JHA visited all six reentry facilities between July 2022 and July 2023 in order to report on the resources available within IDOC’s best established and most intensive reentry-focused settings. Findings from these visits, data, and JHA’s ongoing communications and survey work indicate that reentry facilities remain relatively successful, productive, and well-received compared to IDOC prisons, and yet are vastly underutilized. Most existing reentry facilities have populations far below reported capacities, and even at full capacity, could only serve a small percentage of the IDOC population potentially meeting eligibility criteria. Further, they remain regionally limited, particularly for women. (Dec 2024)
Ensuring the safe and secure operation of Illinois’ prisons is a critical state function, yet the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is facing a chronic staffing shortage that jeopardizes the health, safety, and well-being of staff and incarcerated people. The purpose of this report is to document the nature and scope of staffing shortages in Illinois’ prisons, detail the harms to incarcerated people and staff, and make recommendations for urgent and vital action to address the identified challenges. (Oct 2024)
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Regular communication with the outside world is vital to people in custody. Methods of communication such as phones, mail, video visits, and email via tablets allow incarcerated people to stay in touch with loved ones, access information related to their legal rights, and prepare for their lives after prison. Therefore, it is crucial that prisons provide reliable methods of communication to those in custody. (February 2024)
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What does it mean to have impact as an oversight organization, and how do we effect change as prison monitors? In 2023, we did this by doing what we have done for 122 years – witnessing firsthand and sharing out the realities of our prisons, and pushing for changes that improve lives, increase system effectiveness, and better use of limited resources.
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