Illinois prison detainee transfer problems persist, sheriffs group says
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[June 26, 2021]
By Greg Bishop
(The Center Square) – Sheriffs across
Illinois are still having issues transferring convicted criminals from
county jails to state prisons, despite decreased prison population and
the state’s COVID-19 capacity limits being lifted.
The governor’s executive order on transfers he extended last month
expires Saturday.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, sheriffs haven’t been able to
transfer inmates to state prisons as they typically could. Despite a
lawsuit, the state has begun to transfer some inmates.
But Illinois Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director Jim Kaitschuk said
it’s not full steam, and it makes no sense.
“It dosn’t take a logistics magician to figure out how to accommodate
the measly, let’s say, 2,000 people that are in Illinois jail custody
that should be in [Illinois Department of Corrections] when you have a
hole of 20,000 people,” Kaitschuk said.
The state’s prison population in March decreased more than 18,000 since
2015. In the past year, it’s decreased by nearly 10,000.
As for COVID-19 cases, Kaitschuk said rates are lower than a year ago.
The Illinois Department of Corrections website shows 3 inmates and 26
staff with COVID-19 statewide.
“Yet even with the move to phase 5 and the fact that the entire basis
for Order 2020-50 has essentially ended, IDOC continues [and in fact,
its worsened] to refuse transfer of persons sentenced to their custody,”
Kaitchuck wrote earlier this month in a letter to IDOC. “County jails
continue to be beholden to an unknown schedule of transfers, unknown
criteria for which transfers are allowed for, no reimbursement
established for the inmates that the counties have already dropped on
them and no consistent dialogue or explanation as to when this will be
changed. This is so even though what was unsafe in July of 2020 is no
longer an issue.”
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The Illinois Department of Corrections said it is "committed to safely
admitting as many men and women from the counties as possible."
"Intakes are scheduled based on space availability, quarantine
requirements and COVID-19 test results," said IDOC spokesperson Lindsey
Hess. "We have been accepting transfers from county jails since August
3, 2020 and have processed 8,203 new admissions and 1,235 turnarounds to
date."
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There’s a cost to counties having to house inmates that are meant for
the state. Kaitschuk wrote IDOC in late April saying sheriffs need $55 a
day per individual for expenses and an additional $15 a day per
individual for medical costs. That was in response to what Kaitschuk
said was the state’s offer of a flat $35 a day per individual.
"IDOC has received an appropriation to compensate counties; the
Department has had preliminary discussions with the Illinois Sheriffs’
Association regarding a universal rate that is fair and within the
resources provided," Hess said.
Despite expected funds for COVID relief being available, Kaitschuk said
it's not fair to county sheriffs.
“Yeah some of that money may be available but it is not the
responsibility of the sheriffs to have to continue to take and maintain
prisoners that should be the rightful responsibility of the Department
of Corrections,” Kaitschuk said.
The state’s continued delays in transferring detainees isn’t fair for
the inmates either, he said.
“As soon as the inmates start to better understand ‘hey, I’m not getting
good time credit here, I’m not getting these things, I’m going to have
to spend a year more in jail, or whatever it is,’ as a result of them
not transferring,” Kaitschuk said. |