The seventh floor of the Sangamon County Complex is busy on Wednesday afternoons.
Mental Health Court participants wait in the hall overlooking downtown Springfield. They talk about their pets, their commutes, some shared music tastes. Others find a seat and pull out a book to dive into. A black Labrador assistance dog calmly walked between participants silently seeking attention before eventually lying down in the middle of the hallway.
Then Judge John “Mo” Madonia was ready to welcome the group into his courtroom.
These roughly two dozen participants pleaded guilty to various crimes in order to enter the mental health court program, which began more than a decade ago in 2015. Participants are required to check in with Madonia for 15 months, at a minimum, in order to graduate.
Madonia told Illinois Times the court is a real opportunity for people to avoid prison sentences and be given room to grow.
“Before you get to (a prison sentence), you should try serving the people in the community with resources that will help them. And if they can’t help themselves with those resources, then we’ve done what we need to do, right? That’s basically the message that we’re trying to send here: That we’re here to help, that people can use the help and they can really benefit from the help,” Madonia said.
“Restorative justice is proven to work better than just straight incarceration without any meeting of the needs. It’s the people who refuse to use the system, or the system doesn’t work for them, who should be reserved for the worst punishment of all, which is the penitentiary.”
Supporters of the diversion court say it saves taxpayers the cost, and time, of trying and jailing someone – and offers more substantive opportunity for people to learn from their mistakes. Madonia said the Sangamon County Circuit Court initially saw a gap in the legal system and sought to bridge it.
“It was just a courthouse project that we undertook to try and fill a need,” he said. “Once we got it structured and started, then everything else filled in around it, including the resources that we now have – which are instrumental to success.”
At first, “it was basically our probation officer was a case worker, mental health provider, counselor, all the above wrapped into one. It’s a very stressful job and it just wasn’t as successful as you want it to be because that’s just too much to take on for one person, and they’re kind of tied to the courthouse. We need people in the streets, the proverbial ‘boots on the ground,’” he said.
Madonia steers a cordial, open courtroom where participants can talk with him about whatever may be going on in their lives. He’s often checking participants’ calendars to make sure they’re remembering various appointments, have the ability to travel to them and so on. After each participant is done checking in, the room applauds and they can take candy from a bowl before returning to their seat.
Some participants talk about how they’re waiting to hear back on job applications or places to live. A significant number reside at Helping Hands of Springfield. Others need a little more encouragement from Madonia and court staff before opening up. One woman, initially quiet while on the stand, eventually cracked some jokes and shared why she was feeling off, in addition to some wins that court staff celebrated.
Madonia’s jovial tone is balanced by a no-nonsense approach to compliance with the program.
“We’re going to have a real in-depth talk about your compliance, what your compliance looks like going forward and where you’re going to need to be (living) in order to meet your compliance. Do you understand what I mean?” he warned a phase one participant. “You’re never going to phase up in this program if you’re missing court, you’re missing your appointments, you’re a no call, no show for your appointments.”
Phase one lasts at least three months and requires weekly court check-ins while phase two and three each last a minimum of six months, but space out check-ins.
Madonia congratulated a former graduate of the court, William Britton, as someone who thrived after entering the program and finding the correct anti-psychotic medication.
“William, I use you as an example of what the proper medication can accomplish for the right person because you have always complained about the first drug they gave you that didn’t work,” Madonia said.
Britton said the medication he was previously prescribed actually ended up harming his state of mind.
“I was so far gone, I didn’t even know I needed help and I was breaking the law, and I just kept ending up in jail,” Britton said. “It just didn’t work.”
He’s now on a medication that he says works great and is consistent with taking it each night before going to sleep.
Following the check-in portion of court, a soft-spoken 28-year-old man pleaded guilty to theft and aggravated battery in order to enter the diversion program.
“(Your conduct) is the description of somebody who was not properly medicated and was not in their right frame of mind,” Madonia said. “You, sitting right here, would not walk in a (place of business) and act like that… I look forward to seeing you every week under these circumstances when you’re very compliant, following your treatment plan, OK? All right, go get ’em, bud.”
This article appears in June 11-17, 2026.
