Groups that track national virus data for state and federal prisons, such as the COVID Prison Project and The Marshall Project, place Illinois about average on lists comparing infections based on inmate populations, but Illinois has one of the higher death tolls. The effort includes a proposed class-action lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court, naming Gov. J.B. Pritzker expanded under an executive order last year, are defined as a "temporary leave of absence from secure custody for limited medical purposes for offenders who, because of a medical condition, are determined to be either of limited physical mobility or terminally ill.". In April, CDCR expedited the release of almost 3,500 incarcerated persons serving a sentence Alan Mills, executive director of the Uptown Peoples Law Center, said that if IDOC strictly followed its protocols requiring quarantine periods and negative test results, the jail transfers should not be an issue. He said, Ill be with you. . It was dropped near the main entrance of the prison near Joliet by Jennifer Lackey of Northwestern Universitys Prison Education Program. Inmates with at least nine months of their sentence remaining who are considered low-risk will recei. WebUNDER THE LAW EFFECTING THIS CHANGE, PRISON TERMS ARE ESTABLISHED FOR SERIOUS OFFENSES AND FOR SUPERVISED RELEASE TERMS, AND Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP file. "The Joe Coleman Medical Release Act will make sure that doesn't happen to an inmate in Illinois anymore.". WebGovernors in at least 11 states have issued executive orders that block new transfers into state prisons, allow early release for some prisoners, or both. The increased testing in recent weeks helped drive the most recent jump in positive case numbers, Jeffreys said. 3 0 obj WebPRISON-RELEASE DISCRETION AND PRISON POPULATION SIZE STATE REPORT: ILLINOIS 4 general population, for an average incremental downturn of -51 per 100,000.4 About 1,000 Illinois prison inmates nearing the end of their sentences could soon be released under a settlement announced Tuesday in a federal lawsuit filed as the Worldwide there are 11m behind bars, according to Penal Reform International, a pressure group. On April 22, 2020, Chicago area civil rights groups came together to write a letter of support for the actions of Illinois Governor Pritzker. Prisons and their surrounding communities would be safer. Lester Mason, 76, at the home of his nephew in East Peoria on Dec. 14, 2020. The majority were nonwhite, with 24 listed as Black. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Corrections, demanding the immediate release of Illinois prisoners vulnerable to the coronavirus. "Obviously this is training that we wish would have been done a year ago, but at least they're doing it now," she said. Additionally, the Corrections Department will give credit for good behavior to prisoners within nine months of their release date. The Illinois Department of Corrections agreed to use its best efforts to process the awards within the next month. Members of End Illinois Prison Lockdown Coalition rally as they call out Gov. She urged her colleagues to find a compromise that gets to what our children in the classroom need.. Department of Corrections officials have the option of offering eligible prisoners medical furloughs, electronic home detention and early release. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune). But until now, they have not used these tools, Mills said in a statement. The move was criticized by some advocates of prisoners rights because of its deteriorated state, but state officials said repairs were made and public health officials inspected it. She said the Department of Corrections already had a draft policy similar to the one reached in the agreement that was set to be implemented July 1. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. WebIllinois The recidivism rate in Illinois within one year of release is 17% and within three years of release is 43%. That is the highest figure ever. The latest department data shows 82 prison staff members and 45 prisoners are currently positive for COVID-19, and a total of 4,177 staff and 10,768 prisoners have tested positive since the pandemic began. J.B. Pritzker in late June after serving 31 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, is an artist whose work focuses on his experience as an African American. On April 2, 2020, in response to the swiftly spreading coronavirus epidemic in Illinois' prisons, a consortium of the area's leading civil rights attorneys and community advocates filed three cases seeking release of prisoners. The state crime rate actually declined while early release was operating. He had three disciplinary tickets in four decades for minor infractions, said his