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ACLU urges Peoria County to end use of restraint chair at county jail, cites more than 350 uses over five years
Summary
A representative of the ACLU of Illinois told the Peoria County Board the county jail’s use of a restraint chair is ‘inhumane,’ citing a review that found more than 350 uses from 2019–2023 and sworn statements alleging extended restraint periods.
Cathy McNeil, representing the Peoria chapter of the ACLU of Illinois, urged the Peoria County Board during public comment to “immediately end the use” of the restraint chair at the Peoria County Jail, calling the device an “inhumane tool” and saying it is often used on people experiencing mental-health episodes.
McNeil said an analysis by the Illinois Answers Project found Peoria County Jail officials had used a restraint chair more than 350 times between 2019 and 2023 — “more than once a week on average for every week during those five years,” she…
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