AFSCME members working in state prisons held informational pickets across Illinois today to raise concerns about the growing safety risks facing correctional staff and residents in several Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) facilities. State Senator Sue Rezin (R-Morris) sent a letter to IDOC and issued the following statement on the ongoing exposure incidents, emphasizing the need for immediate action to protect Illinois’ correctional officers and residents.
“In recent weeks, we have seen far too many reports of potential exposures to harmful substances for this Administration to continue to sit by and do nothing to protect its staff and residents. It is time for Department officials to take these incidents seriously and implement meaningful protocols to protect the well-being of their staff and individuals within the state’s care. Until those protocols are fully in place, I stand with those who believe that the processing of nonlegal mail should be temporarily suspended.”