As a IDOC C/O I say IDOC is doing wrong.

IDOCCO · #1 07-09-2003, 12:01 PM

Ok I work at the states oldest prison Menard CC and I must say lately IDOC are doing some pretty messed up things Menard CC and a couple of other Adult Facilitys have 17 year olds even 16 year olds coming to adult maxiums and let me tell you from experience Menard is not the place for children I dont know who to be mad at IDOC or the Illinois court system but I think they are setting these kids up for failure. Most of them are not even in for murder and I know 17 year old murderers on the IYC level but a 17/16 armed robberist is in with adults I think lawsuits should be filed.

toi_ama · #2 07-09-2003, 12:34 PM

Bless you for bringing it to people's attention. I know that's a risk you're taking. I hope someone here will pick this up and run with it.

Rostonhall · #3 07-09-2003, 12:48 PM

I agree with toi_ami. It's a pity there aren't more people inside the system who are brave enough to speak out when they see something like this happening. Menard certainly isn't a place for those who are still really children. They must be frightened themselves and they certainly won't stand a chance in the future.
Please someone pick this up.

vnvdvc · #4 07-09-2003, 12:56 PM

I really understand your feelings. My friend went in at 17 to a med/max.
What have you thought of so far? Maybe an anonymous letter to a liberal paper? At least to bring attention to the subject. How much of the public is really aware that youths as young as 16 or 17 are in the adult prison system?
Have you checked out ACLU's site? You may be able to find the resources there to answer some of your questions.
And, thank you for caring. Thank you!!

CET · #5 07-09-2003, 01:08 PM

Perhaps we could write springfield DOC?

Christy · #6 07-09-2003, 01:14 PM

I would say that you should write the letter to the St Louis Post Dispatch. Maybe contact a reporter there. They will keep sources confidential. I know there are many in the St Louis area that have loved ones in the IDOC. Try that.

vnvdvc · #7 07-09-2003, 01:29 PM

In addition to that, you could also write up a form letter for state representatives. Also, maybe a letter to the IDOC transfer coordinator? I don't know how much she could do, but it's worth a stamp, right?

Rostonhall · #8 07-09-2003, 01:42 PM

I'm willing to send an email to a journalist in St. Louis if you think it would help. No problem doing that from here and he knows my fiance is in Menard so I'm sure he'd listen.

IDOCCO · #9 07-09-2003, 02:04 PM

You have a loved one in Menard, well ask him what happens to kids there and some guards do know what happens some even encourage it to the yound inmates who like to "talk alot" I still think it is wrong and they should be in IYC or placed in a special unit.

Rostonhall · #10 07-09-2003, 02:11 PM

My own imagination tells me what is likely to happen to any young kid who is put in there. I don't think I need to ask but getting them out of Menard is the problem. I agree it is no place for young ones and they'll have no chance if they stay there.

Michaelswifey · #11 07-09-2003, 07:15 PM

My fiance' was put in Menard on Feb. 24 for a parole violation.(not calling his PO) they sent him to a maxium sec., i never understood that? They finally just transferred him about 4 weeks ago to western illinois CC. I've heard some real messed up stories about Menard while he was down there.

JoshsGirl2003 · #12 07-10-2003, 12:23 PM

No offense to anyone here, but if these "children" are commiting crimes, then really there isn't much to be upset about. I am sure they are thinking that maybe by putting them in a prison it will teach them a lesson. Maybe a max prison isn't the best way to go, but they should be put in a prison. If they are old enough to commit the crime, they have to do the time. Thats the law.

Rostonhall · #13 07-10-2003, 01:02 PM

Nobody is denying the fact they have done wrong but if you put a child in a maximum security prison that is a punishment too far. There is no way they will come out of there and not re-offend. What it will do to their minds is another story.
Perhaps I'm not the one to argue the point because over here we still believe in rehabilitation and I don't see any of that in Menard!!
The point is, these kids, for one reason or another, have committed a crime. They are still young enough for the cycle to be reversed. They need all the help they can get before it's too late. Putting them in a max prison isn't going to give them any help and IDOC is wrong in doing so. I doubt whether the younger ones are even getting any protection while they are in there and goodness knows what's happening to them.
I've worked with young offenders and even the hardest has, with a little help, come out the other side with some optimism. They need guiding and helping not being locked away and left to get on with it.

jdswifey02 · #14 07-10-2003, 05:50 PM

Michael's Wifey... just to interject to answer a question.... each parole "zone" or region has a specified "reception" prison.... your hubby was probably sent to Menard because it's the receiving faciity for that region, I believe....