lawyer, Soble. Dozens of legal and community advocacy groups signed an open letter Monday urging the Illinois Department of Public Health to prioritize incarcerated individuals and staff working in jails and prisons in its COVID-19 vaccine rollout. IDOC officials said that when the virus is spreading in communities, staff may contract it at home and bring it into prisons. Lawmakers pass bill on early release of terminally ill prisoners, advance effort to put collective bargaining rights into constitution, State lawmakers address cannabis licensing, Asian American history, free menstrual hygiene products, Fact-check: State senator makes the grade with remark about public support for elected Chicago school board, Sexual assault in schools, life-sustaining medical treatment, marriage license language all addressed in state bills, Aiming to predict COVID, future pandemics better, CDC opens infectious diseases forecasting center, Unmasked transit: Pritzker ends mask mandates in public transportation, airports. J.B. Pritzker last week claims that the states prison system has failed to protect medically vulnerable prisoners from COVID-19. Im tending to believe they did nothing but left him on the floor, she said, because he went straight from his cell to a hospital.. The release of inmates requires a process that gives close attention to detail, for the safety of each inmate, his or her family, and the community at large demands a sensible and individualized release plan especially during a pandemic, Dow wrote. He has come back to normal now since coming home with family, but remains thankful. "Illinois continues to lead the Nation in sensible criminal justice reform with Governor Pritzker's approval today of the Joel Coleman Act," said Craig Findley, Chairman of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board (PRB). The application of credits is expected to begin within the next 30 days, the court document states. Before the committee voted, state Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford said the House bill as well as the one shes sponsoring on behalf of Mayor Lori Lightfoot still needs work. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune). Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP. Bedi, though, said there are reports that a significant number of correctional officers are refusing vaccines, which continues to pose a risk to those in congregate settings. UNDER THE LAW EFFECTING THIS CHANGE, PRISON TERMS ARE ESTABLISHED FOR SERIOUS OFFENSES AND FOR SUPERVISED RELEASE TERMS, AND PAROLE NO LONGER EXISTS. The releases are set to resume soon. At UPLC, we are doing our best to stay up to date on the latest COVID-19 developments at IDOC facilities around the state. COVID-19 hospitalizations at Illinois corrections department leave incarcerated peoples loved ones with questions. The Senate passed a bill that could allow terminally ill prisoners to be freed more quickly by the Prisoner Review Board. He just wanted to die with dignity outside of prison, at home with his family.. RECORDKEEPING PRACTICES DIFFER IN EACH AREA OF ILLINOIS' PAROLE DISTRICTS. Amanda Antholt, one of the attorneys representing the prisoners, said the settlement will likely affect up to 1,200 inmates across Illinois prisons. As millions of Illinoisans are still waiting for their chance to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and even those who are eligible are scrambling for appointments, at least one group is largely giving up its place at the front of the vaccine line: people who work in Illinois prisons. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS J.B. Pritzkers decision to release inmates as the spread of COVID-19 continues in the states prisons, including questions about transparency. More than 1,000 prisoners in Illinois are set to be released after a lawsuit settlement aimed at protecting medically vulnerable prisoners from COVID-19. Some politicians question states priorities. Pritzker Joins Reproductive Freedom Alliance. Recently, Governor Pritzker announced that all staff working in Illinois prisons will have to be vaccinated for COVID-19 by mid-October. According to the settlement, the Corrections Department will continue to identify and evaluate medically vulnerable prisoners for release even after the pandemic. I could hear it in his voice, that he was close, said Susan Hertzberg, as quoted in a petition her lawyer filed with the state seeking early release. Additionally, As efforts continue to slow the spread of COVID-19 at Cook County Jail by reducing the inmate population, Gov. WebThe Illinois Department of Corrections will identify medically vulnerable and elderly prisoners eligible for early release or electronic home monitoring. At a Georgia state House of Representatives hearing on prison conditions in