The majority of prisons in Illinois were erected in the early 1900’s and before: even at this moment there’s no want to update or fix the housing in which inmates live. Plumbing runs out of the basins within the cells, yards and dayrooms, if they work at all. Asbestos exists almost everywhere with mold and rodents (as well as bugs), and we get no proper cleaning supplies (no brooms, bleach, astringents, disinfecting solvents, etc.) ever. This contributes to disease spreading: i.e., covid and cancers.
Illinois still employs Wexford Health as their healthcare provider, even though they know Wexford encourages inmate death. In 2012, a memo sent from Wexford to Illinois prisons was procured by legally competent inmates filing suit, where it stressed its dislike of spending money on inmates, and to “let us die”! It takes for us to repeatedly request/file grievances to be seen by medical staff, and even when we are, they are either improperly trained, not the proper medical professional to be seen, wrongfully diagnose us or undermine the medical problem altogether. They don’t even give inmates the medications prescribed by real doctors from outside the prisons.
The menu should literally be unconstitutional. We are served moldy bread, uncooked meats and vegetables, spoiled milks… the majority of things we are to be given (though not much better) aren’t served at all, but taken home by staff so they don’t have to spend their own money. Even donated goods are taken, or put on commissary for us to have to buy.
Lets petition the legislation to implement laws abolishing all of this, forcing betterment (authored by inmates ourselves) immediately! Most of this is public record (either Google it, or visit John Howard Association website). Blessings, and thank you for your voice.