Jacksonville Developmental Center
Encyclopedia
The Jacksonville Developmental Center is an institution that currently serves developmentally challenged clients and is located in Jacksonville, Illinois
.
Dorothea Dix
lobbied the state legislature to create a facility in Illinois designed for the care of the mentally ill. On March 1, 1847, the legislature established the Illinois State Asylum and Hospital for the Insane with a nine-member board of trustees that was empowered to appoint a superintendent, purchase land within four miles of Jacksonville, and construct facilities. (L. 1847, p. 52). At the time, only two other states had state-operated facilities for the mentally ill. The hospital was created to shift the economic burden of the mentally ill onto the state, which paid all of the patients' expenses. However, patients (or their county of residence) remained responsible for transportation, clothing and incidentals.
At the time, institutions for the mentally ill either had a number of small cottages, or a single large central building under the Kirkbride Plan
. The trustees selected Kirkbride's approach for the new institution. The center building was five and a half stories high, with two separate wings for each gender extending with staggered setbacks from the center. In 1984, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, although it was demolished in the 1970s.
Construction of the buildings was begun in 1848 and James M. Higgins was hired as Superintendent. Although Dix had expressed interest that Jacksonville State Hospital be opened by 1849, it wasn't until November 3, 1851, that the first two wards were ready for occupancy and the first patient, Sophronia McElhiney, of McLean County, was admitted.
In 1860, Elizabeth P.W. Packard
's husband had her committed to Jacksonville against her will, due to a disagreement over her religious beliefs. At the time, Illinois law (which was enacted when the hospital opened) had an exception to its commitment hearing requirement to allow husbands confined their wives to an asylum without any hearing. After three years, she was discharge from the hospital. Her husband then imprisoned her in their home, and after gaining her freedom through a lawsuit, she formed the Anti-Insane Asylum Society. She led a campaign to amend the Illinois law to guarantee a public hearing for all people declared insane, including women whose husbands wished to have them committed. She also saw similar laws passed in three other states.
Jacksonville remained Illinois' only such hospital until two additional facilities were authorized in Elgin
and Anna, Illinois in 1869, and the legislature renamed Jacksonville as the Illinois Central Hospital for the Insane, assumed primary responsibility for patients from the counties of central Illinois. As a part of this reorganization, the legislature also reduced the size of Jacksonville's board of trustees to three members and the newly created a new state-wide Board of State Commissioners of Public Charities to supervise all state institutions while each one retained its own separate board.
The board of trustees and the Board of State Commissioners of Public Charities were abolished in 1909 when control of all state charitable institutions passed to the newly created Board of Administration. As part of this reorganization the institution became Jacksonville State Hospital effective January 1, 1910. In 1917, the Department of Public Welfare assumed responsibility for Jacksonville State Hospital and retained control until the creation of the Illinois Department of Mental Health in 1961 (L. 1961, p. 2666).
From 1944 to 1974, the hospital provided training in psychiatric nursing for students from general hospital nursing schools. Jacksonville's Psychiatric Nursing Affiliation Program, which was headed by the State Alienist.
In 1974, Jacksonville State Hospital's duties expanded beyond in-patient care of mental illness to include treatment for the *developmentally disabled." To reflect this change in mission, the legislature renamed it the Jacksonville Mental Health and Developmental Center in 1975. (P.A. 79-581, p. 1895). Jacksonville phased out its in-patient treatment of mental illness and its name was changed one last time to reflect its new mission.
In 2010 Jacksonville Developmental Center treats primarily developmentally disabled patients, some of whom also have mental illness. The center is operated by the Illinois Department of Human Services.
, Jacksonville had 400 employees and an appropriation of $30,107,300.
Jacksonville, Illinois
Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,940 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County....
.
History
Illinois originally did not have any system for caring for its mentally ill citizens who were either living with their family or kept in local almshouses.Dorothea Dix
Dorothea Dix
Dorothea Lynde Dix was an American activist on behalf of the indigent insane who, through a vigorous program of lobbying state legislatures and the United States Congress, created the first generation of American mental asylums...
lobbied the state legislature to create a facility in Illinois designed for the care of the mentally ill. On March 1, 1847, the legislature established the Illinois State Asylum and Hospital for the Insane with a nine-member board of trustees that was empowered to appoint a superintendent, purchase land within four miles of Jacksonville, and construct facilities. (L. 1847, p. 52). At the time, only two other states had state-operated facilities for the mentally ill. The hospital was created to shift the economic burden of the mentally ill onto the state, which paid all of the patients' expenses. However, patients (or their county of residence) remained responsible for transportation, clothing and incidentals.
