* AP…
An inmate punched a correctional lieutenant at an Illinois prison, sparking an assault that involved six prison employees and five inmates, the prison workers union said Monday.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees said four correctional officers and two lieutenants were treated for scratches, bruises and possible concussions suffered in the incident Sunday at the Pontiac Correctional Center. They have all been released from the hospital.
“An inmate just began punching the lieutenant and knocked her to the ground,” said Joe Lewis, a correctional officer at the Pontiac facility in central Illinois and president of AFCSME Local 494. “Then other inmates joined in the assault, injuring the other employees who had come to her assistance.”
The Illinois Department of Corrections has put the facility on lockdown and is investigating. IDOC spokeswoman Nicole Wilson said Monday that the prison will remain on lockdown until the department finishes its investigation. At that time, the department will refer the case to the Livingston County prosecutor, she said.
* From the union…
A troubling culture of inmate violence at Pontiac Correctional Center in Pontiac, Ill. culminated in an assault by multiple inmates on prison staff yesterday afternoon. Four correctional officers and two lieutenants were transported to the local hospital emergency room where they were treated for abrasions, contusions and possible concussions. None suffered life-threatening injuries and all six have now been released from the hospital.
“An inmate just began punching the lieutenant and knocked her to the ground,” said Joe Lewis, a correctional officer at Pontiac CC and president of Local 494 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which represents employees at the prison. “Then other inmates joined in the assault, injuring the other employees who had come to her assistance.”
Immediately following the incident, Lewis insisted that steps be taken to lock down the correctional facility to ensure the safety of both staff and inmates.
“It’s essential that the facility remain on lockdown until a state tactical team can be brought in to conduct a thorough search of cells and inmates to eliminate any contraband or weapons,” Lewis said.
Pontiac CC is a maximum security correctional facility that houses many of the state’s most dangerous inmates. When the state’s only “super-maximum” facility, Tamms Correctional Center, was closed in 2013, many of its inmates were transferred to Pontiac.
“Since the Tamms’ inmates have been integrated into our general population and allowed unrestricted freedom of movement, there has been a growing level of harassment and violence against correctional employees,” Lewis said.
“Officers have repeatedly had urine and feces thrown on them, been kicked, punched or head-butted, and even stabbed with shanks,” he added. Several of the inmates involved in the most recent incident are believed to have been transferred to Pontiac CC from Tamms CC.
The local union at Pontiac CC had repeatedly called attention to the growing safety issues at the facility—to no avail. Policies and procedures, designed and implemented to keep staff safe in a difficult and dangerous environment, have been ignored or put aside for new practices that, with a very short history to draw from, have proven ineffective and dangerous.
“There have to be consequences for this kind of behavior,” said AFSCME Council 31 Regional Director Eddie Caumiant. “IDOC is allowing these kinds of assaults without any kind of penalty. We believe it is critical that this incident be referred to the local state’s attorney and that criminal charges are filed.”
“Safety must be paramount for all involved,” Caumiant said. “That has to become a priority of the Department of Corrections.”
More here. An informational picket is planned for Friday.
*** UPDATE *** IDOC appears to blame it on the guards…
Officer safety is our first priority. This was a terrible and dangerous incident and we want to thank those DOC employees that quickly responded and brought the situation under control. IDOC will forward the case to the Livingston County State’s Attorney for prosecution once our investigation is complete.
While DOC’s investigation is ongoing, the events that led to this incident do not appear to be the result of a lack of policy or a breakdown in existing policies but rather a failure to follow workplace safety procedures already in place. DOC‘s investigation will include why procedures weren’t followed and how future incidents can be prevented.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 12:48 pm:
Talk about horrific working conditions. So thankful that my sisters and brothers in AFSCME do that work with skill and diligence. We’ve got a number of them in my local. They are good good people who deserve to be protected by their Department instead of having their concerns ignored.
It shouldn’t take someone getting injured or killed to get management to address valid concerns.
- Cubs in '16 - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 1:05 pm:
“Several of the inmates involved in the most recent incident are believed to have been transferred to Pontiac CC from Tamms CC.”
Either they are or they’re not. That info. is easily verifiable. The point AFSCME is making, that closing Tamms was a mistake, would be more effective if they took the time to verify this contention. ‘They might have been’ isn’t exactly compelling.
- Very fed up - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 1:08 pm:
Sure seems like Tamms should be opened as a deterrant/punishment for the worst of the worst. Corrections officers do not get nearly the praise they deserve for the job they do.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 1:31 pm:
All of the people who spend a lot of time on this site complaining about how much government employees get paid and how their pension benefits are an outrage should read this carefully and explain why they are not abandoning their private sector gigs for the green green grass of working for the IDOC.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 1:39 pm:
–The point AFSCME is making, that closing Tamms was a mistake–
I don’t think that was their main point.
This was the point I believe.
