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* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

posted by Isabel Miller
Wednesday, Apr 10, 24 @ 7:46 am

Comments

Following a post here last week that many Illinois jails don’t have written policies on how staff are to treat pregnant prisoners, I FOIA’d the policies of my county jail (DeKalb).

Right off the bat I had an eyeroll moment. In the opening paragraph they’ve chosen to attribute high-risk prisoner pregnancies solely to unhealthy lifestyle choices.

But it does seem comprehensive. Pregnancy screening: check. Prenatal vitamins: check. There’s a rule against top-bunk assignments.

Apparently there may be exceptions to the no-restraint rule, but you have to FOIA the restraint policy to see them.

The abortion care section allows for staff to self-exempt when it comes to supportive roles such as transport. It also reads hands-off in other ways, and I wonder if abortion is an actual choice in real life.

Comment by yinn Wednesday, Apr 10, 24 @ 9:29 am
White Sox actually WON a Game! pop the champagne

Comment by 10th ward Wednesday, Apr 10, 24 @ 10:19 am
Just back from our eclipse trip, 100% worth it to travel to totality. Strong recommend, A+++++

Comment by Suburban Mom Wednesday, Apr 10, 24 @ 10:24 am
The Sox actually won last night. Against Cleveland of all teams.

At least we can look on the bright side, they are not as bad as the Marlins.

Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Wednesday, Apr 10, 24 @ 10:35 am
== I FOIA’d the policies of my county jail ==

Forgive my ignorance/curiosity yinn: Why did you have to FOIA? I feel like jail policy should be easily available upon request but maybe I’m ignorant of something.

Comment by LincolnCoNative Wednesday, Apr 10, 24 @ 11:48 am
==Why did you have to FOIA? ==

You generally have to FOIA everything. Government records are available but you can’t simply walk in and grab a copy. They all have to be reviewed first to ensure that there is nothing in them that needs to be redacted.

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Apr 10, 24 @ 12:14 pm
@ Demoralized

That a problem, right?

I have never actually Hd to “FOIA” anything. I have at times had to revise my requests for data from state agencies> For example, faculty salaries are public domain, and I study wage gaps by gender and race in higher education. In the public system of higher education, each campus has its own rules about how to get this information. So some make it readily available, some require addition, etc. But I have never actually felt the need to FOIA (verb?) anything.

That we are moving more and more toward invoking the FOIA when requesting publicly available information is a two-way street by my estimate. Some require it, and some assert it. The latter includes some people trying to be pushy about getting information when they do not need to do so.

But in any case, the concept of formal FOIA “requests and requesting” has become a routinized, contemporary cultural symbol of our declining willingness to trust one another on different sides of the gatekeeping function.

Comment by H-W Wednesday, Apr 10, 24 @ 1:08 pm
Just beginning to dawn on people that cutting bus service, art teachers, and foreign language will both gut selective enrollment schools AND middle class retention in Chicago. It’s folly for Mayor Johnson and CPS to start unraveling that ball without a well-funded alternative funding model. They really run the risk of a run on the schools.

Comment by Phineas Wednesday, Apr 10, 24 @ 2:30 pm