Rostonhall.. unfortunately, I didn't see much "rehabilitation" at the IL prison I worked at... and it was supposedly a "treatment focused" facility....

deb · #15 07-10-2003, 06:16 PM

IDOCCO,

Thanks for sharing this with PTO.... I know it took some working thru for you to be able to do that and also could put you in jeopardy (I hope not though)... ((hugs))

Deb

MissingBigDaddy · #16 07-10-2003, 11:11 PM

Are they putting youths there because they have closed some of the youth camps? Like the old saying goes...children learn what they live. Not many of the institutions have rehabilitation services any more because of cut backs. Those poor kids probably didn't have much of a chance to start with and now they have even less.

msmack · #17 07-11-2003, 07:09 AM

When you put someone this young in the pit of hell and then expect them to come out and be a model citizen? If they make it throught the time there without getting assaulted or trained to be a better crimminal by other inmates, then they might be able to have a future at Burger King. Our society is wacked! We destroy peoples lives by throwing them away and not helping them. Maybe they killed someone or tried to, they are young and IF they were in the right place could be rehabilitated, isnt that what prison was supposed to be?

JoshsGirl2003 · #18 07-12-2003, 10:00 PM

I think that everyone is forgetting that these "children" were not in prison before they committed the crime. I agree that prison is not the right place for a child, but when that child does something that no matter what they know is wrong, they need to do some kind of time somewhere. Letting them off easy just because they are young, just means they will come out from wherever they are and do it either again, or do something worse because they think that nothing bad will happen to them. Maybe putting them in a bad situation in the first place will stop them from ever wanting to come back and that means stopping them from committing the crimes.

jdswifey02 · #19 07-12-2003, 10:50 PM

I don't think anyone is advocating for juveniles who commit criminal acts to go without any sentence.... but that is why Illinois has IYCs..... A youth facility should be even more focused on education, treatment and rehabilitation...

InmateHelper · #20 07-22-2003, 07:07 PM

JOSH'S GIRL,

LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT ILLINOIS. IN CHICAGO, ALONE, AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT OTHER CITIES, THEY CLOSED DOWN TWO HIGH SCHOOLS AND BUILT A NEW JAIL FOR THE YOUNG KIDS. WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU.

THE PROBLEM WITH IDOC, IS THAT IT'S ABOUT THE $$$$, AND NOTHING ELSE. I JUST READ AN ARTICLE STATING THAT IT TAKES $51,000 PLUS PER YEAR, PER INMATE . WHY DOES IT COST THAT MUCH PER INMATE, WHEN THE DEPARTMENT OF WELFARE JUST MIGHT GIVE A MOTHER AND THREE CHILDREN $4,000 PER YEAR.

IT'S PRISON FOR PROFIT, AND THEY DON'T CARE IF THE MONEY IS PAID FOR ADULTS OR CHILDREN, AS LONG AS THEY CAN GET THE BENJAMINS.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, THERE WAS A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE STATING THAT THEY ARE GOING TO TRY AND GET SOME OF THE MONIES SPENT ON PRISONERS FROM THE NEWLY RELEASED (PAY BACK), BUT THEY SAID PAY THE STATE BACK. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT STATEMENT? I'LL TELL YOU, WHY PAY THE STATE BACK, WHEN THE TAXPAYERS PAY FOR THE INMATE'S STAY?

THERE ARE SOME HORRIBLE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN ALL THE PENITENTIARIES AROUND THE WORLD. WHAT THEY SHOULD DO WITH ALL THIS MONEY IS BUILD MORE BOYS/GIRLS CLUB TO GIVE THESE YOUNGSTERS SOMETHING TO DO CONSTRUCTIVE WITH THEIR LIVES.

I REALLY BEG TO DIFFER WITH YOU. THESE YOUNG KIDS ONLY LEARN MORE TECHNIQUES OF CRIME FROM THOSE THAT ARE INCARCERATED IN THESE MAX JOINTS, THOSE THAT WILL NEVER EVER SEE THE STREET AGAIN AND HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE IF THEY DECIDED TO DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THAT CHILD. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN "SCARED STRAIGHT"?

InmateHelper

CET · #21 07-30-2003, 09:36 PM

Actually I think we could avert a lot of poor kids getting into gangs if we had some good job skills programs, something to give them hope and skills for a decent paying job. It is easy to see the alure of easy money in selling drugs if you have dropped out of school and can only get min wage jobs, if that. And the thing is, if we were to implement proven ways of averting crime, we would save a whole lot of money in prison costs. Besides the costs of incarceration that are direct costs, there are the costs such as foster care for parents of children who are incarcerated, costs to a family that loses a wager earner. Our society is always loathe to spend money on prevention though.

Eboniizs · #22 08-11-2003, 01:19 PM

I was under the impression that "where an inmate was sent" was determined @ the reception center in Joliet. These young men must be violent offenders or involved in gang activity to have been sent to Menard. My fiance has been in IDOC for nearly 13 years. I don't know of anyone being sent to Menard for minor offenses.

IDOCCO · #23 08-14-2003, 10:09 PM

Yea he assaulted officers

toi_ama · #24 08-14-2003, 10:21 PM

You know, if they gave moms who have to be on welfare even $25,000 a year for the whole family, there would be a whole lot fewer kids going wrong and a whole lot more families staying solid, and a lot less need for prisons in the long run.

korn_slut_88 · #25 08-17-2003, 11:40 PM

My boyfriend is in Menard and he trys to look out for this one kid who is only 18. I know its a pretty bad place from what he tells me.