Carroll Passes Restraint Bill, Bans Isolation Rooms in the State of Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Continuing his long fight to end child abuse in Illinois public schools, Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, passed legislation to ban the abusive practices of isolation rooms and chemical/prone restraints as documented by an investigative report by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois.

“No child should ever have to go through the horribly traumatic experience of being locked away in an isolation room or subjected to forms of deadly restraints,” said Carroll. “Societies are judged by how we treat our most vulnerable citizens, this bill rights a terrible wrong happening to our children under the abhorrent guise of treatment.”

In November of 2019, shortly before the world was shocked by a global pandemic that temporarily moved schools to remote learning, a scathing investigative report by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois had released information that students in Illinois schools were being isolated and secluded, especially impacting students with special needs.

Moved by the report and past experiences, Carroll quickly introduced legislation to end the practice of dangerous isolation rooms and abusive restraints being used on students. Carroll began working across the aisle and with many state agencies and school officials to complete an efficient and effective bill that demanded accountability and stopped the unacceptable practices for good. House Bill 219 was passed today from the House floor and will be sent to the Governor to be signed into law.

“I can speak from first-hand experience how horrific these practice are and why these need to stop,” said Carroll. “Without a doubt, we’ve done something great for our children.”

For more information about House Bill 219, please contact Carroll’s full-time constituent office at 847-229-5499 or email JC@repcarroll.com.