September, a corrections officer called in to testify, interrupting his shift to tell lawmakers how dire conditions had become. ), Gov. Newsletter, Paddock Publications, Inc. is an Employee-Owned Company. It is still very much a real issue., Jennifer Soble, executive director of the Illinois Prison Project, which also represented the plaintiffs in the suit, said IDOC also is working on new policies regarding electronic detention, discretionary sentencing credits and others that will help thousands of other inmates as well.. Since the start of the pandemic, more than 10,800 Illinois prisoners and 4,200 staff members tested positive for COVID-19, according to the department of corrections. I want it [to be] clear that while I will continue to negotiate in good faith till the 11th hour of this General Assembly, I will not go quietly without passing something for an elected school board this year, said the Northwest Side Democrat, who is a sponsor of another elected school board measure. The IDOC administration, he said, has tried to be responsive. The one prison worker known to have died of the disease was Linda Savage, a 64-year-old nurse at Vienna Correctional Center. Officials also did not respond to a request for comment on the case. Some say they should be vaccinated with the same urgency as others in congregate settings, such as nursing homes. At UPLC, we are doing our best to stay up to date on the latest COVID-19 developments at IDOC facilities around the state. The screening process for staff includes temperature checks and, as of October, systemwide contact tracing. The lawsuit was one of two filed in the early days of the pandemic alleging that Gov. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune). J.B. Pritzker could help the effort with the stroke of a pen. At last count, more than 3,200 staff and 6,900 inmates have been infected since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Dec. 22 state data. PNx SgXBN_]W*o!'13! ". THE BOARD MAINTAINS RECORDS OF THE OUTCOME OF EACH DECISION, CARD FILES CONTAINING THE PAROLE HISTORY OF EACH PAROLEE, AND LEGAL PAPERS PERTINENT TO DECISIONS. A spokeswoman for Gov. IDOC officials in early December began rolling out the testing program in which each worker is tested at least once a month, with the frequency based on the positivity rate of the prisons county. J.B. Pritzker in late June after serving 31 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, is an artist whose work focuses on his experience as an African American. Roger Hertzberg, 76, died Sept. 24, 2020, at Robinson Correctional Center of COVID-19 complications while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. She said her retired parents were struggling financially when they committed the crime. In total, more than 10,000 inmates and staff have tested positive from the start of the pandemic. March 23, 2021. Echevarria is incarcerated at Menard Correctional Center. Already approved by the state Senate, it will go before voters, appearing on Illinois ballot in 2022. She said prison officials did not notify her or Wilsons wife that he was hospitalized until the family made repeated phone calls. In cases of medical incapacity, individuals may not be terminally ill, but in a state that renders them no longer a threat to the community. The testing is expected to be in place systemwide by late January. The rate of deaths slowed tremendously after IDOC started universal testing and voluntary vaccinations of staff and inmates. Dr. John Raba, the court-appointed monitor in a federal consent decree case regarding inmate health care, began pushing in August for the testing of all staff. LockA locked padlock He called his crimes stupid mistakes.. Fatalities have been reported in nearly 20 IDOC facilities, with Dixon one of the latest hot spots. In addition, the state agreed that IDOC will continue to identify and evaluate medically vulnerable prisoners for release through legally available mechanisms, according to the terms of the settlement. Staffers are expected to be prioritized with those in the health care field and other first responders. All 50 were men. House Bill 3665, also known as the Joe Coleman Medical Release Act, reflects the administration's commitment to bringing about true, meaningful reform in the justice system. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Like other Chicagoans, we have ideas about what the next mayor should do. After a deadly second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Illinois prisons sickened thousands of workers and inmates, the state will begin vaccinating both groups in the coming week a plan that drew praise from advocates but provoked the ire of some lawmakers who argue criminals should not be prioritized. J.B. Pritzker and IDOC had dragged their feet on identifying vulnerable prisoners eligible for early release, putting detainees, prison staff and the public at greater risk of severe illness and death. