SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Republican lawmakers are demanding the Illinois Department of Corrections act quickly to stop drugs from getting inside prisons. This comes as a growing number of prison workers claim they have needed medical treatment after inhaling smoke from fentanyl and narcotics.
AFSCME Council 31 members picketing at Logan and Lincoln Correctional Center on Oct. 17, 2024.
IDOC employees have been protesting across the state for months, asking the Pritzker administration to prevent illegal substances from coming inside their facilities.
"We understand the people that are incarcerated, individuals in custody, are human," said Alfred Campbell, a sergeant at the Kennedy Correctional Facility. "We get that. But, we are human as well. We are being put in a position where we are being harmed and they are being harmed."
Union leaders told WAND News last month that members should not have to face assault, illegal drugs or chronic staff shortages on a daily basis. Multiple GOP senators have toured their local prisons to see the issues themselves.
"At Lawrenceville, I've had three guards stabbed," said Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet). "The day after I was there, there was one with a broken orbital socket apparently. And we've had an inmate die from a fentanyl overdose. This is real, and I don't know what else has to be said to get attention on this."
The Illinois Department of Corrections is exploring options to enhance safety, and the agency has already increased mail screening protocols. IDOC staff are also told to wear personal protective equipment if they handle mail.
A group of 30 Democratic lawmakers recently wrote a letter to the department, demanding prisoners receive their physical mail instead of digital copies.
"Tablets are being introduced into the prisons, and I think that's the route everything should go," said Marvin Bochantin, a former shift supervisor at the Menard Correctional Center. "It would alleviate a lot with the mail room of scanning everything. There's accountability, and you're able to track everything. It would just alleviate so many problems."
IDOC officials are working closely with the Department of Public Health and Illinois State Police to identify the cause of recent issues and determine long-term solutions.
"While each of them knows that their career choice has potential risks, it's the duty of our state to mitigate those dangers the best that we can," said Sen. Sally Turner (R-Lincoln).Â
Democratic lawmakers said IDOC should focus on drug abuse treatment and programming rather than taking physical mail away from prisoners.
Copyright 2024. WAND TV. All rights reserved.
