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Help free people at Howe by signing the petition and asking others to sign! |
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Advocates from around Illinois preparing to deliver 1,700 petitions to Governor Quinn, Disability organizations from around Illinois gathered at the Capitol in Springfield on February 10, 2009 to urge Govenor Pat Quinn to continue the process of closing Howe Developmental Center. Equip for Equality announced that five more people have died at Howe since closure was announced in September 2008. More than seventy advocates took part in the press conference and in delivering petitions to Gov. Quinn. The event was one more step towards getting the shameful, wasteful institution closed. Check out coverage of the event by clicking: Chicago Tribune. HOWE STATUS On April 28, 2009 the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability voted to close Howe Developmental Center by a vote of 9-3! We are now waiting on Governor Quinn to move forward on closure. History of Howe State officials announced Friday, September 5, 2008 that they plan to close Howe Developmental Center within the next year! Congratulations to all who worked on this important campaign! To read the Community for All Coalition's press release, click here. To read the Southtown Star's editorial, click here. To read the Chicago Tribune's editorial, click here. Background: Howe Developmental Center is a state-operated institution in Tinley Park, Illinois, where 320 people with developmental disabilities live. Howe has repeatedly been cited for poor care. 24 people have died at Howe since September 2005. The federal government has pulled its certification and funding from this institution. In addition, the Department of Justice is investigating Howe for violations of constitutional rights for its residents. We want those living at Howe to be able to return to their home communities with the support they need. We believe that people deserve to have choices in where they live and the services they recieve. We are organizing to bring public attention to the issue and push the state to transition people to the community. Once people are transitioned, we believe Howe should be closed. Rally 21
On July 29, about 100 people rallied in front of the Thompson Center, calling on the Governor to close Howe. Coalition members performed a drama (written by Amy Walker) about the horrible conditions at Howe. Delegates from the Coalition took our demands to representatives from the Governor's office, who promised they would respond quickly. Zena Naiditch, from Equip for Equality, spoke about how they have recently found that three more people have passed away in the last several months. Together, we urged the Governor to "Free our People...Close Howe NOW!!"
Read coverage of Rally 21 in the Southtown Star by clicking here. press conference
On Friday, May 30, the Community for All Coalition released a "report card" about Howe Developmental Center. The State received failing grades for Quality of Service, Ensuring Civil Rights, Maximizing Federal Dollars, and Effective Use of Illinois Taxpayer Dollars. Speakers (pictured above from left to right) included Larry Biondi from Progress Center for Independent Living, Zena Naiditch from Equip for Equality, Amy Walker from Illinois Voices, Derrick Dufresne from The Institute on Public Policy, and Lester Pritchard from the Campaign for Real Choice in Illinois. The Southtown Star and the Chicago Tribune reported on the press conference. To read the articles, click on the title.
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© 2008 Campaign For Real Choice In Illinois, All Rights Reserved. |
