long histories of severe mental illness and arrests, including the case of Jada Beatty, a woman arrested Dec. 16 and charged in attacks on four people in the Loop.
The Fitness to Stand Trial Task Force
The Fitness to Stand Trial Task Force was created in a law signed by Pritzker in August that also gives court systems the ability to move people charged with petty crimes but who are unfit to stand trial out of county jails and into outpatient psychiatric treatment. Supporters say that will help address their illnesses more quickly and will also free up space in overcrowded state mental hospitals for people charged with more serious offenses.
Goals of the Task Force
State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, co-chairs the group and says finding the most effective ways to keep mentally ill arrestees — and the public — safe is top of mind. “We are seeing an uptick of people with severe mental illness with unmanaged symptoms that are out and about,” LaPointe says. “And there’s many reasons for that, but one of them is… they’re not getting the service connections.”
The Challenge of Providing Care
Some bounce from a short private hospital stay of five to seven days back onto the street, with no solid connection to a care team that could keep them from relapsing back into psychosis, she says. “That’s where you see more of the churn,” says LaPointe, who was a social worker and policy advocate before joining the state legislature. Or they land in the criminal system but are so severely mentally ill that they lack insight into their situation and are barred from diversion programs that require the person’s buy-in.
Example of the Issue
Jada Beatty, 26, who was charged this month with attacking people with a glass bottle downtown in the State Street corridor. Her case highlights the issue of people with mental illness cycling in and out of the criminal legal system. Chicago Police Department arrest photo
Case Study: Jada Beatty
Beatty, the 26-year-old woman charged in the latest downtown attacks, had a public guardian appointed in 2023 at the request of her family because of her mental illness. A physician’s evaluation found she had “a severe form of schizoaffective disorder that makes her extremely psychotic, manic, unpredictable and violent.” She was sentenced to two years in prison in May for hitting a woman in the face in 2024 at the Roosevelt Road Red Line subway stop, but was soon released because of the time she’d served in jail.
Seeking Solutions
To provide better treatment for such people, the task force is looking at approaches used elsewhere, including a program called Bridges of Colorado, which was created in 2019 to place liaisons in every judicial district in the state to address criminal defendants with significant mental health needs. The Colorado program links courts and families with mental health providers to provide “wraparound … person-centered care” including medical, housing and transportation assistance.
Urgency for Reform
There’s an urgency in Illinois to fix some of the court-related issues now. That’s because mental health outpatient providers are expected to lose some of their funding when new Medicaid rules take effect in 2027. Medicaid recipients will be required to either meet work requirements or be certified as unable to work. Some people with severe untreated mental illness who are living on the streets will be unable to navigate that application process and won’t be eligible, LaPointe says. “The whole system is just going to be overburdened,” she says.
Conclusion
The issue of mentally ill individuals cycling through the criminal justice system without receiving adequate treatment is a complex one, requiring a multifaceted approach. The Fitness to Stand Trial Task Force is working to address this issue by exploring new approaches and programs, such as the Bridges of Colorado model. However, with the impending changes to Medicaid rules, there is a sense of urgency to find solutions and ensure that these individuals receive the care and support they need.
FAQs
- Q: What is the main goal of the Fitness to Stand Trial Task Force?
A: The main goal is to find effective ways to keep mentally ill arrestees and the public safe by addressing their mental health needs. - Q: What is the Bridges of Colorado program?
A: It is a program that places liaisons in every judicial district to address criminal defendants with significant mental health needs, providing them with wraparound, person-centered care. - Q: Why is there an urgency to fix the court-related issues in Illinois?
A: Mental health outpatient providers are expected to lose funding when new Medicaid rules take effect in 2027, which will overburden the system and leave many without access to necessary care.