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Anthony Ehlers, who is serving life at Stateville Correctional Center for a 1992 murder, said he was sick in March and likely infected his longtime cellmate, James Scott. As of Monday night, 57 prisoners and 90 staff members were infected with the virus. THE MICROFILM UNIT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING MICROFILM RECORDS OF ALL MASTER FILES AND PRISONER REVIEW BOARD DECISIONS. Hertzberg has 13 months left on her sentence for marijuana trafficking. COVID-19 cases are ticking back upward across Chicago and the rest of Illinois even as vaccine supply improves, the top doctors from the city and state warned Tuesday. "What we've accomplished is really working with the state to make sure that they're doing everything they can to utilize the avenues available to them, where it's safe and appropriate to do so, to be releasing folks or to transferring them over to home detention, particularly those who are getting out soon anyway," Antholt, who works for Equip for Equality, said in a phone interview Tuesday. The federal lawsuit asked the court to issue an emergency order that would have authorized the release of roughly 13,000 state prisoners. Linda Savage, 64, a nurse at Vienna Correctional Center in downstate Vienna, died Nov. 6, 2020, of complications related to COVID-19. This landmark legislation requires that PRB both verify eligibility for release and consider victim statements in making its determinations.". In the grievance, Tommy Ryburn, 61, said Bourbon had constant vomiting and diarrhea and was often too weak to get out of bed to take his medication or insulin shots. In addition to providing personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies, the department long ago halted in-person visits, imposed a staff mask mandate and restricted prisoners to their cells with few exceptions, such as showering. I'm sorry we couldn't afford this mercy to Joe Coleman, but I'm proud that we'll be able to do so for hundreds of other Illinoisans now that this bill is signed into law. Jeffreys said Friday that with the anticipated vaccinations and mitigation strategies, he hopes to put a stop to this virus inside our facilities by late January. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune), Lester Mason was released from Pontiac Correctional Center on Nov. 25 after spending 39 years in prison for armed robbery, his third such offense. Mason was freed from Pontiac Correctional Center on Nov. 25 by Gov. Denice Bronis gets emotional while discussing her fears about her son's health at her home in East Dundee, Dec. 4, 2020. xWn6+f"E^,"zhzXYE6I~T8B=BSg73tOG##LXEO}n 1mRaIm2%.yM 7{j ! 8zvv|i(8 F+A17qnR=!ZupvWTu]=$n#noOzN"D,?DoW8}'^\ But, between mid-August and mid-October, the cumulative number of inmate infections more than tripled and total staff cases more than doubled. It remains to be seen if the law does anything. He mentored younger men and ran an inmates chapter of the Jaycees charity, as well as other prison programs. Already approved by the state Senate, it will go before voters, appearing on Illinois ballot in 2022. People In Jails, Prisons Will Be Vaccinated In Next Phase, State Confirms After Advocates Push, Jail, Prison Populations Must be Among First to Get COVID-19 Vaccine: Advocacy Groups, COVID-19 cases and deaths are surging again in Illinois prisons, as inmates and advocates call for more action, Prioritizing Vaccines for Prisoners is Good Public Policy, Illinois to expand testing of prison workers as inmate deaths, infections surge, Forgotten: Stateville inmates warn of rising COVID-19 outbreak behind bars, Lawsuit: Illinois Prisons Are Failing To Protect Inmates From COVID-19, Lawsuit: Pritzker, IDOC Failed to Protect Vulnerable Inmates from COVID-19. The bill provides reasonable timeframes and deadlines for the Prisoner Review Board to review cases involving medical incapacity or terminal illness, and to determine if those inmates with victim input would basically have a quality-of-life improvement if theyre moved out of prison, Connor said. More than 1,000 medically vulnerable or elderly inmates in Illinois prisons are set to be released following a settlement agreement in a lawsuit brought last spring against the head of the Illinois Department of Corrections and Gov. State Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, D-Maywood, and then future state Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, on the Senate floor last year. State Rep. Marcus Evans, the sponsor of the amendment, said it would not change existing Illinois law but make permanent the rights workers already have. To try to hinder