–Policies and procedures, designed and implemented to keep staff safe in a difficult and dangerous environment, have been ignored or put aside for new practices that, with a very short history to draw from, have proven ineffective and dangerous.–
Looks like they have new procedures that are putting our correctional officers at risk. AND that their concerns about the new procedures are being ignored. THAT’S DANGEROUS to me.
Sounds like shortcuts to save money are putting our people at risk.
- Galena Guy - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 1:42 pm:
My GF has to visit Pontax pretty regularly and IDOC seem to usually make it a pain when she goes to visit clients. But before people start carping about the closure of Tamms, let’s remember why it was closed - because it was a cruel and brutal place and, left as it was, probably would have cost the state millions in lawsuits and civil rights violations.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamms_Correctional_Center
- SpongeBob - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 1:45 pm:
Please use the reference as Officers. Guards are in charge of crosswalks………
- Common Sense Republican - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 1:47 pm:
My greatest fear is that history is about to repeat itself. I started as a Correctional Office many years ago. I believe it was in the late 70’s, but Pontiac had staff killed by inmates. The main reason given back then was lax enforcement of rules and discipline on the inmates. I pray the Administration takes appropriate measures.
- Fixer - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 2:05 pm:
The fact that IDOC’s mouthpiece is trying to blame staff for the inmates assaulting them is not anything new. The security staff in that facility is by and large the best this state has, and the fact that they are having to defend themselves against not only the inmates but also their own administration is terrible.
To those stay involved, if you read this, you guys are not alone and your friends in your communities support you. We have your backs.
- Albany Park Patriot - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 2:25 pm:
This is dangerous territory into which Rauner is crossing. We all know he hates AFSCME, but this looks like his hatred could lead to something ugly.
- August West - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 2:28 pm:
To use this incident as fodder to re-kindle a been-there-done-that debate over Tamms is silly and only serves to erode the union’s credibility. Tamms was a failure on many levels, including humanitarian and fiscal. There’s a reason why states have moved away from supermax prisons in recent years, and stats show that prison safety and security has not suffered.
Unfortunately, violence in prison goes with the territory. I want to know a lot more than I do right now before using this incident as a reason to go back to a supermax that costs 70 grand or more per inmate each year. If other states can safely run prisons without supermaxes, and many states do exactly that, no reason why Illinois can’t do the same.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 2:46 pm:
–To use this incident as fodder to re-kindle a been-there-done-that debate over Tamms is silly and only serves to erode the union’s credibility.–
I don’t see it as a rehash of the Tamms closure. I see them alluding to Tamms only to shed light on the type of violent inmate they were dealing with.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 2:50 pm:
–We all know he hates AFSCME, but this looks like his hatred could lead to something ugly.–
IDOC correctional officers have traditionally been die hard Republican supporters and still probably are. But the Administration is Raunerite and not Republican. There’s a huge difference. We saw that pointed out this morning with Munger and the IEA and now we see it with correctional officers in IDOC.
Republicans are intelligent, moral and compassionate.
Raunerites are about profit, perfidy and privilege
Rauner has wedged himself.
- theq - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 2:59 pm:
“There’s a reason why states have moved away from supermax prisons in recent years, and stats show that prison safety and security has not suffered.” —– There have been a minimum of 3 incidents involving staff attacks by former Tamms residents who were moved after the closure. That is 3 too many no matter what stat you find
- milkman - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 3:04 pm:
IDOC management always blames employees first. Most in management have never worked a chow hall or housing unit gallery at correctional facility
- blue dog dem - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 3:07 pm:
Old Blue has the answer to this problem. Give me a week and I would fix it. Oh! Save that for another post!
- Ghost - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 3:15 pm:
Pontiac had a bad inmate riot in the past. one of the solutions to problems like this was the supermax. a place the inmates could be sent if they struck a guard, for example. We closed Tamms, the supermax, and there has been a steayd increase in inmate violence to staff.
add to that understaffing and outdated facilities and it gets worse.
That said, DOC basically just said its ok for inmates to attack guards if the guards are not following safty protocol? I thought it was never ok for an inmate to strike a guard or staff…. would they respond t a sexual assualt by sayng the person dressed wrong and its the victims fault?
Trump is leading DOC press
- SOIL M - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 3:30 pm:
It does no good to rehash Tamms. Like it or not it is closed and will never reopen. What can be rehashed and could be done is to place Pontiac back on permanent lockdown. No inmate movement unless restrained and escorted. No more than one inmate out of a cell at a time. These are just scratching the surface but would be a start towards the right arguement. Also, the DOC Administration blaming the Officers for being attacked by violent criminals tells a lot about the Administration.
- Iron - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 3:43 pm:
At least Rauner signed a bill allowing the inmates to make cheaper phone calls. That will show them. Rauner the rhino.
- August West - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 4:04 pm:
==There have been a minimum of 3 incidents involving staff attacks by former Tamms residents who were moved after the closure. That is 3 too many no matter what stat you find.==
Sorry, wrong answer.
