U.S. South Carolina mental illness group homes sued by federal government

NEW YORK, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. federal government has sued South Carolina, saying the state has not done enough to make sure people with serious mental illnesses are taken out of group homes and helped to get back into the community where they can work and lead independent lives.

"The lawsuit filed on Monday said the state violates the Americans with Disabilities Act by opting, through money and policy decisions, to leave people with mental illnesses in group homes where they can't choose what to eat, pick their own roommate, find a way to work at a job or go to church and other activities," The Associated Press reported Tuesday.

The state has known about the issues since a different 2016 lawsuit and federal officials warned them of the problems and possible legal action in a 23-page report in May 2023, U.S. Justice Department lawyers said in court papers.

"People with disabilities in South Carolina can and must be able to receive services in their own homes, rather than being isolated in institutions," Kristen Clarke, an assistant attorney in the agency's Civil Rights Division, said in a statement.