Constructed 136 years ago in 1880, Folsom is the second-oldest penitentiary in the state. DONATELLI: This is likely another violence or homicide factory that the Bureau of Prisons is running. He died after two members of a white supremacist gang beat him until he was unconscious in a recreation cage at Thomson. [1] [2] It is a part of the Illinois Department of Corrections . Whenever they find an opportunity, they will cause problems and this is why assaults are common in this prison. They told hospital staff they should just poke Matt Phillips in his exposed brain and get it over with. Perhaps the most famous (or infamous) prison in America is the now idle facility on an island in San Francisco Bay known as Alcatraz. Big Muddy River Correctional Center: Located in Ina Illinois part of Jefferson County, Big Muddy River Correction Center is a medium-security prison. And understaffing at many prisons escalated to crisis levels during the pandemic, increasing risks for staff and incarcerated people alike. While acknowledging that a few inmates need to be held in the strictest conditions because they are so dangerous, critics contend that most prisoners could be safely housed at one of the state's three maximum-security prisons. When she flew home from Iowa, her son's last letter was waiting in her mailbox. I spent 13 days in isolation at the Stateville Northern Reception and Classification center in Joliet, Illinois. The most severely mentally ill inmates are housed in a section of the prison called J-Pod, one of the first stops on the visit. The bureau did not provide data on the use of restraints at Thomson. "I think you grieve longer and harder because you don't know [what happened], but you can imagine," Angela Everson said. "I think that's what bothers me the most. Opponents say Tamms and many other super-max prisons around the country warehouse mentally ill inmates and isolate others for so long that they develop psychological problems. SHAPIRO: It was the morning of March 2, 2020, in the rec cage at the newest federal prison at Thomson, Ill. Matt Phillips was in college when he got addicted. 25 Of The Nicest Prisons in the World - Wow Gallery | eBaum's World "It was a long horrible journey that ended in the worst possible way, a death with no degree of dignity at all," said Phillips' mother, Sue. The 20 Worst Prisons in America - moneyinc.com Illinois Department of Corrections - Wikipedia It has a capacity of 4,134 most dangerous inmates in Illinois. "Allegations of staff misconduct are taken seriously by BOP and are referred for investigation to the Office of the Inspector General.". The multi-facility Stateville complex isn't the only prison in Joliet, Illinois, either. Halden Prison Located in Halden, Norway, Halden Prison was established in 2010 with a focus on rehabilitation through its design. The reputed leader of the Maniac Latin Disciples street gang, Zayas is serving a life sentence for shooting to death three men in 1983 to avenge the murder of a friend. "Generally speaking, per BOP policy, restraints are not used as a method of punishing an inmate or in any manner which restricts blood circulation or obstructs the inmate's airways or in a manner that causes unnecessary physical pain or extreme discomfort," Taylor, the bureau spokesman, wrote in an email. Both are meant to house the largest possible number of living creatures in the smallest possible space, using the least possible amount of resources, with the barest minimum of interaction, assistance, or interference, an automated process predicated on the complete and total lack of compassion for the "livestock.". An April 2018 report by an agency that oversees prison conditions confirmed that multiple men in the Special Management Unit at Lewisburg were being chained and shackled, sometimes for days. "Here, these guys are secure. The family has been through this before. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. The federal prison complex in Thomson, Ill., where Bobby Everson was killed. Pennsylvania: Eastern State Penitentiary, Philidelphia. However, the root cause appears to be still there. And this February, the Phillips family filed a federal lawsuit, suing the bureau for failing to prevent Matthew's death. In stories that echoed with the same visceral details, dozens of men said they lived under the pressing threat of violence from cellmates as well as brutality at the hands of staff. The drinking water is considered to be unfit to drink, meals served are often less for an inmates nutrition requirement, living quarters or cells do not have clean sanitation services and so much more. They'll go to trial maybe later this year. Forget about your dreams and ambitions, your plans and goals, because those get put on hold too. Sign up for their newsletter, or follow The Marshall Project on Facebook or Twitter. The last prison on our list is Logan Correctional Center. This short prison documentary will show you some of the darker and dangerous aspects of prison. According to lawsuits, letters and interviews, the violence and abuse at Lewisburg simply relocated to the new facility. There have been five suspected homicides and two alleged suicides at the prison since 2020. Yet more than a quarter of the inmates have been at Tamms since its opening in 1998. Multiple men incarcerated at Thomson said officers would fabricate reasons to justify restraining them, writing on internal forms that they were making threats or slipped their hands out of cuffs and hit a guard. NoSleep'tilParole! 