Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar mobile edition

Get it together, IDOC

Posted in:

Illinois

At least 25 Illinois Department of Corrections employees have taken part in online conversations that mocked, demeaned, or disclosed personal and medical information about transgender inmates — including calling transgender women “it” and “he” — in two private Facebook groups, an Injustice Watch review has found.

The posts were written by low-level officers, sergeants, lieutenants, and other correctional staffers — including a counselor and a parole officer — from across the state. The posts included comments degrading transgender women and outing other LGBTQ prisoners. They openly discussed private information about inmates, including alleged sexual acts and medical treatments they received.

The degrading comments are coming to light as the department is embroiled in a series of pending lawsuits, including a class-action claim brought by six transgender women contending they received inadequate medical treatment while in prison.

“I’ve seen this mother f****r with a beard,” correctional officer James Schaefer, who appears on Facebook under the name James Schaef, wrote in one group, after a post was shared last December about the transfer of a then-incarcerated transgender woman, Strawberry Hampton, to a women’s facility. “The state is stupid I’d chop his p****r off for him than he can be ‘female.’” […]

Injustice Watch learned of the two Facebook groups — which explicitly say in their descriptions that they are for current and former Illinois corrections staffers or department-connected people — as part of its continuing examination of troubling posts by current and former law enforcement officers on the social network. The groups⁠ — both named “Behind the Walls” and followed by different spellings of “Illinois Department of Corrections” ⁠— are private, meaning that a moderator must grant access before a Facebook user can view or comment on the posts. Each group has more than 4,000 members.

* CNN…

More than a dozen correctional employees in Illinois are under investigation after they were accused of mocking transgender inmates in private Facebook groups, state officials said. […]

A spokeswoman with the department of corrections confirmed Thursday that a number of staff members are undergoing the disciplinary review process. Under the department’s policies, employees who violate the code of conduct may face disciplinary action and some violations could lead to their firing.

The department is also working on a new social media policy, the spokeswoman said. […]

Anders Lindall, a spokesman for the union representing the corrections officers, said the group does not condone or tolerate bigotry, but every member “is entitled to fair representation and due process, which it’s our duty to ensure.”

* Meanwhile…

For those keeping track at home - pregnant inmates are being kept from programs designed to keep parents and babies…

Posted by Kelly Cassidy on Monday, October 21, 2019

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Oct 21, 19 @ 12:56 pm

Comments

If we’re keeping score;

There’s issues at IDOC, there’s questions at IDOT, we have DCFS with issues and DOR with state park issues.

Ya haveta get this together. Sincerely.

The four agencies that will always-always-always bring the bad front and center and mobilize folks, y’all have fires in each of them.

What’s confusing, for me, is we’re a year in and some of these problems are legacy issues a governor owns in their terms, and others are new and highlight where deficiencies exist.

To this in IDOC,

Supervising online folks, that’s not this issue, but the pint is how those folks are at work, and those social platforms seem to indicate bias. Are those biases found in those prisons? Why doesn’t the administration have an answer.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 21, 19 @ 1:07 pm

So James Schaefer doesn’t even know there is more to being female than absence of a penis, but calls the state “stupid”.

Comment by 17% Solution Monday, Oct 21, 19 @ 1:10 pm

“Each group has more than 4,000 members.”

4,000?? That sure suggests these sentiments run deep

Comment by Langhorne Monday, Oct 21, 19 @ 1:28 pm

Thank God for the union.

Comment by Unpopular Monday, Oct 21, 19 @ 1:34 pm

Langhorne-4,000?? That sure suggests these sentiments run deep.

1 of those 4000 made the comment. Others may have similar views, but let’s not tarnish them all.

Comment by anonymous Monday, Oct 21, 19 @ 2:16 pm

Isn’t it strange…how the moniker “inmate” or “convict” seems to automatically create a separateness or otherness…especially in the minds of those who seek to punish in ignorance.

People inside Prisons came from cities and families right outside…and when they are persecuted for their identity…we who live outside are to blame…for not watching more closely.

Beware simply means… be aware…of the need for change.

Comment by Dotnonymous Monday, Oct 21, 19 @ 2:18 pm

=== let’s not tarnish them all.===

Are they a “misunderstood” group of folks?

You think this is a good group?

Next time, save the time and type “both sides”

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 21, 19 @ 2:21 pm

Rich—sorry for using a banned word earlier, let me try again.

As an IDOC retiree all I can do is sit here and wonder what is wrong with these people.

Comment by SOIL M Monday, Oct 21, 19 @ 2:23 pm

OW, how many people of the 4,000 do you think read James’ post? How many read it and rolled their eyes, like I do when I read some of my uncle’s political rants on Facebook. What we know is that James (and the others who said similar things, as well as the 7 people who liked the post) is biased. Projecting to the group is making an assumption.

Heck, the article only mentions 25 folks. 25/4,000 is 0.625%. Weak to condemn everyone in IDOC on, or even the FB group. And I don’t even understand your “both sides” snark; a “both sides” argument would be something like “The inmates aren’t nice people either so who cares what happens to them”, which thankfully no one is making.

That being said, I hope the department does take a look at its policies and make sure they are being followed. Harassment and or dehumanization of people can’t be tolerated.

Comment by Perrid Monday, Oct 21, 19 @ 2:49 pm

- Perrid -

Here’s my take;

=== “The inmates aren’t nice people either so who cares what happens to them”, which thankfully no one is making.===

It’s not in writing, it’s what a few of the inmates are living.

That’s the argument.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 21, 19 @ 2:54 pm

OW, no argument that that sentiment is a factor, I was just pushing back on how “deep” the sentiments go. We don’t really know. The 4,000 people joined a group about IDOC, they did not join a group about bashing LGTBQ folks, even if some used it as such.

Comment by Perrid Monday, Oct 21, 19 @ 3:21 pm

- Perrid -

No, we’re all good.

I’d add too, the fact they felt they comfortable they could type that in that group… that should be troubling too.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 21, 19 @ 3:24 pm

OW, fair point. People do say things on the internet they wouldn’t dare in real life, but at the same time most of these statements were made under their real name, among coworkers.

Next question is, were they right in assuming they were safe to say it there? I’m guessing these guys aren’t all that good at reading a room. Or, supporting your point, they could be so used to saying this stuff at work with their friends they saw no reason not to write it down.

Comment by Perrid Monday, Oct 21, 19 @ 3:55 pm

=== were they right in assuming they were safe to say it there? I’m guessing these guys aren’t all that good at reading a room. Or, supporting your point, they could be so used to saying this stuff at work with their friends they saw no reason not to write it down.===

I think that’s why questioning what this group is about with those writings up there, what are they really saying?

Then add the realities of what has happened at the workplace, that’s where I’m at.

Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Get it together, IDOC

Comments

Add a comment

Last 10 posts: