Posted inInvestigating Responses

Prison or treatment? Thousands participate in mental health courts. Half graduate — and millions are left out

The courts offer an alternative to incarceration. Outcomes depend heavily on local services.

by Grace Hauck, Josh McGhee (Mindsite News) and Andrew Adams April 27, 2026June 5, 2026

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Prison or treatment? Thousands participate in mental health courts. Half graduate — and millions are left out

by Grace Hauck, Josh McGhee (Mindsite News) and Andrew Adams, Illinois Answers Project
April 27, 2026

<h1>Prison or treatment? Thousands participate in mental health courts. Half graduate — and millions are left out</h1>
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Mental health court participants Shayla Woodworth, Daniel Brown and Shawn Gibson (left to right) each shared their experiences with Illinois mental health courts in video interviews (below) produced by Kyle Pyatt.

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Grace HauckState Investigative Reporter

ghauck@bettergov.org

Grace Hauck is an investigative reporter with Illinois Answers Project’s State Investigations Team. Before joining Illinois Answers, she worked for USA TODAY in Chicago in various roles, including breaking news, enterprise and criminal justice reporting. She grew up in New Jersey and is a graduate of the University of Chicago.

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