10 Prisons That Are Nicer Than Luxury Hotels - Money Inc According to a 2016 report by the Department of Justice, the conditions in this prison were found to be unacceptable because of several reasons. "I feel the staff here is purposefully trying to put me in situations of conflict," he wrote to his cousin Roosevelt Murray in late October. Bentham said the Panopticon conveyed "a sentiment of an invisible omniscience." The uniqueness of the Panopticon is that it allows security to observe (-opticon) all (pan-) the prisoners at once, without the prisoners being able to tell if they are being watched. In May 2021, over 30% of the prison's correctional officer jobs were unfilled, according to a letter by union officials. A judge sentenced . Best and Worst storylines in The Vampire Diaries : r - Reddit 1. What books are banned in Illinois Prisons? - Arts Life Until this deeply embedded filter is removed, the drug war will not be seen for what it is, the criminalization of lifestyle, no different from laws against "sodomy," which most will agree are ridiculous and intrusive on personal liberty in the extreme. In response, the Senate has formed a new group to investigate federal prison operations, and Bureau of Prisons Director Michael Carvajal announced his resignation in January. Famous Inmates: Pete Rose, John Gotti, Thomas Silverstein The U.S. Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois opened in 1963 and in 15 years became the United States highest control security prison. A windstorm has kicked up clouds of dust in southern Illinois and caused numerous crashes on Interstate 55. You become an inventory number, a line-item on a balance sheet. Bobby Everson and a letter he wrote to his family while he was incarcerated in the Special Management Unit at the new U.S. penitentiary in Thomson, Ill. Bobby Everson was nearing the end of his decade-long federal prison sentence, but he feared he wouldn't make it home alive. For women, they're even worse. You are on 24-hour-a-day lockdown, with your cellmate if you have one, and nothing else. With a capacity of 2,529 and opened in 1983, the prison is a medium security all adult male prison. He noted that people in federal prisons are not housed in "solitary confinement," because "in general, inmates in restricted housing are housed two to a cell." Justice Center Leoben, Austria: If you just have to commit a non-violent crime, like, let's say, dog theft, Leoben, Austria, is the place to go. Inside the Illinois Prison Known as "Hotel Hell" - HuffPost Since 2020, seven prisoners have died violently at Thomson. Shelton police charged a Bridgeport man with criminal possession of a firearm, stealing a firearm, possession of a large-capacity magazine, sale of a narcotic substance, possession of a controlled. The U.S. incarcerates more people than any other country--over two million. Gang fights and murder. But it sat vacant for years until the federal government bought the complex, at the urging of Illinois Congress members. Facts about the Illinois Department of Correction are highlighted Notable prisoners and the crimes they committed are touched on. Additionally, facilities in this prison are also deteriorating and if not taken care of in the coming years, they can get worse. When the family received the body, there were scars on his son's wrists. LAVONDA CLARK: He was talking about the guards, how mean they were. Bastoy Prison, Norway Image: gettyimages.com Source: UGC This is one of the cosiest places for prisoners in the world. It's been 150 years since the bridge collapsed, remaining the worst road-bridge disaster in American history. NPR's Investigative Unit teamed up with The Marshall Project to look at a penitentiary in Thomson, Ill., that is one of the country's most violent and dangerous federal prisons. But this is an undercount, as it doesn't include more serious incidents or deaths that were dealt with outside the prison disciplinary system. Everson, who was serving time for drug and weapon charges, had recently been written up for "threatening bodily harm" and "assault without serious injury," though prison records don't provide details. SHAPIRO: NPR got access to a U.S. Department of Justice document that says two of the guards mocked the dying man. A medium security state prison is located in Canton, Illinois, and was opened in 1989. "What price do you put on staff safety?"