Northwestern University law professor Sheila Bedi, one of the lawyers for the plaintiffs, said about 1,000 prisoners could soon be released due to the settlement. (WBEZ has agreed to not identify the prisoner by his real name. Currently, the Prisoner Review Board (PRB) determines conditions of parole and notifies victims and families when an inmate will be released from custody. Through public records and interviews, the Tribune identified the first 50 inmates who died in the pandemic. Health officials announced Monday the death of a Stateville Correctional Center inmate from COVID-19, the first confirmed death from the disease at an Illinois state prison. But they described widespread illness, unsanitary conditions and struggles to get tested and receive adequate medical care. (The Exoneration Project photo) Gray is one of at 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. That tragedy was preventable.. The lawsuit filed in April 2020 alleged prison settings pose a particular risk of spreading COVID-19, with catastrophic consequences not just to the prisoners and staff, but also to their communities and the hospitals that serve them., Stateville Correctional Center, a maximum security state prison for men in Crest Hill, on March 30, 2020. The outages made it harder to use the shared bathroom, one of the few places they could wash their hands. To put the numbers in perspective, there were fewer than 700 known infections of inmates and staff across IDOC from March to early August, when the latest surge began. March 23, 2021. Members of End Illinois Prison Lockdown Coalition rally as they call out Gov. 120 S Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL 60606, United States, Box 6000, Dept F, Rockville, MD 20849, United States. Advocates for prisoners rights say the states delays in broadening staff testing, releasing thousands of medically vulnerable or other nonviolent prisoners and better enforcing a staff mask mandate have led to widespread infections and more deaths. A stress fracture in his shin. The tragedy is the number of people who have become sick and died. Watson Gray, 73, died of complications related to COVID-19 on Nov. 6, 2020, at Dixon Correctional Center. J.B. Pritker for failure to protect the health and safety of those in prison from COVID-19, outside the Thompson Center in Chicago on Dec. 15, 2020. But some Illinois House Republicans have criticized his administration for releasing prisoners who committed violent crimes and for not being more transparent. Roger Hertzberg, 76, died Sept. 24, 2020, at Robinson Correctional Center of COVID-19 complications while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. Echevarria was a Chicago high school student when police arrested him in a 1999 fatal shooting he insists he did not commit. 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.. J.B. Pritzker through executive clemency. Bronis' son, Matthew Echevarria, is incarcerated at Menard Correctional Center. A group of civil rights attorneys initiated a united legal challenge Thursday against Gov. PNx SgXBN_]W*o!'13! ". The proposed constitutional amendment passed 80 to 30. Arkee Chaney shows a painting he made about a childhood memory of his father, at his home in Westchester on Dec. 4, 2020. J.B. Pritzker is deploying medics from the Illinois National Guard to the Illinois Department of Corrections facility, where advocates have declared a disaster.. Members of End Illinois Prison Lockdown Coalition rally as they call out Gov. The state crime rate actually declined while early release was operating. Speaking to the Senate panel on Friday, Jeffreys said strategies developed for the Stateville outbreak, such as deep cleaning, temperature checks, contact tracing and masking staff and inmates, have been duplicated systemwide. Savage, a contract employee, had planned to retire in March but died on Nov. 6. The majority were nonwhite, with 24 listed as Black. 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. The Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council estimated that the recidivism rate would cost taxpayers $13 billion over five years if nothing is done to decrease it. Herman Townsell, who spent 71/2 years in prison for a 1994 home invasion, kidnapping and sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl and has been in and out of prison A 13th Stateville inmate died in August. 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. Some say they should be vaccinated with the same urgency as others in congregate settings, such as nursing homes. In emailed responses to Tribune questions, Ryburn said he was not tested after Bourbon died but he did not get sick. A representative of the Illinois Department of Corrections did not respond to a request for comment about the settlement. The Illinois Department of Corrections will identify medically vulnerable and elderly prisoners eligible for early release or electronic home monitoring. Between March 2020 and March 2021, 2,472 inmates have left IDOC custodywith an earned discretionary sentencing credit, according to spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. 