the pandemics spread, IDOC brought in about 30 members of the Illinois National Guard to assist with routine health screenings and other duties at Stateville. ", "Joe Coleman, a decorated Vietnam veteran, died of cancer awaiting clemency on a 1981 case where no one was hurt, without the opportunity to say goodbye to his family from his deathbed," said State Senator John Connor (D-Crest Hill). ", [{"code":"en","title":"Illinois' Virtual Agent","message":"Hello"},{"code":"es","title":"Agente virtual de Illinois","message":"Hola"}]. His wife, Susan Hertzberg, 78, still in prison, is trying to get a compassionate early release due to her age, health problems and the virus. Illinois will soon begin vaccinating prisoners against COVID-19. The man was imprisoned at Stateville Correctional Center, where officials say there are now 12 men who are hospitalized, "including several requiring ventilators.". May 12, 2020: Arkansas state officials announced that 300 inmates had been released from state prisons, and the states Board of Corrections have made over 1,200 inmates eligible for parole since April. Under the settlement, the Department of Corrections agreed to "identify and evaluate medically vulnerable prisoners for release through legally available mechanisms." Currently, 57 inmates and 90 employees have tested positive for COVID-19, the records show. A spokesperson for Pritzker was not immediately available for comment. (WBEZ has agreed to not identify the prisoner by his real name. Bronis said he recovered but continues to have headaches and breathing difficulties. This commitment is at the forefront of our operations, hiring, policies and procedures, and training. SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Department of Corrections and a number of elderly and medically vulnerable prisoners seeking early release from state prisons due to COVID-19 reached a settlement Tuesday in a lawsuit brought by the inmates against the department. If you are in contact with a friend, family member, or other loved one who is currently in IDOC custody and believe that your loved one would be comfortable with you sharing their information with us. %PDF-1.3 She cared about people a whole lot, said her husband. ", "Joe spent his life in service of others from his time in the military to his time in prison," said Jennifer Soble, Executive Director, Illinois Prison Project. To see charts broken down by prison. An Illinois federal judge on Friday refused to order the temporary release of nearly a third of the states prison population in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, saying the inmates arent entitled to such extraordinary relief even in these extraordinary times., A federal judge on Friday denied a request for the state to immediately release potentially thousands of at-risk detainees from Illinois prisons, saying that while the coronavirus pandemic is clearly a serious threat there was no convincing reason for a federal court to intrude here and now.". Over four months, only one inmate died of COVID-19 systemwide. Watson Gray, 73, died of complications related to COVID-19 on Nov. 6, 2020, at Dixon Correctional Center. As of Monday, more than 10,800 state inmates and 4,200 staff members had tested positive for the virus, according to IDOC statistics posted online. Currently, the Prisoner Review Board (PRB) determines conditions of parole and notifies victims and families when an inmate will be released from custody. The couples daughter, Julie Rittenbaugh, thinks her father caught the virus while receiving chemotherapy for cancer in the prisons medical unit. His wife, Susan Hertzberg, 78, still in prison, is trying to get a compassionate early release due to her age, health problems and the virus. It was dropped near the main entrance of the prison near Joliet by Jennifer Lackey of Northwestern Universitys Prison Education Program. "I watched helplessly as my father died a lonely death behind bars," said Joe Coleman, Jr. "I thank the Governor and the General Assembly for ensuring no other family has to experience that despair, and for doing so in the honor of my father. Official websites use .gov As a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic spread rapidly through Illinois prisons this fall, 73-year-old Watson Gray made another plea to be released from Dixon Correctional Center, where new infections were rising. Prisons in Illinois, nationally face staff shortages as correction officers quit amid COVID. She said that while the number of prisoners who will be released was significant, there are thousands more who have a legal mechanism to seek release and should get it. The standoff between Chicago police and Mayor Lori Lightfoot over the citys COVID-19 vaccine mandate once again hoisted Chicago onto the national stage, seemingly