McHenry County jail to house inmates not fit for trial or not guilty due to insanity

Some Illinois inmates deemed unfit for trial or not guilty by reason of insanity will soon be housed in the McHenry County jail.

The McHenry County Board has unanimously approved a contract with the Illinois Department of Human Services that will allow up to 12 “forensic detainees” to stay at the jail while they wait for space to open in inpatient treatment programs. The sheriff can turn down or refuse to continue to house any inmate under the contract.

In a county meeting earlier this month, McHenry County Sheriff’s Office officials said the detainees would stay at the jail until a space opens up or they are deemed fit for trial. Three people in McHenry County are waiting for beds to open up. The sheriff’s office expects it will take some time to reach the maximum of 12 inmates but was confident that would be done by the end of the year.

McHenry County will be compensated $150 per day per inmate housed in the jail, in addition to transportation and medical costs, according to county documents.

IDHS is contracting with Thresholds to provide mental health services, according to county documents. Thresholds does receive McHenry County Mental Health Board funding, and Mental Health Board officials were on a call with IDHS officials, the sheriff’s office and Thresholds earlier this month to discuss the program ahead of an April 1 “soft start date,” according to a report from Executive Director Leonetta Rizzi.

“Happy to have coordinated this venture between all parties and invested in its success,” Rizzi wrote.

The County Board did not discuss the proposal last Tuesday when it voted 18-0 to move ahead with the contract.

McHenry County also has an agreement with Lake County to house Lake County inmates in the McHenry County Jail. The agreement began just over a year ago, and McHenry County receives $100 per inmate per day from Lake County.

Kankakee County also has a similar DHS agreement, and both McHenry and Kankakee counties had had an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement before an Illinois law prompted the counties to cancel their ICE contracts.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office wanted to get the IDHS contract started by April 1. The contract runs through June 30, 2028 and contains options for three one-year renewals.