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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 said. McNeil also cited sworn statements from plaintiffs in two lawsuits alleging that individuals were tied to the chair and left for extended periods, in some instances more than 24 hours and, in one instance referenced by the speaker, more than 72 hours.
McNeil described conversations with the sheriff and the jail superintendent and said county officials told the ACLU that, aside from the chair, their only other option was to refer individuals to the Illinois Department of Human Services. “We know that state facilities and resources are not adequate now and rarely are available on an emergency basis,” McNeil said, arguing for local solutions and for the county board to take a leadership role. She urged the board to “investigate this matter and make a priority of creating additional resources designed to care for incarcerated individuals who suffer from severe mental health problems.”
The ACLU representative told the board it stands ready to work with county officials on “humane, sustainable solutions” and called the conditions at the Peoria County Jail “deeply troubling.” The transcript records McNeil’s remarks but does not show immediate board directives or votes on the issue during the meeting excerpt.
The public comment adds to an ongoing national conversation about restraint devices and treatment of people with mental illness in county jails. The transcript does not include responses from the sheriff about the specific allegations of extended restraint periods beyond McNeil’s account, nor does it include jail records or the lawsuits’ pleadings; those documents would be needed to independently verify the claims presented to the board.
