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* If true, this situation just cannot be tolerated. I’m glad the prison is closed after reading these stats, but it ought to go without saying that the assaults by staff on juvenile inmates are absolutely unacceptable. Heads really need to roll…
Nearly one in five inmates at a now-defunct Joliet, Ill., youth prison reported being victims of sexual assault, one of the highest rates of any youth detention center in the country, according to a report released Thursday morning by the U.S. Department of Justice.
In survey results published Thursday, 21 percent of inmates at Illinois Youth Center-Joliet, a high-security juvenile detention center that was closed this year in a cost-cutting move by Gov. Pat Quinn, reported they had been sexually assaulted by other inmates or had sexual contact with a staff member.
That percentage was more than double the national average of just under 10 percent, according to the report, “Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth.”
Overall, the rate of sexual victimization of Illinois youth prisons was more than 15 percent, higher than all but four other states.
Most of the respondents said the sexual contact was with staff of the facility, with only 2 percent reporting unwanted sexual contact with other inmates.
Absolutely, totally disgusting.
* Speaking of intolerable situations, IDOC Deputy Director Ty Bates has once again been accused of sexual harassment. After the last incident, Bates was promoted to his current position as Deputy Director of IDOC’s Southern Region. According to WILY Radio, he is reportedly Gov. Pat Quinn’s southern Illinois campaign coordinator.
*** UPDATE *** The governor’s office denies that Bates is the southern Illinois campaign coordinator. “That is 100 percent false,” was the quote.
Check out this alleged exchange between Bates and a female officer, identified as “R/O” for “reporting officer”…
The reported messages allegedly started the afternoon of April 3, 2013, with Bates sending the R/O a message from his “personal, private cell phone number.”
In that message, he reportedly told the R/O she is “very shy” and he didn’t remember her being that shy. Later that same day, he allegedly messaged her saying he would be in the town of her facility the next night and offered to buy her a drink if she would be willing to pick him up, as he would be in his state issued vehicle. She reportedly declined, but Bates allegedly responded with, “If memory serves me right you bought yourself a new set of boobs?”
After she confirmed his question, he reportedly responded that he couldn’t tell with her uniform and said, “I wouldn’t mind seeing them to see if they’re perfect.” She reportedly did not respond. […]
The final string of text messages were reportedly not sent until April 8, 2013, with Bates reportedly messaging the R/O that she looked good in yellow, and the R/O responding “spring colors.”
Bates then allegedly inquired if the R/O was wearing spring colors “underneath,” ultimately following with, “I’d like to see what’s underneath.”
The R/O reportedly returned to her normal duty station eight days later.
Ugh.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 10:40 am
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===Most of the respondents said the sexual contact was with staff of the facility===
They meed to investigate this and prosecute each and every staff member they catch and send them back to IDOC in orange suits with “child rapist” sewn onto their new uniforms.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 10:47 am
==After the last incident, Bates was promoted to his current position as Deputy Director of IDOC’s Southern Region==
So sexual harassment is a requirement for a promotion? This is the perfect example of that adage of the bad apples rising to the top.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 10:47 am
Really got to get on top of both of these fast!
Comment by steve schnorf Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 10:47 am
I see that Dillard responded very appropriately to this. He would help himself in the general — and I think in the primary — if he focused on these kinds of issues instead of dog whistles.
Comment by Don't know why I bother, but... Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 10:48 am
Scnorf is absolutely correct. If you don’t get on top of these incidents fast you will be part of the problem and the eventual (harsh) solution will be applied to you as well.
Comment by Leave a Light on George Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 10:55 am
If this is true, it is really horrific.
Youths in prison means they have their whole life ahead of them and making more problems for them is just…not what they need.
Comment by 3rd Generation Chicago Native Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 10:56 am
Unacceptable. There needs to be dozens of firings and concurrent prosecutions.
Completely unacceptable - after denying media access to our prisons for more than a year this is what we learn? Really Governor?
This is on Quinn, he put the people there to run DOC. Has been Governor for five years.
