Terminally ill and disabled Illinois inmates could possibly move from prisons to community care facilities under new proposed legislation.
The Illinois Senate has passed House Bill 3665 which would establish a process of review for the Illinois Prison Review Board to review cases of incapacity in Illinois inmates. Under current law, the governor must grant a prisoner clemency to move out of prison into community care due to a medical condition.
Republican senators supported the intent of the bill. However, they voted against the proposal since Democrats have allowed members of the Prison Review Board to go without Senate approval. Bill sponsors say that the bill could save taxpayers millions of dollars by sharing the costs of treatment for inmates with Medicaid. They also noted it could save on the costs of medical transports from IDOC facilities to medical specialists.
The proposal passed out of the Senate on a 34-17-1 vote Wednesday and now heads to the governor’s desk for his signature.