Between capital costs and operational costs and legal costs in defending lawsuits, taxpayers spent, if not $1 billion on Tamms over its lifetime, then not far from it. Certainly, the price tag was well into the hundreds of millions of dollars. I don’t work in a prison, but I can do math. I can also read, and from everything I’ve read, corrections experts nationwide have pretty much rejected the notion that supermaxes keep systems safer. Even Mississippi has gone the other way.
I’m not familiar with the three attacks you cite, but I’d wager that there were no life threatening injuries. I wouldn’t want to work in a prison, and so I don’t work in a prison. If you don’t want to subject yourself to the risk of working in a prison–and that includes getting feces and urine thrown on you–then don’t work in a prison. Show me a 100-percent safe prison in this country where no assaults occur and I’ll introduce you to Santa Claus.
- August West - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 4:10 pm:
==At least Rauner signed a bill allowing the inmates to make cheaper phone calls. That will show them. Rauner the rhino.==
What a horrible, ignorant thing to say.
I haven’t had the misfortune of having a loved one locked up, but if I did, I’d be hopping mad, and rightly so, at the rates that are charged for phone calls. That serves no purpose whatsoever except to enrich contractors who provide phone service while making it tough on families who committed no crime.
There is a way to properly punish folks without resorting to the stale-bread-and-water schtick, and it has nothing to do with partisan politics.
- Last Bull Moose - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 4:18 pm:
DOC said too much. The first paragraph was all they should have said.
If the officers broke protocol, announce it when the investigation is complete. The inmates who attack need to be controlled and punished.
- State worker - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 4:22 pm:
Honey bear, you are just a little bit naive. Your AFSCME brothers and sisters are desperate to show that closing Tamms has made them unsafe, even though violent incidents were down, not up, the year after Tamms closed.
For years, they called the newspapers every time there was an incident in a prison, any prison, and blamed it on Tamms closing. They even claimed that the very announcement that Tamms was closing caused people to assault staff. Look it up. It’s classic AFSCME.
In retrospect, it probably wasn’t the best strategy for them to back Rauner.
- Mama - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 4:27 pm:
I think part of the inmates problems go back to not having any toilet paper, etc. due to no budget.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 4:52 pm:
State worker are you a Teamster? Just wondering.
- skeptic - Tuesday, Aug 23, 16 @ 11:48 pm:
The comments in this post reek of people who never set foot inside a prison. I was an officer during the time when Tamms was operational. Tamms was very much a deterrent for violent inmates & gang leaders who can persuade young and impressionable inmates to commit violence on their behalf. Perhaps Tamms was no longer viable due to costs, but doing nothing with hardcore predators who care nothing about the lives of staff or other inmates is not viable either. In the old days officers would deal with these inmates “extra judiciously”, in the age of lawsuits & rule of law that is no longer viable. Perhaps each maximum security prison should have super max housing set aside to deal with the intransigent predators who are a threat to everyone around them. It is not just the staff, other inmates don’t want these predators around either. Most inmates just want to do their time and go home, not be preyed on or deal with the trouble these predators attract.
- Fixer - Wednesday, Aug 24, 16 @ 5:09 am:
Well said skeptic
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Aug 24, 16 @ 8:34 am:
Thank you Skeptic. Thank you for your service.
- Payback - Wednesday, Aug 24, 16 @ 10:11 am:
Skeptic- “In the old days officers would deal with these inmates “extra judiciously”, in the age of lawsuits & rule of law that is no longer viable.”
Tell us how inmates were dealt with “extra judiciously in the (good?) old days before the rule of law prevailed. Explain with details please for those who never worked in a prison like yourself.
- skeptic - Wednesday, Aug 24, 16 @ 1:24 pm:
I never worked during the “extra-judicial” period. But it was explained me and my fellow cadets at the academy that sometime in the past, prisons were ran by staff and now they are run by the courts. It was implied that in times past staff would “handle” problem inmates internally, I would suspect this involved brutality. The point of the instruction was to convey to us that such behavior by the staff was not to be tolerated. Is it really so hard to imagine given that decades ago police openly attacked civil rights marchers with dogs, clubs, and fire hoses with impunity that such things if not worse happened to convicted felons out of sight? Jon Burge anyone?
- Payback - Wednesday, Aug 24, 16 @ 2:50 pm:
skeptic @1:24 p.m.- “It was implied that in times past staff would “handle” problem inmates internally, I would suspect this involved brutality.” Meaning that your instructors were senior staffers or former staffers who specifically told you how to handle problem inmates “off the books” right?
“The point of the instruction was to convey to us that such behavior by the staff was not to be tolerated.” So they taught you how to hurt people and get away with it, but the “implied” lesson was given for purposes of warning you what not to do?
One important point you have inadvertently illustrated here is how brutality & hazing are passed down from senior staff to newcomers. It’s the same in police bureaucracies, and it’s the reason that it took thirty years for Jon Burge to be brought to justice. The old cops/prison guards teach the new ones their dirty tricks.