Prison Communications 2024

 
 

We read and record every communication JHA receives, noting the issues, experiences, and perceptions shared. JHA does several things with this information: we (1) track trends and share generalized, non-identifiable information with IDOC to call their attention to concerns; (2) raise issues that are of a time sensitive or emergency nature with prison administrators; (3) use input to guide our monitoring and advocacy efforts; and (4) use it to inform stakeholders and the public about what is happening inside prisons in order to push reform efforts.

In the first half of 2024, we received 640 communications. This breaks down as:

  • 433 letters, 62 emails, 62 phone calls, and 83 website contacts

The top ten IDOC facilities that communications related to were, in order:

  • Dixon, Menard, Western, Danville, Pinckneyville, Shawnee, Graham, Stateville, Hill, and Lawrence

The top ten issues that communications related to were, in order:

  • Information Access, Conditions, Medical, Staff Conduct, Other, Movement, Grievances, Communications, Early Release, and Programs/Services

The demographics of the people writing to us from IDOC custody, where known, were:

  • 389 male, 18 female

  • 211 Black, 146 Caucasian, 41 Hispanic, 1 Native American, 3 Asian

In December 2021, IDOC issued a memo detailing that certain Core Hygiene Items should be regularly given to individuals in custody free of charge, including three yellow envelopes which are postage paid. JHA has been tracking whether people regularly receive these items both by asking people on our monitoring visits. In May, we also started tracking what color envelopes we received through the mail (people could choose to use their envelopes to contact people other than JHA, of course).

  • 98 were yellow write-outs; 58 were white envelopes

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) requires agencies to prove at least one way for people in custody to report sexual abuse or harassment to an independent outside entity that is able to receive and immediately forward reports to agency officials, allowing the person to remain anonymous on request; JHA serves as this entity for IDOC.

  • In the first half of 2024, we received and handled 72 such communications (these are not included in the totals above).

Rebecca Pellegrino