Institutional and Political Context
Pages in this section explore civil commitment as an institution. Where did civil commitment come from? How do authorities justify it? What are the flaws in this justification? Civil commitment is officially designated as a psychiatric treatment. Letters included in this archive demonstrate that this “treatment” is not therapeutic. We also explore how the psychiatric aspects of civil commitment are not even accepted by mainstream psychiatric and legal experts. Finally, we look at the history of civil commitment as a physical institution in Illinois and discuss how it has been politically controversial since its inception.
Exhibitions: Abuses at Rushville & Obstacles to Rehabilitation and Release
First, we have collected items from the archive which expose the actual conditions in civil commitment facilities which have very little to do with therapeutic “treatment.” Incarcerated residents of the Rushville facility describe regular violence, harassment, poor living conditions, and death that define life in civil commitment. We have put together an exhibit on the archive site which collects items attesting to the everyday violence and harms perpetuated against civilly committed people. This page highlights some excerpts from those items.
We also have put together an exhibit which collects items that attest to the reality that for the overwhelming majority of people incarcerated in civil commitment facilities, this is a life sentence and not a temporary stay in a treatment facility. This exhibit highlights items which help explain why release is so rare. Residents emphasize the superficiality and inadequacy of the “treatment” provided inside civil commitment facilities, making it clear that detention is a priority over release.
Coercive Medical Practices at Rushville
States use psychiatric criteria to justify the life sentences of civil commitment. However, the specific psychiatric tools used to justify civil commitment are controversial among psychiatric experts. This page discusses the problems with these psychiatric tools, including supposed “risk assessment” tools, penile plethysmography, chemical castration, and polygraph (or “lie detector”) tests.
History of Civil Commitment in Illinois
Civil commitment was established by a 1998 law in Illinois, but it is maintained by a mix of specific public and private agencies and companies. On this page we introduce those organizations and discuss their histories. Rushville’s history was reconstructed through reading Chicago Tribune articles from the time. In this section we highlight the political fights that defined the early development of civil commitment at Rushville.
Civil Commitment in Practice: Court Cases
This page explores publicly available court cases archived by the state of Illinois which concern civil commitment. These court cases provide valuable descriptions of actual civil commitment proceedings in practice. Looking at these cases makes it clear how flimsy the psychiatric basis of civil commitment is. A handful of psychiatric experts are called by the state to provide evidence for what is ultimately a diagnosis by court, a process far outside the norms of professional psychiatric practice. This makes clear how civil commitment is incarceration with a very thin psychiatric disguise.