When the American Civil Liberties Union sued Cook County in 1999 over conditions at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, the conditions included overcrowding, under staffing and a total lack of professionalism.
The indictment and testimony read like "One Flew Over a Cuckoo's Nest."
In 2007, the county reached an agreement with the ACLU for a settlement, which included an action plan to address nearly 50 deficiencies.
Cook County Board's Criminal Justice Committee met May 11 for a status update on the implementation of the plan.
Earl Dunlap, who was chosen by a federal judge to oversee the plan, gave a generally favorable outlook and predicted the system would be fully implemented by November.
While the commissioners were generally favorable of the status report, Commissioner Deborah Sims asked how the detainees were transitioned back to the Chicago Public Schools system.
Dunlap explained it was the responsibility of the probation department explaining technical details.
"So, right now there is no clear plan to transition them," Sims said.
