Senator Seeks Audit of Illinois Corrections Department

A resolution would direct the Auditor General to review conditions at the Joliet Treatment Center after two deaths.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Criminal Justice

Senator Seeks Audit of Illinois Corrections Department

State Senator Rachel Ventura filed a resolution directing an Illinois Auditor General performance audit of the Illinois Department of Corrections. The move follows two deaths at the Joliet Treatment Center and publicly available reports describing unsafe living conditions and a lack of emergency preparedness.

Why it matters

The resolution would subject the state's corrections department to an independent review of how it treats incarcerated people needing mental health care. Reports allege that after the COVID-19 pandemic, new leadership canceled mental health groups and recreation time at the facility.

The resolution, filed November 5, 2026, directs the Illinois Auditor General to examine the Illinois Department of Corrections' master plan and its actions at the Joliet Treatment Center and Joliet Inpatient Treatment Center. The causes of the two reported deaths have not been established in the available reporting.

The players

Rachel Ventura

Illinois state senator representing Joliet, who filed the resolution calling for the audit.

Illinois Department of Corrections

The state agency responsible for operating Illinois' prisons and treatment facilities, including the Joliet Treatment Center.

Illinois Auditor General

The state office responsible for conducting performance audits of Illinois agencies, which would carry out the requested review.

The details

The Joliet Treatment Center, opened in 2017 to treat incarcerated individuals requiring mental health care, has faced reports of unsafe living conditions and inadequate emergency preparedness. The audit will review the department's master plan and its actions at both Joliet facilities.

2017: Joliet Treatment Center opens to treat incarcerated individuals needing mental health care.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic: New leadership cancels mental health groups and recreation time.
November 5, 2026: Senator Rachel Ventura files the audit resolution.
Fiscal Years 2022 through 2026: Period the audit will examine.

Legal Context

The resolution invokes the Illinois Auditor General's authority to conduct performance audits of state agencies, a legislative oversight tool used to review agency operations. It places the state's treatment of incarcerated people with mental health needs under that formal review process.

If approved, the audit would give the public and lawmakers an independent assessment of conditions at Illinois treatment facilities for incarcerated people. Families of those in custody and residents of Joliet may see the findings shape future state oversight of mental health care in corrections.

The takeaway

Independent audits can surface gaps in how states care for incarcerated people with mental health needs, making them a useful check on agency performance. Readers following the story can watch for the resolution's progress and the Auditor General's findings.