People were Strapped to Chairs for Hours, Days at Madison County Jail. Many were Mentally Ill or in Withdrawal.

Of all Illinois jails, Madison County has the most incidents of restraint lasting longer than 10 hours–the upper limit set by the chair manufacturer. The jail said they’re not equipped to care for so many mentally ill detainees.

by Grace Hauck and Janelle O'Dea January 29, 2025February 6, 2025

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People were Strapped to Chairs for Hours, Days at Madison County Jail. Many were Mentally Ill or in Withdrawal.

by Grace Hauck and Janelle O'Dea, Illinois Answers Project
January 29, 2025

<h1>People were Strapped to Chairs for Hours, Days at Madison County Jail. Many were Mentally Ill or in Withdrawal.</h1>
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Tagged: correctional, Illinois, Jails, Madison County, mental health, mental illness, opiates, restrained, Restraint Chairs, strapped down, withdrawal

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.

More by Grace Hauck

Janelle O'DeaState Investigative Reporter

jodea@bettergov.org

Janelle O’Dea is based in St. Louis as an investigative reporter with the Illinois Answers Project State Investigations Team. Her beat covers Southern Illinois and the Metro East. Before joining the Illinois Answers Project, she worked in Colorado, Florida, at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and at the Center for Public Integrity. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and grew up in central Illinois.

More by Janelle O'Dea