In recent years, county jails across the nation have taken steps to try to keep inmates with mental illness from cycling in and out of jail. One approach involves stepped up mental health screening, coupled with efforts to get inmates plugged into community-based treatment after they are released.
The Champaign County Racial Justice Task Force has 31 recommendations for the county to improve racial disparity in the local criminal justice system.
A Northwestern University study has found high rates of drug and alcohol abuse and dependency among some who went through Cook County's juvenile detention center.
The plan would consolidate Champaign County jail operations in an expanded and renovated satellite jail, but some county board members and citizens want more emphasis on programs to lower the county's incarceration rate.
