Since a judge in essence committed her the state will have to pick up the bill. He turned her over to the Illinois Department of Human Services facility in Elgin. The state’s Elgin Mental Health Center is the primary treatment facility for individuals determined to be “not guilty by reason of insanity” or in this case “unfit to stand trial” in Illinois. They’ve not released the diagnosis but I suspect from her reported behavior she’s suffering from some antisocial issues. Not my area of practice but generally cases like her’s are difficult to treat.

And therein lies the challenge and difficulty in treating her. Your first sentence is almost a textbook description of antisocial behavior. Patients with antisocial behavior can be extremely cunning or clever, they are not generally disabled like you might see in other mental illnesses. They know or have learned to say or do what while under treatment. Some survive and function in society without any trouble and are never treated. In her case, as I posted before, it would be great for her to consult with TSA and the airlines. She’s obviously found weaknesses she exploits time and time again.

It’s possible she’s not totally aware of exactly how she processes what she sees. On the other hand I think she once went through a TSA checkpoint and made sure she kept her face away from the cameras so that shows awareness and planning on her part. She may not want to share her modus operandi as it is her own personal “game” and she doesn’t want it ruined. On the other hand she might be willing to “brag” to the right therapist. My limited experience with antisocials was years ago when I was interning at a state hospital and we had only the very worst criminal types like Ted Bundy or Charles Manson. Not pleasant people.

I suspect TWA884 is spot on. It would go to the wording of the judge’s custody order and Illinois law. Since she’d already got through a fairly long psychological evaluation the custody order would something along the lines of “until such time as she is able to stand trial”. State law should lay out what “until such time” means in terms of length, etc. Typically there are checkpoints like court ordered reports, reviews, and so on built into the process so that she isn’t put away for the rest of her life. I do remember in one interview she got upset and even a little belligerent when it was suggested she was mentally ill. Sending her to a mental treatment facility might be the tipping point one way or the other for her.

I have no idea what Elgin is like so really can’t speak to her being able to escape. She’s pretty clever so I suppose anything is possible. The state hospital I interned at had a maximum security ward, actually more of a prison within the hospital, and really was designed for the “criminally insane”. I don’t see Hartman as particularly dangerous to herself or others so she wouldn’t or shouldn’t be subjected to that level of security nor do I know or think Elgin is that kind of facility.

UPDATE: Went through a directory of mental health treatment facilities and read up a bit on the Elgin Mental Health Center. While it’s not a jail or prison per se it does have secured wards and sections. One part of the facility is set aside to treat inmates from other prisons in the state so they have at least a medium security section. That doesn’t mean that Hartman is in that section but it isn’t a totally open campus type facility either so her simply walking away may be harder.

So Marilyn Hartman has been released from the mental health treatment facility and has been determined fit to now stand trial. The judge has moved her to a half-way house with an ankle monitor while the state determines when and if they’ll proceed with felony charges. She’s been in the half-way facility for a couple of weeks so far and hasn’t been picked up at an airport so far. Only time will tell. ?Serial stowaway? found mentally fit to stand trial, freed on ankle monitor to Chicago treatment facility - Chicago Tribune

Correct! They could get real trouble for that. She cannot go through at security without ticket or passport.