Tag: Illinois Department of Corrections

State breaks up classes in Stateville prison closure

GALESBURG — For the first time in two decades, Robert Curry has a window. Curry is one of over 400 men transferred out of Stateville Correctional Center before its closure at the end of September. “I am able to see the world,” he said. “I’m able to see things like the highway from the yard.

Khadafi Muhammad speaking at press confrence

Illinois juvenile detention centers facing hundreds more sex abuse claims

Over 200 more men and women say they were sexually abused as children at Illinois juvenile detention centers, joining hundreds of others who previously joined in lawsuits. Three new lawsuits were filed Monday describing “a culture of sexual abuse” in Illinois juvenile detention centers between 1996 and 2021, the latest in a series of suits

Inspector General slams Pontiac prison workplace culture

PONTIAC — A scathing report from the State Executive Inspector General show a climate of hazing and sexual discrimination created a hostile work environment at the state prison in Pontiac, including stating there is reason for disciplinary action against 10 employees for discriminating against a guard who was perceived to be gay. The guard was

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker moves to make abortion more accessible to people in prisons

CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker pledged to remove a barrier to abortion for people in prison after a WBEZ investigation found incarcerated people had to pay for the procedure and the wages of the correctional officer required to accompany them to appointments outside the prison. “Moving forward, abortion procedures and their associated expenses will

Lawsuit: Illinois Prisons Are Failing To Protect Inmates From COVID-19

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 7:54 p.m. on May 26 to include comments from the Illinois Department of Corrections.  An amended lawsuit filed against Rob Jeffreys, director of the Illinois Department of Corrections, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week claims that the state’s prison system has failed to protect medically vulnerable prisoners from

Most Illinois County Jail Facilities Lacked Isolation Cells For Disease, Documents Show

As the coronavirus outbreak hit Illinois, many county jails lacked a standard cell needed to isolate infected inmates who had a respiratory illness, according to a review by CU-CitizenAccess and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting of annual jail inspections. The inspections, conducted in 2018 and 2019 by a division of the Illinois Department of

‘They Should Be Letting Guys Go’: Six Illinois Prisoners Dead From COVID-19

URBANA – At least six men incarcerated in the Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet have died after contracting COVID-19. According to the Illinois Department of Corrections, 123 people incarcerated at Stateville have tested positive for the virus along with 65 staff members. Other prisons across the state have also reported cases of the virus among

News Around Illinois Cover

News Around Illinois – April 7, 2020

1,006 New COVID-19 Cases, 33 New Deaths Reported In Illinois CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 1,006 new cases of COVID-19 in Illinois on Monday, including 33 deaths. Monday’s state report did not include the death of a COVID-19 patient in Champaign County, reported Monday by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. A