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Judge OKs Class-Action Over Illinois Prison Health Care

  CHICAGO - A federal judge has ruled a lawsuit against the Illinois Department of Corrections alleging inadequate health care in prisons may cover all inmates with serious medical needs in every state facility.

     The ruling by U.S. District Judge Jorge Alonso means thousands of inmates could be affected by the class-action lawsuit.

     Camille Bennett is a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which represents the inmates who sued. She says Illinois' system for providing health care in prison is "broken" and the ruling means "the solutions must be systemic."

     A 2015 report by court-approved researchers following visits to Illinois prisons found treatment delays, haphazard follow-up care and other serious problems.

     IDOC argued the report provided an incomplete picture of the comprehensive medical system in place.