Progress Illinois

Last week, the organization Tamms Year Ten held a rally outside Chicago's Thompson Center to highlight the human rights situation at Tamms Correction Facility in downstate Illinois.  It attracted a number of speakers from state and city government, numerous religious leaders, and several individuals with personal experiences to share.  From a press release:

The event demonstrated the strong ecumenical opposition to the use of long-term isolation, and added momentum to the growing movement for reform of the prison. Besides the inhumanity of prolonged isolation, speakers identified the senselessness of spending $67,000 per prisoner per year at Tamms for conditions that induce or worsen mental illnesses, create barriers to reentry, and put Illinois in the international spotlight for human rights abuses.  By comparison, per prisoner costs are $20,736 at Menard, $32,693 at Stateville, and $33,031 at Pontiac where Illinois’ death row is located.

Below is a great video produced by the group:

Here is the list of speakers:

- Billy Ocasio, senior advisor to Gov. Pat Quinn
- State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston)
- Timothy McLean, IL Department of Corrections
- Vance Henry, Mayor's Office for Community/Faith-Based Initiatives
- Melvin Haywood, former Tamms inmate
- Johnnie Walton, former Tamms inmate
- Nedra Mixon, mother of Tamms inmate
- Rev. Larry E. Turpin, United Church of Hyde Park
- Jonathan Jackson, Rainbow PUSH Coalition
- Jane Ramsey, Jewish Council on Urban Affairs
- Junaid Afeef, Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago
- Rev. B. Herbert Martin, People's Church and Progressive Community Center

Check out this earlier post to learn more about the efforts to reform the policies at Tamms.