Illinois Mental Health Task Force Hosts Virtual Screening of The Definition of Insanity

December 21, 2020

On December 1, 2020, Chief Justice Anne M. Burke and the Illinois Mental Health Task Force hosted a special virtual screening of the newly released documentary The Definition of Insanity followed by an emotional Family Panel discussion which explored the struggles of persons with mental illness and their path from incarceration to recovery.

The session began with a viewing of The Definition of Insanity, a documentary about the Miami-Dade Criminal Mental Health Project which follows a team of dedicated public servants working through the Courts to support people with mental illness - as their court cases hang in the balance – on a path from incarceration to recovery.

The documentary was funded by The Matthew Harris Ornstein Memorial Foundation led by Norm Ornstein and Judy Harris, who both spoke about the documentary and their late son’s struggles with mental health. Ms. Harris was one of four panelists, along with Patti Tobias, Mindy Greiling, and Tonya Brown who discussed their own relation to a family member, in each case a son, who struggled with mental health issues and in some cases criminal issues similar to those seen in The Definition of Insanity.

The session concluded with Justice Burke thanking the panelists for their emotional testimony to the importance of the Court system to provide better outcomes for individuals with mental health illness.