DuPage County Undersheriff Edmond “Eddie” Moore was in the hot seat at a recent DuPage County Board meeting as he answered elected officials’ questions about protocol changes within the DuPage County Correctional Center.
County Board Chair Deborah Conroy last month requested Sheriff James Mendrick appear at a meeting to discuss how the agency has addressed deficiencies related to the June 2023 death of Reneyda Aguilar-Hurtado, 50, who was found unresponsive in her cell. The county recently reached an $11 million settlement with Aguilar-Hurtado’s family.
Mendrick was unable to attend the Tuesday, July 8, county board meeting, Moore said, so he filled in for the sheriff to address the board.
Moore outlines five-point list of changes
“The circumstances leading up to the unfortunate death of the detainee on June 12th of 2023 were investigated and reviewed by members of our senior and medical staff to see what changes needed to be made,” Moore said.
He added that “several changes” have been implemented in the two years since Aguilar-Hurtado died. The changes, he said, came after consultation with the state’s attorney’s office and through such accreditation organizations as the Illinois Department of Corrections, American Correctional Association, and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care.
Moore said the key changes within the correctional center in the past two years have included:
- Doubling the number of mental health staffers to enhance care and oversight
- Developing an assistance program to help detainees with mental health conditions transition back into the general population
- Having in place individual treatment plans for detainees with mental health needs
- Updating policies to align with best practices in mental health management
- Streamlining the process involved with hospital transfers for detainees in need of such services
“We have implemented several changes, but we continue to face significant challenges regarding the detainees with mental health conditions,” Moore said. “Many of these challenges are beyond our control and hinder our ability to fully prevent incidents like the one we are addressing right now.”
Board members ask Moore pointed questions
Moore and several other staffers within the DuPage County Sheriff’s Department fielded board members’ specific questions at the recent meeting.
District 5 board member Dawn DeSart expressed frustration with the timing on the dissemination of information for serious incidents, such as a detainee dying.
“Why is there a lack of transparency to the board?” DeSart asked.
Moore, in response, said, “I would just say that would be due to the investigation … and not get too much information out until we’re done, and that the state’s attorney agrees with whatever it is that we’re going to put out.”
Board member Saba Haider, who also represents District 5, expressed gratitude toward Moore for coming before the board to discuss the issue.
“Transparency is something that we really value,” Haider said. “You being here, and your team being here, shows your commitment to transparency, and thank you for being here.”
Haider also inquired about the proportion of current detainees who have mental health diagnoses.
As of the board meeting, 572 detainees were housed within the DuPage County Correctional Center, according to officials. Of that figure, approximately 40 people are diagnosed with severe mental illness, and an additional 200 people have a moderate to lower level of mental illness.
Keeping the sheriff’s department accountable
Moore said there are a number of systems in place to keep the DuPage County Sheriff’s Department accountable, in relation to oversight of the correctional center.
The ACA and NCCHC each observe and audit protocols once every three years, Moore indicated. The IDOC also does frequent evaluations, most recently last fall. The correctional center was compliant in all metrics in that evaluation, Moore said.
Several board members sounded a hopeful tone that the incident involving Aguilar-Hurtado has been a wake-up call to improve how correctional staffers work to meet the disparate needs of the detainee population.
“No amount of money can ever compensate for the profound loss of her to her family,” District 2 board member Andrew Honig said. “Thankfully you’ve acknowledged, in your statement, that there are steps in the right direction — especially doubling the mental health staff.”
DeSart added, “Even though these people come to the jail have drug or mental health or other high needs, it is still our job to keep them alive. I think everybody will agree with that.”
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