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. Ryan is among those trying to help free more prisoners during the pandemic, especially the older people or those with terminal diseases.. On April 22, 2020, Chicago area civil rights groups came together to write a letter of support for the actions of Illinois Governor Pritzker. After some back and forth on the bill between Lightford and Martwick, state Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, jumped in and told legislators hes confident that the General Assembly will pass a compromise before its scheduled Monday adjournment. 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. "The Joe Coleman Medical Release Act will make sure that doesn't happen to an inmate in Illinois anymore.". 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. One staff member a 64-year-old nurse near retirement also died. The union instead proposed that it will continue to educate staff, in the hope that more staff will agree to vaccinate voluntarily. UPLC is tracking COVID-19 cases in IDOC. The advocates accuse the governor of dragging his feet in the face of a pandemic, putting prisoners and staff at greater risk. All three cases demand the swift release of those prisoners most vulnerable to the epidemic before they fall victim to it. WebUNDER THE LAW EFFECTING THIS CHANGE, PRISON TERMS ARE ESTABLISHED FOR SERIOUS OFFENSES AND FOR SUPERVISED RELEASE TERMS, AND But a coalition of advocacy groups that sued, brought in about 30 members of the Illinois National Guard, mandatory sentence even if no one was physically, Photos: Northwestern loses to Penn State 68-65 in overtime, Nick Niego is back as Brother Rice stuns St. Rita. Mason was freed from Pontiac Correctional Center on Nov. 25 by Gov. There were physicians that would tell us that a particular incarcerated individual was going to pass very soon and then, two, three years later the person is still living, said the Murphysboro Republican. In total, more than 10,000 inmates and staff have tested positive from the start of the pandemic. 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.". "Thanks to the many advocates and General Assembly sponsors Senator John Connor and Representative Will Guzzardi, more families will get to say goodbye to their loved ones the way we all hope to get to when the time comes: together. COVID-19 hospitalizations at Illinois corrections department leave incarcerated peoples loved ones with questions. 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. Officials also said they are doing more to hold staff accountable if they go unmasked at work. 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. 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. This report has been corrected to indicate that the state Senate had already passed the amendment. The Illinois Department of Corrections will identify medically vulnerable and elderly prisoners eligible for early release or electronic home monitoring. A consortium of Chicago civil rights attorneys and community activists who filed the suit initially sought the release of as many as 13,000 at-risk prisoners due to the virus. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Corrections, demanding the immediate release of Illinois prisoners vulnerable to the coronavirus. 1. The most recent numbers provided by IDOC show that 87 prisoners and one staff member have died of COVID-19-related causes since the beginning of the pandemic. As the new COVID-19 surge continues racing through Illinois prisons, with a disturbing rise in inmate deaths in November plus the states first staff fatality, corrections officials said they will start to test all prison employees for the virus regardless of whether the workers have symptoms. (Family photo). The Illinois Department of Corrections will identify medically vulnerable and elderly prisoners eligible for early release or electronic home monitoring. Their complaints echo a survey conducted in April and early May by the John Howard Association, a prison watchdog group. So far, three incarcerated men in Illinois two who had been housed at Stateville prison in Crest Hill and a detainee at the Cook County Jail have died from complications related to the coronavirus. IDOC officials said that when the virus is spreading in communities, staff may contract it at home and bring it into prisons. WebThe Illinois Department of Corrections is a multicultural agency deeply committed to ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion. AT FINAL DISCHARGE, THE ADULT PAROLE SERVICES FILES ARE SENT BACK TO THE INSTITUTION WHERE THEY ARE STORED AND EVENTUALLY MICROFILMED. Suburban Crime (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. 