* To be clear, this FOP lodge does not represent any Department of Corrections employees in the collective bargaining process. The lodge is a fraternal organization, not a union. But the subject of this social media post certainly provides us with a disturbing look at the mindset of some IDoC workers. It’s a best seller, eh?…

* Anders Lindall at AFSCME Council 31, which actually represents IDoC workers in contract matters…

Corrections employees are not “cage fighters”. They are security staff, counselors, therapists, health care providers, maintenance and dietary and clerical workers and many more charged with keeping the public safe and rehabilitating inmates to return to their communities.

AFSCME is proud to represent these thousands of men and women who do essential work in very difficult circumstances. Especially now when corrections employees are putting themselves at even greater risk to serve amid a pandemic, negative portrayals like this one are offensive and disturbing.

* Jordan Abudayyeh at the governor’s office…

The administration is deeply disturbed by the message this shirt sends and remains committed to criminal justice reform centered on rehabilitation for those who are serving sentences at DOC. The views expressed on this article of clothing are abhorrent and out of line with the values of this administration.

* Related…

* Three Illinois Prison Guards Face U.S. Civil Rights Charges in Inmate’s Beating Death: The three men assaulted Mr. Earvin “without legal justification” while he was handcuffed “and posed no physical threat,” the United States Attorney’s Office said. After the assault, the men filed “knowingly false incident reports that failed to disclose any assault” of Mr. Earvin, the office said.

* Pritzker Reviewing How Prisons Investigate Inmate Deaths, But Won’t Commit To Transparency Bill

       

14 Comments - Roadrager - Tuesday, Sep 22, 20 @ 11:30 am: So many officers are such diehard fans of “The Punisher” without ever having read a single page of it. - Collinsville Kevin - Tuesday, Sep 22, 20 @ 11:30 am: And still they wonder why some (including me) want them defunded. - Quibbler - Tuesday, Sep 22, 20 @ 11:31 am: I’m sure this is just the work of a few bad apples and that there are no broader conclusions to be drawn about the carceral state or the mindset of those who run it. - NIU Grad - Tuesday, Sep 22, 20 @ 11:37 am: FOP remains so heavily disconnected from those they claim to represent, but more and more are setting the standard for how people in policing and corrections think they should be acting. I don’t see a good way out of this… - dbk - Tuesday, Sep 22, 20 @ 11:42 am: If this is how they (or at least, some of them) see themselves, then we have a good idea why there’s a serious issue with LE. It doesn’t matter whether AFSCME or the Administration or anybody else calls them out, the mindset is what it is. - Last Bull Moose - Tuesday, Sep 22, 20 @ 12:08 pm: Abolish prisons. Bring back flogging, stocks, and hanging? Send them to Georgia or Australia? I think being a Corrections Officer must warp the soul. Not sure how to help that. - TheInvisibleMan - Tuesday, Sep 22, 20 @ 12:13 pm: Death cults using death imagery. What else is new. - John Lee Pettimore - Tuesday, Sep 22, 20 @ 12:24 pm: Disgusting! The FOP should be ashamed of themselves. In the times we live in how can anyone think this is right? When lobbying at the Capitol this group should be shutdown until they change policies and leadership. No place for this on the corrections field. - Donnie Elgin - Tuesday, Sep 22, 20 @ 12:46 pm: Friend work at Cook County Jail. The stories of what he encounters daily scare the heck out of me. No doubt members of this lodge have similar experiences. - Dotnonymous - Tuesday, Sep 22, 20 @ 1:32 pm: Defunding these dangerous cretins immediately or sooner…is one part of any solution. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 22, 20 @ 1:36 pm: This is part 6,385 of people/groups/organizations that feel embolden to say aloud what was a wink and a nod or a “signal”, and now its purposely brazen, to also let “like minded” folks to feel embolden to use unhelpful rhetoric, images, language, because “owning libs” is far more important than seeing cultural norms as important, as opposed to making the evil underbelly this new norm. - Lee5445 - Tuesday, Sep 22, 20 @ 7:02 pm: Oh boohoo. You liberal cry babies get offended by everything. - harp5339 - Tuesday, Sep 22, 20 @ 8:01 pm: ==Defunding these dangerous cretins immediately or sooner…is one part of any solution.== “Defunding” prison guards seems like a bad idea. - John Lee Pettimore - Tuesday, Sep 22, 20 @ 8:27 pm: Lee I assume you are a prison worker? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.