The union representing many employees at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center has filed a lawsuit challenging the Pritzker Administration’s plan to drastically reduce operations at the Anna facility.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Council 31 filed a lawsuit in Union County Circuit Court alleging that Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) failed to comply with multiple state laws governing facility closures and access to mental health services. AFSCME is asking the court to intervene and halt the planned reductions.
In July, IDHS announced that Choate’s general residential units serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities would cease operations by September 30, 2026. The Administration also announced plans to phase out all 75 civil mental health beds at Choate by March 2027. While the forensic developmental disabilities unit is expected to remain, these changes will result in the elimination of a significant portion of the services currently provided on the Choate campus.
The lawsuit adds to growing concerns about the Administration’s handling of major decisions affecting state facilities and the downstate communities that depend on them, particularly when those decisions involve the loss of state jobs, services and resources.
Earlier this year, the Pritzker Administration announced plans to eventually close Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln and replace it with a new women’s correctional facility in the Chicago suburbs. More recently, the Illinois Department of Corrections also announced plans to phase out the Clayton and Greene County work camps, along with the Dixon Springs and DuQuoin impact programs.
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