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Demonstrators denounce state’s handling of coronavirus outbreak at Stateville prison
‘No one deserves to die’
A procession of about 40 cars made their way around the Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill on Friday to protest against how Illinois has handled the novel coronavirus pandemic in prisons.
A protestor holds a sign Friday, May 1, 2020, along Division Street in Crest Hill while protesting the state of Illinois’ handling of the COVID-19 outbreak in prisons across Illinois.
Parole Illinois, a coalition of activists in and out of prison working "toward a more just and humane legal system," organized the demonstration. The group described Stateville as the "epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Illinois carceral system."
Rev. Jason Lydon, a Unitarian Universalist minister at the Second Unitarian Church in Chicago, described the group of family members, advocates and faith leaders as "people of conscience coming together" to raise awareness of the situation in Illinois prisons and jails. He said the demonstration was an effort to "remind everybody that those inside the prison are not alone."
"We are fighting hard to get them out," Lydon said. "And to ensure that they have the care that they need."
Among the demonstrators was Christina Borizov, whose son Johnny is incarcerated at Stateville. She said despite her son being an exemplary inmate, his being locked up is a "death sentence" because of the outbreak there and his underlying health conditions.
"No one deserves to die," she said.
There were 133 incarcerated individuals who have tested positive for the coronavirus in Stateville, according to Illinois Department of Corrections spokeswoman Lindsey Hess. Of those individuals, 115 have recovered, seven are still recovering in isolation at the prison and 11 have died, Hess said.
She added the situation at Stateville has improved over the last few weeks since the outbreak, especially thanks to help from about 30 members of the Illinois National Guard helping provide medical assistance.
Close to 200 inmates at Stateville have been released during the pandemic, according to IDOC data, due in large part to the state prioritizing measures like the earned sentence credit which could reduce an offenders sentence if they meet certain criteria.
Hess added it was unclear why such a breakout occurred at Stateville, but that IDOC plans to review the situation.
"We can’t say for sure," Hess said.
Still, Lydon said the demonstrators feel the state hasn’t done enough to release inmates and keep the ones locked up safe.
"There is not a safe number of people inside our prisons," Lydon said. "They don’t have the capacity to meet the need of people who are locked up."
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via | The Herald-News
May 1, 2020 at 09:36PM
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