Want to learn what we heard from people inside IDOC when they responded to our “Measuring the Quality of Prison Life” surveys?
Scroll down to find our most recent reports and statements
View our IDOC Deaths in Custody Data Visualization here. These charts compare IDOC’s total population to those that have died while in IDOC custody.
Thank you to all who attended our 2024 Annual Event!
Did you miss our event? Watch the recording here!
Our Mission: JHA monitors prisons and advances independent oversight of carceral systems to promote humane treatment and increased transparency.
Our Vision: As long as there are prisons, we aspire to have a system that is equitable, reduces harm, and respects people’s humanity.
Illinois has one of the most overcrowded, understaffed and underfunded prison systems in the U.S. We believe that people who are incarcerated should be treated humanely and with dignity and respect.
For more than 120 years, the John Howard Association has served as Illinois' only independent citizen correctional oversight organization. We uncover problems large and small in our correctional facilities and advocate for reforms that lead to meaningful change for prisoners and their families. System-wide reform leads to more successful correctional outcomes for our communities, and better use of limited resources and taxpayer funds.
Summary
JHA receives some of the most concerning reports regarding treatment of incarcerated people in Illinois about Menard Correctional Center, such as fear for safety; reports of abuse by staff; excessive use of disciplinary restrictions; and reports of inability to meet basic needs and access rights such as healthcare, the grievance system, and outside communications. Additionally, Menard had some of the comparatively most negative scores in JHA’s IDOC-wide 2022-23 Measuring the Quality of Prison Life survey responses. These are detailed in our newest report on Menard.
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Summary
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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Summary
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.
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Summary
In August 2024, JHA visited youth from IYC-Warrenville who were housed at IYC-St. Charles after a July fire at Warrenville forced IDJJ to relocate youth and staff. These 35 youth were being housed and programmed apart from other youth at St. Charles who participate in its post-high school PEACE Center program. As of October, Warrenville’s facility was not expected to reopen for at least another year and a half.
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Every donation matters. We rely on the generosity of individual, corporate and foundation donors committed to criminal justice system reform. With your support, we will continue to promote prison reform, seeking a fair, effective and humane criminal justice system in Illinois. Thank you!
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For months, state lawmakers, correctional workers and those incarcerated have been raising the alarm over the future of physical mail in Illinois Department of Corrections facilities.(WTTW)
Prisons in Illinois are currently facing a staffing crisis, according to a new report from the prison watchdog group the John Howard Association. It found understaffing greatly increases the amount of lockdowns and staff overtime and impacts the overall health, safety and well-being of staff and incarcerated people. (WTTW)
The impact of Stateville’s closure on workers and those incarcerated. Brandeis Friedman leads a discussion with guests including JHA's Jennifer Vollen-Katz; starts at 4:34pm (WTTW)