Comment by siriusly Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 10:58 am
Many of the prisons–juvenile and adult–have entrenched cultures of abuse.
Two such prisons are now closed, thankfully, but the staff are still working in other prisons. It is very hard to change prison culture like this, but this administration has done more to prosecute when they can than any I’ve seen. This is actually the key to the violence at Menard.
Comment by Dan Bureaucrat Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 11:01 am
“If true, this situation just cannot be tolerated.”
“If true”? Come on.
Comment by crazybleedingheart Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 11:11 am
I think the Quinn admin has done a pretty good job of moving juvenile offenders back to the community whenever possible. But they need to do more. More juvenile correctional institutions should be closed because of the difficulties in changing prison culture described by Dan B. And with improvements in technology, most of the minors could probably be safely monitored at home.
Meanwhile, I assume that the survey may have been anonymous, which means authorities don’t know who the alleged victims or alleged adult employee/offenders are. Perhaps they should have a state’s atty task force do screening interviews of minors in the facility when the survey was taken, at a minimum. I believe such child abuse task forces already exist in Illinois.
Comment by cassandra Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 11:15 am
Ty Bates needs to be fired yesterday and IDOC just needs a top down housing cleaning. That department is a mess.
Comment by Ahoy! Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 11:16 am
Rich, this doesn’t sound like a “he said, she said.” This sounds like a “he said, her cellphone proved…”
Comment by soccermom Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 11:17 am
Sorry, Rich - I should have known you were more highly evolved than that. I mean 3GC…
Comment by soccermom Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 11:18 am
E
Comment by Langhorne Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 11:22 am
A Director guilty of Ethics Violaions why would this Deputy Director Ty Bates situation and cover up suprise anyone. Zero Tolerance if true, they both need terminated.
Comment by Barney Fife Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 11:35 am
Should really help PQ among southern IL women…Yeesh
Comment by Boone's is Back Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 11:46 am
This isn’t the first Bates incident, this is just the most recent. It’s all there, DOC has some press inquiries at some time but they were never really followed up on.
I’d be very curious to see how this “survey” of DJJ youth is worded. Does sexual contact include a hug, pat on the shoulder, etc. Also, did any of the youth report the instances. Kids lie, Kids in prison (youth detention) lie even more. If something did happen, obviously adults should be criminally charged, but I think we need more facts here.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 12:20 pm
The new public info officer for DOC just made a sexual remark at Vandalia this week after MCing the event. Senators and Reps present. It’s tolerated in IDOC. FACT. This is the same guy who is refuting Bates allegations and answering on behalf of IDOC. EVERY facility in the state is talking about.
Comment by Jesse Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 12:31 pm
Thanks for covering this, Rich.
This doesn’t seem to have gotten the media coverage it deserves. Maybe highlighting this as you have will help get the word out.
These kids are juveniles.
And we wonder how our society contributes to a cycle that leads to these kids winding up right back in there as adults?
Heads really do need to roll. Big time.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 12:42 pm
“I’d be very curious to see how this “survey” of DJJ youth is worded. Does sexual contact include a hug, pat on the shoulder, etc. Also, did any of the youth report the instances. Kids lie, Kids in prison (youth detention) lie even more. If something did happen, obviously adults should be criminally charged, but I think we need more facts here.”
This is what a culture problem looks like.
Everybody in the US got the same survey. IL ranked among the worst. At some point “but kids in prison are a bunch of liars” has to stop being an excuse to cover up abuse.
Comment by crazybleedingheart Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 1:03 pm
===Kids lie===
Yep, that’s what the Catholic bishops said too.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 1:17 pm
Is Ty Bates married if so I feel sorry for his wife. Charged twice with sexual harassment twice. Once found guilty and looks like solid evidence this time seems like he has a problem . How embarassing for the wife. Does he not realize being in that position all eyes are watching.
Comment by DG Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 1:18 pm
Similar accusations were made against staff at the Audy Home, Cook Cty Juvenile Detention facility in recent years. Young folks in a locked facility are very vulnerable and, per the John Howard Assoc report, less likely to report this type of incident than adults would. Makes it very hard to prosecute. Unfortunately, it also makes it easier for the POS staff to get away with it.