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. People are dying and theres no urgency assigned to anything, Ryan said. Editors Note: The print copy and a previous online version of this report contained incorrect information about the status of the constitutional amendment. Isolated in solitary confinement as the pandemic swept through Illinois prisons, inmates diagnosed with mental illness are beyond the breaking point, setting fire to their cells and harming themselves after more than a year without adequate mental health care. The lawsuit was one of two filed in the early days of the pandemic alleging that Gov. Activists, inmates and family members discuss the impact of COVID-19 on Illinois jails and prisons, How Gov. She described a frantic several days just calling everybody at the prison, back and forth, in circles, basically. Relatives also called a nearby hospital, she said, but inmates at the hospital are listed as John Does, which added to the initial confusion. We urge officials to promptly release detainees who can be released safely. 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. Linda Savage, 64, a nurse at Vienna Correctional Center in downstate Vienna, died Nov. 6, 2020, of complications related to COVID-19. J.B. Pritzkers failure to release vulnerable prisoners from overcrowded facilities will cost unnecessary loss of life behind bars and in surrounding communities, say advocates and medical professionals. Alan, welcome to the show. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune), Arkee Chaney, 76, is an artist whose life sentence was commuted to time served in June after 31 years imprisonment for armed robbery. 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. In his 48-page opinion last year, Dow acknowledged the seriousness of the situation but said that Pritzker and other stakeholders had taken steps at that point to contain the spread of the virus that plainly pass constitutional muster, even if it was not exactly what the plaintiffs were seeking. INSTEAD, THERE IS A FIXED RELEASE DATE, ASSUMING GOOD TIME IS SERVED, SET BY LAW AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRISON TERM. Read it here! Thousands of prison workers have been sickened, including a correctional officer who spent a month on a ventilator fighting COVID-19 in March. Echevarria is incarcerated at Menard Correctional Center. Lester Mason, 76, at the home of his nephew in East Peoria on Dec. 14, 2020. Built in the early 1920s and dubbed the roundhouse, the unit was used to quarantine infected inmates. People incarcerated in jails and prisons will be prioritized for vaccines along with people who are 65 and older, certain essential workers and people experiencing homelessness or residing in shelters, according to the plan released Dec. 31 by the state health department. It changes and expands the compassionate release eligibility criteria; ensures the prisoners have the right to appeal the BOPs denial or neglect of the prisoners request for a compassionate release directly to court; and provides other important features, such as In cases of medical Amanda Antholt, one of the attorneys representing the prisoners, said the settlement will likely affect up to 1,200 inmates across Illinois prisons. 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. Medical furloughs, which Gov. UNDER THE LAW EFFECTING THIS CHANGE, PRISON TERMS ARE ESTABLISHED FOR SERIOUS OFFENSES AND FOR SUPERVISED RELEASE TERMS, AND PAROLE NO LONGER EXISTS. The IDOC inmate population has dropped 19% since March to about 30,000, in part because of the nearly 3,000 early releases. The Illinois Department of Corrections will identify medically vulnerable and elderly prisoners eligible for early release or electronic home monitoring. Months later, Stateville continues to see a steady flow of new cases but has not reported a COVID-19 fatality since mid-August, according to state data through Dec. 21. A USER'S GUIDE TO THE COLLECTION, MAINTENANCE, AND AVAILABILITY OF ADULT PAROLE AND SUPERVISED RELEASE DATA FOR ILLINOIS INMATES IS PRESENTED. The effort includes a proposed class-action lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court, naming Gov. 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 He has come back to normal now since coming home with family, but remains thankful. She urged her colleagues to find a compromise that gets to what our children in the classroom need.. We do believe things are moving in the right direction.. This is another step toward the world, the Illinois, our families deserve. HISTORICAL FILES ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO USE FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES. Camren Wynter hit a three-pointer with 0.7 seconds left to give Penn State a 68-65 victory against Northwestern. stream But a coalition of advocacy groups that sued the state over the issue said the IDOC should free thousands more who are either old, infirm, nonviolent or near the end of their sentences. About one-third of Dixons staff was out recently due to sickness, union officials said, and at least 10 inmates, including Watson Gray, have died there since November. "We cannot forget that people who might be incarcerated are still human beings and they are still people deserving basic human dignity and respect," said State Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago). Official