As the Stateville Correctional Center's future hangs in the balance, civil rights lawyers are advocating for the rapid transfer or release of inmates due to the facility's crumbling infrastructure. The court motion filed on behalf of the Stateville inmates by the law firm Loevy + Loevy calls for the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) to either transfer or release them by September 20th, citing the prison's dilapidated conditions that pose an imminent threat to their physical safety. The lawyers are pressing the state to move quickly on its plan to construct a new prison on the Stateville site in response to the nearly century-old prison's "degradation and deterioration,” according to the Chicago Tribune.
Heather Lewis Donnell of Loevy and Loevy, having represented the Stateville inmates, stated, "Right now, there’s over 420 residents at Stateville who are at risk of dire injury due to the structural vulnerabilities," during a news conference reported by WTTW News. Echoing these concerns, former Stateville inmate Benard McKinley described conditions such as the proliferation of 'black mold,' arising from persistent moisture issues, as contributing to respiratory problems and rendering the environment tortuous.
Illustrating the urgency of the matter, these legal actions come in the wake of the state's acknowledgment that Stateville is “not suitable for any 21st-century correctional center.” Despite this recognition, detailed plans for a transition or the commencement of the new construction project remain undisclosed. Following the death of inmate Michael Broadway during a June heatwave, advocates and former inmates insist that the extreme temperatures and unhealthy conditions at Stateville warrant immediate action.
AFSCME Council 31, the union representing most employees within IDOC, not having seen any evidence that transferring individuals would enhance their safety, remains skeptical of the calls for immediate transfer. The union advocates for constructing a new facility on the Stateville grounds while maintaining current operations, as mentioned in a statement obtained by WTTW News. However, the motion filed by Loevy and Loevy aims to compel the court to take action, demanding that IDOC present a plan for the transfer or release of all plaintiffs no later than August 12th. Governor J.B. Pritzker has expressed safety concerns at Stateville as the impetus for replacement and reform plans but has yet to provide specifics on shutdown dates.
Inmates and their advocates await a decision, while deferred maintenance continues to be a pervasive issue throughout the Illinois Department of Corrections. The officials and lawyers on either side of the motion are left to grapple with the duality of the Stateville conundrum—a facility both ripe for closure, yet currently the dwelling place of hundreds whose well-being hangs in balance.
