Concerns Growing Following Recently Reported Exposure Incidents at Illinois Prisons
Recent news coverage has inflamed concerns over potential exposures to dangerous substances in prisons operated by the Illinois Department of Corrections. Additionally, several Senators have received similar reports from constituents who work in the facilities, regarding prison staff and inmates becoming ill and receiving medical treatment.
A common theme in these reports involves mail sent to inmates that may contain papers soaked with drugs and/or other harmful substances. Following news coverage of an incident at the Menard Correctional Center, IDOC officials confirmed that preliminary testing indicated samples of paper had tested positive for fentanyl and synthetic cannabinoids.
According to news reports from KFVS, multiple individuals from the Shawnee Correctional Center received medical treatment in recent weeks, and hazmat crews were on scene at the facility on September 20th and 25th. Senator Bennett says the trend is concerning and he/she urges the Department of Corrections to work with the legislature to put into place safety protocols to prevent staff and inmates from being exposed to harmful substances.
Submit Nominations for Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) wants to know more about outstanding educators, administrators, or school professionals who have made significant contributions to Illinois’ public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools.
ISBE will be accepting applications until October 15th for the 2025 Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year Awards.
Awards are presented in seven categories: classroom teachers, early career educators (teachers 1-4 years), school administrators, student support personnel, educational service personnel, community volunteers, and teams. All awardees are honored at an annual banquet in the spring. To submit a nomination, click here.
Did You Know?
The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which promotes screening, education, and prevention of a disease that impacts over 300,000 women and almost 3,000 men each year.
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. An estimated 42,250 American women will die in 2024 from the disease. When caught early, however, the 5-year survival rate is 99%. There are currently 4 million breast cancer survivors in the country. For more information on breast cancer, visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s website.
How much do we owe?
As of the time of this writing, the State of Illinois owes $1,259,789,587.58 to state vendors, including 17,267 pending vouchers. This figure represents the amount of bills submitted to the office of the Comptroller and still awaiting payment. It does not include debts that can only be estimated, such as our unfunded pension liability which is subject to a wide range of factors and has been estimated to be more than $139 billion. At the same time last year, the state’s accounts payable stood at a little less than $2 billion.
This Week in the 53rd District
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