217 Today: Illinois officials obtained do-not-resuscitate orders from prisoners who were not of soun

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Malinda Filicsky got a box of possessions that her dad, George Williams, had in prison. Williams died behind bars after officials obtained a do-not-resuscitate order from him declining medical interventions that could extend his life.
  • Photo: Coutesy Of Malinda Filicsky

Friday, April 7, 2023

Today’s headlines: 

  • Illinois educators and state lawmakers are calling for a task force to scrutinize a state program that’s supposed to help children experiencing a mental health crisis.
  • Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s proposed budget would mean a 7% increase across the state’s public universities — including Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
  • Children and families gathered at Martens center in Champaign this week to enjoy food and learn more about science — entirely in Spanish.
  • Parkland Theatre had its first performance of “Sweeney Todd” Thursday night. 

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about how Illinois prisoners signed “do-not-resuscitate” orders when they weren’t “of sound mind.”

Reporting today contributed by Sarah Karp, Will Bauer, Luis Velazquez, Piotr Fedczuk and Shannon Heffernan.

 

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Farrah Anderson

Farrah Anderson is a 2024 graduate of the University of Illinois. At Illinois Public Media, Anderson works as a general assignment reporter focusing on police and investigative stories.