websites use .gov ", "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. Sedelmaier died March 29 at age 59. The bill passed 34 to 17 and now heads to the governors desk. Others are still hoping to be released. WebActions to Reduce Population and Maximize Space. The amendment would also ensure the right to bargain will not be diminished by any future law, proponents said. Cynthia McDonalds son, Joseph Wilson, 44, died of a COVID-19-related illness while hospitalized on April 13. Heres some of whats on our to-do list. As a result of this settlement, prison officials will finally begin to address this issue.. Illinois Prisons Are COVID-19 Hotspots. To donate to our work fighting the spread of coronavirus in Illinois' prisons. To date, 20% of inmates across the $1.6 billion corrections system have tested positive since March. J.B. Pritzkers decision to release inmates as the spread of COVID-19 continues in the states prisons, including questions about transparency. Fatalities have been reported in nearly 20 IDOC facilities, with Dixon one of the latest hot spots. Mason said he spent the decades reading novels, writing to his family and mentoring young inmates. The law took effect January 1, 2022. Jeffreys said the outbreak mitigation program is in place at nine prisons, with several more planned. The rate of deaths slowed tremendously after IDOC started universal testing and voluntary vaccinations of staff and inmates. A MONTHLY REPORT GIVING COUNSELOR CASELOADS AND TRANSFERS IS PUBLISHED. Andrew Sullender reported from Springfield, Rachel Hinton from Chicago. A man incarcerated at the Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill is among eight new deaths from the Coronavirus in Illinois, and 18 other inmates were taken to AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, officials said. He called his crimes stupid mistakes.. 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. Chaney, who was granted a sentence commutation by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, which claimed they werent doing enough to protect against COVID-19. Theyll all be given access to vaccines during the next phase, know as Phase 1B. Jeffreys said the IDOC follows federal and state public health pandemic guidelines. It does not, however, include details about hospitalizations, contact tracing or fatalities. Indiana The federal lawsuit asked the court to issue an emergency order that would have authorized the release of roughly 13,000 state prisoners. But theres no mechanism in Illinois to permit us to do that, said the bills sponsor, state Sen. John Connor, D-Lockport. The message to everyone across this country and across the state is that their workers want to be prioritized, the Chicago Democrat said. 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. An early release law is a state criminal law that allows a prisoner to be released before the end of their prison term. Like other Chicagoans, we have ideas about what the next mayor should do. INFORMATION ON WHERE TO OBTAIN DATA ON ILLINOIS INMATES PAROLED FROM THE FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM IS PROVIDED. 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. Roger Hertzberg, 76, died Sept. 24, 2020, at Robinson Correctional Center of COVID-19 complications while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. Vaccinating prisoners is good public policy. In response, the states lawyers said pilot programs were underway, but broadening testing at dozens of facilities was no easy charge and more time was needed to evaluate effectiveness. Worldwide there are 11m behind bars, according to Penal Reform International, a pressure group. As for what caused the resurgence, thats in dispute. Lets walk through 4 main ways to get early release from prison, under the First Step Act, for an inmate to obtain early release or additional community custody But until now, they have not used these tools, Mills said in a statement. %PDF-1.3 UPLC is tracking COVID-19 cases in IDOC. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune). 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. COVID-19 continues to have a devastating effect on one of Chicagos most vulnerable congregate populations: jail and prison detainees. The testing is expected to be in place systemwide by late January. Also, early release substantially accelerated the amount of crime suffered by the public, but contributed to less than 1 percent of all crimes reported in Illinois. Click here to sign up for the ", "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). So Why Have Only 27% Of Workers Taken The Vaccine? 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. Prisons in Illinois, nationally face staff shortages as correction officers quit amid COVID. 