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McLean County sheriff warns of jail backlog as DHS beds remain unavailable
Summary
Sheriff Lane told the McLean County Justice Committee the county is holding multiple people who need behavioral health and Department of Corrections placements because DHS and IDOC bed capacity is unavailable, and staff are attempting interim care while awaiting placements.
Sheriff Lane told the McLean County Justice Committee that McLean County is holding multiple people in the jail who are awaiting behavioral-health placements and transfers to the Illinois Department of Corrections (DOC) because receiving agencies lack available beds.
At the committee meeting, Sheriff Lane said, “we... have 4 not guilty barriers of insanity, 9, and soon to be 10, on the unfit to stand trial list waiting for services from DHS.” He added the jail currently has people in a behavioral-health pod and that the county is trying to “make them fit while they're here” where allowed by law.
The sheriff told the committee the shortage of beds is statewide and not specific to where McLean County refers patients. “There are no beds anywhere,” he said, and noted state officials are attempting to expand facilities and recruit qualified staff but that the shortage will likely continue for some time.
Committee members asked whether the county is still holding people who will ultimately be sent to DOC and whether IDOC pays during that time; the sheriff confirmed some inmates are being held while awaiting DOC transport and clarified logistics vary by case.
The remarks came during routine departmental reports; committee members did not take a separate formal vote on policies or new funding at the meeting. Sheriff Lane described the situation as ongoing and characterized some local efforts as temporary measures while the county continues to coordinate with the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) and DOC.
The committee will reconvene Feb. 5 at 4 p.m. for its next regularly scheduled meeting.
