By AP
Chicago, IL – Activists are praising a new law aimed at protecting the safety of Illinoisans receiving state services for mental or developmental disabilities.
Chicago-based Equip for Equality backed the new measure, known as Brian's Law and
says it may help prevent future tragedies.
The law is named after an autistic young man named Brian Kent who died at the Kiley Developmental Center in Waukegan in 2002. He suffered multiple injuries, including blunt force trauma to his abdomen. An Equip for Equality report says he was severely neglected, but no charges were filed.
The legislation creates an independent experts team to review any deaths of people getting these state services. Kent's father, Jim, says his son will ``live on'' with the new law's impact.
