CHICAGO – The Illinois penal system improperly used prisoners to wash cars, shine shoes and perform other tasks at employee-led fundraisers to benefit prison workers for private use, a government watchdog investigation into the fund’s mismanagement revealed Friday.

The investigation by the state’s executive inspector general’s office led to an overhaul of the Illinois Department of Corrections’ use of so-called “employee benefit funds,” or EBFs. This money allows prison guards and other IDOC employees to throw holiday parties, pay for colleagues’ funerals, golf outings and other private functions.

Prison inmates were used to wash cars, shine shoes, give haircuts, and sell wood and plants as part of these EBF activities, which is against state rules, the IG found. One IDOC employee offered a negative sentiment about this practice in an interview with investigators.

“…He felt that using inmate labor to raise funds for the EBFs is ‘bad optics,’ ‘bad ethically,’ and ‘bad morally,’” according to the IG. “He added: ‘It’s really hard for me to just honestly stomach the idea that…employees benefit from offender labor.’”

The investigation led to a 30-day suspension for a now-former top IDOC official, Chief of Staff Edwin Bowen. But through the grievance process, Bowen was able to get his punishment reduced to a 15-day suspension last year. The IG’s findings weren’t made public until Friday, 4 1/2 years after the watchdog first began its probe during the tenure of then-Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.