Comment by dupage dan Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 1:28 pm
Trying to lighten it up a bit since it’s Friday (in a pretty “challenging” week).
To those who obviously lost their way “out at sea” long ago, from someone like me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8vPEjioirE
I’ll march this road
I’ll climb this hill
Upon my knees
If I have to
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 1:44 pm
Boy, there just seem to be more and more stories coming out lately that make it absolutely irrefutable that we are the very worst state in the country in many ways. Most of them 100% attributable to the efforts of our elected officials.
Comment by BigDoggie Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 1:48 pm
The deputy Director of DOJ last year got time off for drinking with a staff memeber and driving a state car. (3 days) Both DOC and DOJ management is a mess!!!!!
Comment by reformer Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 1:48 pm
Sorry, that obviously should have read:
To those who obviously lost their way “out at sea” long ago, from someone like me WHO DIDN’T:
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 1:49 pm
When I worked at Menard CC in the 80’s this occurred more than you think. Female staffers caught in sexual congress with inmates. Two incidents where their husbands worked there as well. Very disgusting.
Comment by Friedman Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 1:52 pm
We have people moving across the river to Missouri every week because of this kind of stuff. Elected officials can u please get control and do something about all this.
Comment by Zig Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 2:11 pm
Ty Bates is also connected to the Il Democrat Central Commitee Chairman so it will be interesting to see if anything is done to him are it just goes to the side. I thank this story needs to be followed very closely. I also wonder how much this will cost tax payers because you know there will be a law suit since he was an appointed administrator .
Comment by Sam Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 2:22 pm
Rich, he’s something because he organizes walks and call banks for Quinn. I wonder if they just now took the title away from him since this just came out.
Comment by Sam Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 2:43 pm
This has been going on for years. What makes me sick, it happens and the guilty party very seldom is fired. We need an outside agency, instead of the politically connected people doing investigations and discipline. The military has now stopped the base commander from interfering in disciplinem of sexual related cases. Corrections and the other state law enforcement agency’s, need a non-political agency to handle discipline of employees. If an employee is found guilty they should be fired and prosecuted if possible, not promoted because of political ties. We need to do away with the good ol boy system.
Comment by Retiree Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 2:44 pm
Retiree: We do have that agency: the OEIG. The problem isn’t politics, it is incompetence. Inspector Gadget is too busy busting people for sending 3 emails they shouldn’t have to catch actual misconduct.
Comment by I don't want to live in Teabagistan Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 3:13 pm
Ty Bates is 100% not in charge of Southern Illinois Quinn Campaign effective when this Email was sent to Rich. The Dem chair of chairs doesn’t know Ty Bates effective when this story broke. Bottom line, if the Governors Office truly has Zero Tolerance for sexual harassment and truly respects women in the work place, Deputy Director Ty Bates & Director S.A. Godinez should be terminated, no questions asked. Women employee’s through out Illinois should be outraged at the message the Governor’s office is sending. Zero Tolerance does not mean– Two Times and Two Promotions!
Comment by Are You Serious Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 3:29 pm
In very short order, that may not be all that these two scandals have in common.
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 3:43 pm
Dude moved up rather well…
http://www2.illinois.gov/idoc/aboutus/Pages/DeputyDirectorSouthernDistrict.aspx
Comment by OneMan Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 3:43 pm
Director of programs and warden at Big Muddy, eh. Interesting. Isn’t that where male IL sex offenders are supposed to learn appropriate behavior?
Guess Bates isn’t the greatest role model for them.
Comment by crazybleedingheart Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 3:49 pm
=== The governor’s office denies that Bates is the southern Illinois campaign coordinator. ===
Perhaps he was the southern Illinois campaign coordinator until today?
After all, if I “removed” Bates from his campaign position at 1:00, then call the media at 2:00, Bates is “not” the southern Illinois campaign coordinator.
Mistakes happen, but it seems odd WILY Radio would run that without any basis in fact.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Jun 7, 13 @ 4:21 pm