Lawmakers Urge Administration to Take Action to Protect Correctional Officers 

SPRINGFIELD- Recent media reports and informational picket rallies have brought attention to concerns about exposure to hazardous substances within prisons operated by the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC). Given the dangers being faced by correctional officers across the state, State Senator Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City), State Senator Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro), and State Representative Dennis Tipsword (R-Eureka), recently met with Pontiac Correctional Center staff to discuss the ongoing drug exposure incidents, concerns, and possible solutions.

 “Our correctional staff are on the frontlines, facing escalating dangers every day. The pickets last week make it clear that the Administration must step up and prioritize the safety of these men and women,” said Senator Bennett. “Along with several of my colleagues, I am advocating for comprehensive safety measures to be put in place. Governor Pritzker and IDOC leadership must take these growing threats seriously and act now to protect those who work and live within our correctional system.”

 A recurring issue in correctional facilities across Illinois involves reports of exposures to dangerous substances, with representatives from the facilities saying that paper soaked in dangerous drugs are being sent to inmates and putting the lives of correctional center staff and inmates at risk daily. AFSCME, the union representing the state’s correctional officers, issued the following report  detailing the reports and exposure incidents happening across IDOC facilities in Illinois. 

“For more than two years, I have been working to bring attention to the dangerous conditions that both correctional officers and residents in our correctional facilities have had to endure for far too long,” said Senator Bryant. “These recent rallies held by AFSCME members make it clear that this problem can no longer be ignored by this Administration. It is well past time for swift and meaningful measures to be implemented to ensure the health and safety of everyone who lives and works within these facilities.”

“Safe mail in prisons and jails is not something new,” stated Rep. Tipsword. “Several other nearby states and jails right here in Illinois have third-party vendors digitize mail. The mail is looked at on a secure tablet, thus keeping staff and inmates safe. The program has little or no cost to facilitate, and the Governor and Director must take this seriously and act immediately before there is another death.”

Senator Bennett, along with Senator Bryant and Representative Tipsword, remain committed to ensuring that the safety of those working and residing in Illinois correctional facilities, urging the Administration to take swift action to address this ongoing crisis.

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Tom Bennett

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