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. They dont they didnt get that opportunity.. The Senate passed a bill that could allow terminally ill prisoners to be freed more quickly by the Prisoner Review Board. "Obviously this is training that we wish would have been done a year ago, but at least they're doing it now," she said. Similar to what happened in the outside world, the pandemic seemed under control in Illinois prisons most of the summer. J.B. Pritzker through executive clemency. If you are a member of the press, please contact our Director of Communications, Megan Groves, at [email protected]. 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. A federal judge Friday blocked a bid by state prisoners for an accelerated release or transfer amid the coronavirus, finding state officials current processes dont violate their constitutional rights. 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. Up to 60 days will be given in the next month to prisoners deemed low and medium risk, the settlement states. The surge has continued, leading to sickness and death that advocates say was avoidable. For weeks, two houses in Illinois Vienna Correctional Center ran on generator power and had intermittent failures. Alan Mills, executive director of Uptown Peoples Law Center, said prison officials have had the tools to identify and release prisoners who are eligible for years. Denice Bronis said her son, Matthew Echevarria, tested positive around Labor Day at Menard Correctional Center. HB 3665 not only provides better, more compassionate care to Illinois' seriously ill population, but helps improve the overall prison healthcare system. While this legislation is applicable to all who are currently incarcerated in Illinois, crime victims have the right to submit a victim statement to the PRB for consideration at a medical release hearing. He said, Ill be with you. . Rosario Ibarra, Mexicos champion of the disappeared, has died at 95, Cook County judge refused to speak with police investigating another judge, Lightfoot is out, Vallas and Johnson are in the April runoff, Chicago police officer dies after exchanging gunfire at close range with suspect in Gage Park, Analysis: How Lightfoot went from political rock star to rock bottom, Patrick Kane leaves Chicago with clear legacy: Blackhawks greatest player of all time, Mayor Lori Lightfoot was in a fight she couldnt have won, Northwestern falls to Penn State in OT for third consecutive loss, Bulls nearly blow 21-point lead but survive against Pistons, Defensive whiz Richard Zoller, high-flying Angelo Ciaravino help Mount Carmel take down Hyde Park. Stateville Correctional Center personnel pull carts of hand sanitizer and bars of soap on April 24, 2020. The roundhouse remains in use today. He had three disciplinary tickets in four decades for minor infractions, said his lawyer, Soble. Territories Financial Support Center (TFSC), Tribal Financial Management Center (TFMC), IllinoisCriminal Justice Information Authority. On March 17th, civil rights groups signed an open letter to Governor Pritzker with demands related to prisoners in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in Illinois. 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. Inmates with at least nine months of their sentence remaining who are considered low-risk will receive 60 days of good behavior credit, while those considered medium-risk will be awarded 30 days credit. Camren Wynter hit a three-pointer with 0.7 seconds left to give Penn State a 68-65 victory against Northwestern. ,0(|GfVMJx'#Kf8Z%jZNtFc+ZT\;SUF-}T&v`)B?>7|'e=6/;_u$dNJ.U*n+Nykp$^+ Dr. Stewart's video is addressed specifically to members of the Rasho class-action suit and their loved ones. The application of credits is expected to begin within the next 30 days, the court document states. Bronis said he recovered but continues to have headaches and breathing difficulties. The couples daughter, Julie Rittenbaugh, thinks her father caught the virus while receiving chemotherapy for cancer in the prisons medical unit. This landmark legislation requires that PRB both verify eligibility for release and consider victim statements in making its determinations.". On April 22, 2020, Chicago area civil rights groups came together to write a letter of support for the actions of Illinois Governor Pritzker. Staffers are expected to be prioritized with those in the health care field and other first responders. We must act quickly. In the decades that followed, he tried to improve himself in prison, his lawyer said, working as a barber, a teacher and paralegal. Also this month, for those prisons where infections are soaring, both workers and inmates are being tested every three days until no new cases are identified for two weeks. The grievance alleges that he languished without meaningful medical intervention and that, after he died, his body was left in the cell for hours. At Stateville, all but three who died were serving life sentences for murder. Denice Bronis gets emotional while discussing her fears about her son's health at her home in East Dundee, Dec. 4, 2020. Roger Hertzberg, 76, died of COVID-19 complications Sept. 24 at Robinson Correctional Center. Menard Correctional Center of COVID-19 on Illinois jails and prisons, including Correctional! 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