The Illinois Sheriff’s Association filed suit against Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Corrections yesterday for their refusal to accept parole violators and convicted individuals from county jails into correctional facilities.
On March 26th, Pritzker unilaterally suspended all admissions into IDOC facilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. IDOC said at the time that proper installation of intake procedures and safety precautions needed time to be implemented. The lawsuit accuses IDOC of never implementing the procedures, forcing county jails to harbor criminals.
The lawsuit also alleges that health of inmates and space have become issues for county sheriffs at local detention facilities. The local sheriffs have had to shoulder the responsibility of housing detainees while ensuring health of the local department and county inmates.
Morgan County Sheriff Mike Carmody said in a phone conversation with WLDS News this morning that the Morgan County Detention Facility currently has 5 inmates eligible for IDOC with 4 of them being parole violators. Carmody said he understood the challenges and frustrations of both sides of the lawsuit and that every agency across the state is handling the situation differently. He said the local sheriff’s department understands the unprecedented time and that the current housing of inmates has not drastically effected the local day-to-day operations. He says that there is still work to be done and that Morgan County Sheriff’s Department will continue to adapt and work through the unprecedented challenges brought on by the pandemic.