Access Living friends and allies,
We are thrilled to share a significant victory in our shared journey toward justice and compassionate care: The Eddie Thomas Act — SB1524 led by Senator Adrienne Johnson and HB2397 led by Nicole Grasse, respectively, has passed both chambers. This pivotal legislation mandates the Department of Corrections to annually report on hospice and palliative care within its facilities, shining a light on the treatment of incarcerated individuals at the end of life.
Why This Matters:
This act embodies our commitment to recognizing the humanity of all individuals with disabilities, including those that are incarcerated. By requiring transparency in end-of-life care, we take a step towards ensuring dignity and respect regardless of their circumstances. Persons who quality for end-of-life care are typically people with disabilities affecting major life activities.
Who Was Eddie Thomas:
Eddie Thomas was someone who had been incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections for more than 20 years. During his time there, Eddie developed a community of friends and loved ones. After being diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer, Eddie was placed in the prison infirmary. While in the prison infirmary, Eddie did not receive hospice care; and despite repeated requests from Eddie’s friends, they were not allowed to visit Eddie or provide him with peer support. Eddie languished in the back of a cold, dank, prison infirmary for five months before he died an undignified death alone and without any semblance of hospice care.
Our Collective Vision:
This bill reflects a broad vision that cares for people that are disabled and incarcerated. This achievement, so far, is a testament to the power of cross-movement solidarity led by people with disabilities, system-impacted advocates, and community members. Our disability politic is intersectional and rooted in the truth that access to dignity, especially at the end-of-life, is a collective responsibility.
Next Steps:
We appreciate the efforts of everyone who supported the Eddie Thomas Act; however, the battle is not over. The Eddie Thomas Act still has to pass in the House and then go to the Governor to sign into law. It is only after the Governor signs it that we can truly claim victory. Therefore, we ask everyone to please continue to support this monumental legislation. Specific action steps are soon to follow.
Those who would like to reach out to Access Living regarding this bill may contact Yosef Moore, our Diversion and Reentry Policy Analyst, at ymoore@accessliving.org. Thank you for your solidarity.