pitting the individual rights of law enforcement officers against the health of communities theyre charged with protecting. He said he continues to bathe using the sink in his cell rather than risk infection by sharing a shower room with others. But they described widespread illness, unsanitary conditions and struggles to get tested and receive adequate medical care. Built in the early 1920s and dubbed the roundhouse, the unit was used to quarantine infected inmates. J.B. Pritzker arent doing enough to protect elderly and medically vulnerable inmates from COVID-19 inside state prison facilities, according to a lawsuit that claims inadequate testing and sanitation supplies have created conditions where the virus can spread like wildfire.. A 13th Stateville inmate died in August. On January 13th, state legislators approved a colossal 764-page police and criminal justice reform bill that includes major changes, such as ending the practice of cash bail and money bonds, requiring all officers across Illinois to wear body cameras, and easing restrictions placed on those convicted of lesser charges. They say that earned time credits, which allow for early release for low-level offenders, need to be utilized more in light of the ongoing pandemic and high numbers of ,0(|GfVMJx'#Kf8Z%jZNtFc+ZT\;SUF-}T&v`)B?>7|'e=6/;_u$dNJ.U*n+Nykp$^+ The Illinois legislature has provided IDOC with significant discretion to release people, and it should continue to do so, Bedi said. IDOC should view this agreement as a first step towards maximizing its power to release people from prison and reunite families. Many experts agree the best way to control the virus in prison is to reduce head count. But more than 30% of those still locked up have a projected mandatory supervised release date before Jan. 1, 2022, meaning they are due to be set free in a year or less anyway, state data shows. 120 S Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL 60606, United States, Box 6000, Dept F, Rockville, MD 20849, United States. ICJIAs Research Hub is funded through a grant from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Since March, the governor has pardoned or commuted the sentences of about 100 men and women convicted of crimes, the oldest dating back to 1978, that range from murder to cannabis possession. Echevarria is incarcerated at Menard Correctional Center. To provide dignity for all Illinois residents in their final days, HB 3665 allows for the discretionary early release of those who are medically incapacitated or terminally ill and serving time in an Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) facility. "It's only fitting that his death in prison, though tragic and unnecessary given the many who loved him, will help to restore dignity and humanity to incarcerated people and their families. But state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, called the language of the amendment problematic, saying that the actual meaning of the provision might be left up to the Illinois Supreme Court. Denice Bronis said her son, Matthew Echevarria, tested positive around Labor Day at Menard Correctional Center. The House took up a constitutional amendment to the states Bill of Rights that says Illinois workers shall have the fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively for the purpose of negotiating wages, hours, and working conditions.. The pandemic hit Illinois prison system hard last spring, with cases mushrooming and fatalities reported at more than a dozen facilities before cases leveled off late in the year. Pritzker's executive order gives the Illinois Department of Corrections permission to allow "medically vulnerable" inmates out of prison temporarily. Todays guest is Alan Mills, the Executive Director of the Uptown Peoples Law Center in Chicago. State Rep. Marcus Evans, Jr., D-Chicago, celebrates passage of a ballot question for a constitutional amendment protecting the right to unionize on the floor of the Illinois House of Representatives Wednesday. APPENDIXES, TABULAR INFORMATION, AND FIGURES ARE INCLUDED. Whilst staff at veterans' homes, nursing homes, hospitals and sundry health care facilities balk at getting vaccinated let-me-think-about-it rates for doctors, nurses and other frontline health care workers are as high as 40 percent nationwide the state of Illinois has decided that while doses remain scarce, prisoners and the homeless who reside in shelters or frequent day centers are on par with the elderly (75 or older) and "frontline essential workers" who will be second in line after health care workers. Agreed to not identify the Prisoner Review Board DECISIONS United states the release! Governor Pritzker announced that all staff working in Illinois anymore. `` the same as. 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