C/Os assaulted at Pinckneyville

[jdswifey02]

FOUR PRISON GUARDS ASSAULTED

BY CHRISTI MATHIS
FOR THE SOUTHERN
[Tue Aug 05 2003]

PINCKNEYVILLE -- Four Pinckneyville Correctional Center staff members were attacked about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday by an inmate resulting in a prison lockdown and a protest by AFSCME Local 943, the union that represents PCC officers.

Union President Randy Hellmann and AFSCME Regional Director Buddy Maupin met with prison workers Tuesday afternoon to discuss numerous attacks by inmates in recent weeks and the alleged frequent failure by the Illinois Department of Corrections to transfer inmates who commit such acts to the Tamms Correctional Center.

By day's end the union was pleased to learn that the inmate involved in Tuesday's assault was going to Tamms and union representatives said they hope this is the beginning of good policy by the state administration.

Hellmann said the inmate punched a female lieutenant in the face without warning or provocation at about 8:40 a.m. Tuesday in cell house 3 and that three other responding correctional officers were assaulted as well.

"She was seriously assaulted," Hellmann said. "He basically floored her."

Hellmann said the most frustrating part of the whole situation is that the inmate had "a long history of staff assault -- 32 prior staff assaults, in addition to other disciplinary issues during his history of incarceration."

He said the man has already received additional prison time for staff assaults.

"It is truly difficult for our membership to fathom that an inmate such as (name withheld) could commit 32 staff assaults while housed in IDOC and yet, this inmate has never been housed at the Tamms Correctional Center," Hellmann wrote in a letter to IDOC Director Roger Walker Jr.

The four officers were treated and released at Pinckneyville Community Hospital. Maupin and Hellmann presented displayed a lengthy list of staff assaults in PCC including five assaults in June alone including one early in the month from which an officer has yet to return to duty.

"We will not stand idly by and watch staff being assaulted without recourse," Hellmann said. "We feel Tamms should be utilized as a deterrent."

Tamms was created as a place to house those who assault prison employees and those who commit such acts should be sent there, Hellmann and Maupin said. Tamms has a 500-inmate capacity and currently houses 256, Fairchild said.

"There's no telling how many future assaults we can prevent by using Tamms," Maupin said. "They do send them elsewhere (after an attack) but none of these is the deterrent Tamms is."

"Serious staff assaults are occurring in the facility and they're not being sent to Tamms," Hellmann said.

Thoughts of Tamms as a deterrent are "absolutely appropriate," said Brian Fairchild, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Corrections.

"Assaults on staff can not be tolerated by the agency," Fairchild said.

But, he emphasized that while state DOC officials "take seriously" any assault of an officer there are procedures that must be followed before any inmate is sent to Tamms.

"The safety of staff and security of the facility are two of the most important things we do," Fairchild said. He said assaulting an officer can add seven years to an inmate's prison sentence.

Placement at Tamms is decided by a group of department officials who consider a number of factors regarding the inmate including past disciplinary problems, the character of the assault charges, number of assault charges, other conditions that affect a person's history including gang affiliations and whether or not there are mental health issues, Fairchild said. He said a person can be sent to Tamms even if they haven't personally assaulted an officer if officials determine that the person is a "gang kingpin" who orders assault or in some other way arranges assaults.

"There is a very careful review for any inmate who is engaged in a staff assault. We're very transparent as to the methodology of how placement is determined," Fairchild said. "We have to be very careful as to the screening process so someone with mental health issues that could be aggravated isn't sent there. We also have to make sure the placement is something that is not going to be challenged by some class-action lawsuit or special interest."

Fairchild and the union declined to identify either the officers or the inmate involved in Tuesday's incident. They said naming the inmate could hinder possible prosecution for the crime. However, Fairchild contends the man had just two prior officer assaults in his record. He said the man has been incarcerated since Feb. 23, 1979, on charges of rape, deviate sexual assault, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, armed violence and burglary. He received another five years in 1992 for aggravated battery.

"We stand by our numbers," Maupin said, regarding the number of staff assaults the inmate has been involved in. Fairchild acknowledged the inmate had "quite a few" problems of other sorts in prison including insolence and disobeying orders.

But, late Tuesday afternoon, Fairchild said the Tamms Placement Committee decided to send the inmate to Tamms.

"That's outstanding," Maupin said. "They did the right thing. It sends the kind of message to the inmate population that needs to be sent. It makes a safer workplace for our workers. This inmate assaulted somebody and he went to Tamms. What the director did today was right."

Maupin said he hopes it's the beginning of a new trend toward protecting staff at prisons.

mathis5@hcis.net 618-357-8391

[CET]

wow, I'm amazed that a man did 32 staff assaults and wasn't in the TAmms facility. It makes me wonder if this man is mentally ill or just that violent?

[JoshsGirl2003]

Tamms is a crazy place, I wouldn't want my guy going there ever. Thanks for sharing that story.