{"id":7140,"date":"2025-02-05T01:23:31","date_gmt":"2025-02-05T01:23:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=7140"},"modified":"2025-02-05T01:23:31","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T01:23:31","slug":"sheridan-correctional-center-workers-join-statewide-picket-in-hope-of-enhanced-worker-safety-staffing-shaw-local-news-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=7140","title":{"rendered":"Sheridan Correctional Center workers join statewide picket in hope of enhanced worker safety, staffing – Shaw Local News Network"},"content":{"rendered":"


Sheridan Correctional Center employees hold signs saying “Safety matters, say ‘no’ to drug smuggling, say ‘no’ to assaults on staff,” during a picket protest on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, outside the Sheridan Correctional Center. <\/span>(Scott Anderson)
The Sheridan Correctional Center was one of two dozen prisons across Illinois from which workers picketed Thursday outside their facilities to advocate for enhanced worker safety and increased staffing.
The \u201cSafety Matters\u201d statewide picket included union members from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, who are demanding that the Illinois Department of Corrections address statewide staffing shortages, offender substance abuse and worker safety issues.
\u201cAFSCME members should not have to face violent assaults, illegal drugs and chronic staff shortages as common occurrences when just doing their jobs,\u201d Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said in a news release. \u201cWe demand that leadership of the Department of Corrections step up and do more to make this essential work safer.\u201d
Local 817 chapter President Eric McCubbin said these problems at Dixon\u2019s prison, for example, have been ongoing for several years, with no real help from the Illinois DOC. He told Shaw Local on Thursday that the biggest problem should be the easiest to solve \u2013 cutting down on illegal substances coming in to the prison.
State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, sent a letter to IDOC and issued the following statement on the ongoing exposure incidents, emphasizing the need for immediate action to protect Illinois\u2019 correctional officers and residents.
\u201cIn recent weeks, we have seen far too many reports of potential exposures to harmful substances for this administration to continue to sit by and do nothing to protect its staff and residents,\u201d Rezin said. \u201cIt is time for department officials to take these incidents seriously and implement meaningful protocols to protect the well-being of their staff and individuals within the state\u2019s care. Until those protocols are fully in place, I stand with those who believe that the processing of nonlegal mail should be temporarily suspended.\u201d
Shaw Local reached out to IDOC for comment and received the following response in an email: \u201cThe Illinois Department of Corrections recognizes the difficult and challenging situations our facility staff face every day in their efforts to keep our state safe. We deeply value and appreciate the dedication and sacrifices of our front-line employees.
\u201cEnsuring the safety of our staff, individuals in custody and everyone entering our facilities remains our top priority. While we are actively exploring options to enhance safety, measures are in place to address potential risks associated with mail handling. IDOC has a suspicious substance emergency procedure in place, which outlines the steps to be taken if a suspicious substance is discovered. Additionally, we have intensified mail-screening protocols, encouraged the use of personal protective equipment and deployed tactical units to conduct targeted facility searches.
\u201cWe are working closely with the Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois State Police and medical experts to identify the cause of recent incidents and determine long-term solutions. These efforts are focused on improving safety while ensuring individuals in custody maintain essential communications and family connections. We remain committed to working with all stakeholders, including our labor partners, to ensure a safe and secure working environment for our staff.\u201d
Sheridan Correctional Center employees hold signs demanding more safety measures Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, during an informational picket outside the Sheridan Correctional Center. <\/span>(Scott Anderson)
Copyright \u00a9 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright \u00a9 2023 Shaw Local News Network<\/p>\n

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Sheridan Correctional Center employees hold signs saying “Safety matters, say ‘no’ to drug smuggling, say ‘no’ to assaults on staff,” during a picket protest on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, outside the Sheridan Correctional Center. (Scott Anderson)The Sheridan Correctional Center was one of two dozen prisons across Illinois from which workers picketed Thursday outside their facilities to advocate for enhanced worker<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t