At the time, institutions for the mentally ill either had a number of small cottages, or a single large central building under the Kirkbride Plan
Kirkbride Plan
The Kirkbride Plan refers to a system of mental asylum design advocated by Philadelphia psychiatrist Thomas Story Kirkbride in the mid-19th century.-History:The establishment of state mental hospitals in the U.S...
. The trustees selected Kirkbride's approach for the new institution. The center building was five and a half stories high, with two separate wings for each gender extending with staggered setbacks from the center. In 1984, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, although it was demolished in the 1970s.
Construction of the buildings was begun in 1848 and James M. Higgins was hired as Superintendent. Although Dix had expressed interest that Jacksonville State Hospital be opened by 1849, it wasn't until November 3, 1851, that the first two wards were ready for occupancy and the first patient, Sophronia McElhiney, of McLean County, was admitted.
In 1860, Elizabeth P.W. Packard
Elizabeth Packard
Elizabeth Parsons Ware Packard was an advocate for the rights of women and people accused of insanity.-Life:...
's husband had her committed to Jacksonville against her will, due to a disagreement over her religious beliefs. At the time, Illinois law (which was enacted when the hospital opened) had an exception to its commitment hearing requirement to allow husbands confined their wives to an asylum without any hearing. After three years, she was discharge from the hospital. Her husband then imprisoned her in their home, and after gaining her freedom through a lawsuit, she formed the Anti-Insane Asylum Society. She led a campaign to amend the Illinois law to guarantee a public hearing for all people declared insane, including women whose husbands wished to have them committed. She also saw similar laws passed in three other states.
Jacksonville remained Illinois' only such hospital until two additional facilities were authorized in Elgin
Elgin State Hospital
The Elgin Mental Health Center is a mental health facility operated by the State of Illinois in Elgin, Illinois. Although during its history, its mission has changed, at times it treated mental illness, tuberculosis, and provided federally-funded care for veterans...
and Anna, Illinois in 1869, and the legislature renamed Jacksonville as the Illinois Central Hospital for the Insane, assumed primary responsibility for patients from the counties of central Illinois. As a part of this reorganization, the legislature also reduced the size of Jacksonville's board of trustees to three members and the newly created a new state-wide Board of State Commissioners of Public Charities to supervise all state institutions while each one retained its own separate board.
The board of trustees and the Board of State Commissioners of Public Charities were abolished in 1909 when control of all state charitable institutions passed to the newly created Board of Administration. As part of this reorganization the institution became Jacksonville State Hospital effective January 1, 1910. In 1917, the Department of Public Welfare assumed responsibility for Jacksonville State Hospital and retained control until the creation of the Illinois Department of Mental Health in 1961 (L. 1961, p. 2666).
From 1944 to 1974, the hospital provided training in psychiatric nursing for students from general hospital nursing schools. Jacksonville's Psychiatric Nursing Affiliation Program, which was headed by the State Alienist.
In 1974, Jacksonville State Hospital's duties expanded beyond in-patient care of mental illness to include treatment for the *developmentally disabled." To reflect this change in mission, the legislature renamed it the Jacksonville Mental Health and Developmental Center in 1975. (P.A. 79-581, p. 1895). Jacksonville phased out its in-patient treatment of mental illness and its name was changed one last time to reflect its new mission.
Today
In September of 2011, Governor Pat Quinn announced a plan to close the facility in February 2012 due to budget issues.In 2010 Jacksonville Developmental Center treats primarily developmentally disabled patients, some of whom also have mental illness. The center is operated by the Illinois Department of Human Services.
, Jacksonville had 400 employees and an appropriation of $30,107,300.
Books
- Packard, Elizabeth,The Prisoners' Hidden Life Or Insane Asylums Unveiled (1868) Kessinger Publishing, LLC (February 21, 2008) ISBN 978-0548837412.
- Packard, Elizabeth, Marital Power Exemplified in Mrs. Packard's Trial Fred B Rothman & Co (October 1994) ISBN 978-0837725529