CHESTER, Ill. — The Illinois Department of Human Services announced Wednesday it will dramatically reduce the number of residents with developmental disabilities living at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Chester.

According to a press release, the process will begin with the relocation of 123 residents with developmental disabilities who entered the facility voluntarily, which is roughly half the current population.

During the next three years, portions of the Choate campus will be repurposed to meet patient capacity and other urgent State needs. Safe, gradual, carefully planned resident transitions will take place in close coordination with residents themselves, and their families and/or guardians. Resident well-being and dignity will guide every step of the process.

The 229-acre Choate campus currently also includes a psychiatric hospital, an IDHS local public benefits office, and two case processing centers. Related improvements and upgrades will be made to put the buildings and grounds to the best possible public uses for many years to come

The announcement comes after months of reporting by Capitol News Illinois, Lee Enterprises, and ProPublica that detailed beatings of patients, a concerted effort by some staff members to cover up abuse and serious neglect, the intimidation of employees who reported it, and the attempt to coerce new employees into participating in the abuse or being silent about it.

The plan does not call for layoffs and the facility’s 49-bed psychiatric hospital will remain open and may expand.

While this initiative will be carried out over several years, IDHS says it is taking additional, immediate action to protect resident safety, including hiring ten new staff for the Office of the Inspector General and appointing Ryan Thomas as IDHS’ first-ever Chief Resident Safety Officer.