by Beth Hundsdorfer and Molly Parker, Capitol News Illinois

This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Capitol News Illinois. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published.

The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a wide-ranging investigation into Illinois’ treatment of people with developmental disabilities, examining whether the state provides adequate resources for community living and protects residents from harm in public institutions.

Tonya Piephoff, director of the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Division of Developmental Disabilities, informed employees of the investigation in a letter dated March 13 that was obtained by Capitol News Illinois.

“The investigation will examine whether the state unnecessarily institutionalizes, or puts at serious risk of institutionalization, adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” the letter stated. Illinois has long had one of the highest populations of people with developmental and intellectual disabilities living in state-run institutions in the nation.

The letter said the investigation also will look into abuse and neglect allegations of patients at three of the seven state-operated residential institutions run by IDHS, including the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center, in rural southern Illinois, which was the subject of an investigative series by Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica starting in 2022. The news organizations launched the series after the arrests of Choate staff members for abuse and neglect of residents; the articles documented instances of mistreatment by staff.

Gov. JB Pritzker said Friday that Illinois has already made significant changes to improve the safety of people with developmental disabilities living in state-run institutions, including installing cameras to help investigate........

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