Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Anna remains at the center of controversy as past abuse cases, proposed service reductions and legal challenges continue to draw attention.
Recent reporting highlighted the case of former a Choate employee who was caught on surveillance video in February 2024 striking a resident with developmental disabilities. The incident went unreported for several days despite requirements that suspected abuse or neglect be reported within four hours.
The former employee was initially charged with felony aggravated battery but accepted a plea agreement in July that resulted in a misdemeanor conviction and no jail time. Another Choate employee accused of abusing a resident on video was also offered a misdemeanor plea without jail time. Investigative reporting has identified at least 26 Choate employees who faced felony charges related to resident treatment over the years, with none serving prison time.
Meanwhile, the Pritzker administration is moving forward with a major downsizing of Choate. The plan would eliminate its civil mental health operation and general developmental disability program while retaining a specialized 40-bed forensic developmental disabilities unit. The changes are also expected to eliminate roughly half of Choate’s approximately 500 jobs.
The phase-down of the facility’s 75 civil mental health beds has since been extended to June 2027 to allow additional time to expand services elsewhere in Illinois.
The reductions have prompted lawsuits from Union County officials and the union representing Choate employees. The challenges allege the state failed to follow laws governing reductions in healthcare services and seek to prevent portions of the downsizing from moving forward.
The controversy has also entered the governor’s race. Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey visited Anna Monday and called for maintaining services at Choate. Bailey acknowledged the facility’s history of abuse and misconduct but argued the state should correct those problems rather than eliminate residential services and jobs.
Gov. JB Pritzker has defended the changes, saying Illinois is moving away from large state-operated developmental centers toward other care settings. His administration has also said Choate employees affected by the changes will have opportunities to seek other positions within the Illinois Department of Human Services.