THOMSON, Ill. — An Illinois union is stepping up to spotlight mental health resources for correctional officers in Iowa and Illinois, aiming to address a crisis impacting those in corrections, according to KCRG.
For Michelle Schwarz, the mission is deeply personal. Her husband, Blake, a correctional officer at Federal Correctional Institution Thomson in Northwest Illinois, died by suicide in 2023. Michelle told KCRG that she believes greater awareness and access to mental health resources could have made all the difference.
“He was a very serious person, very much about following the rules, and he was incredibly proud of the work he did,” Michelle shared. But the weight of his responsibilities took a heavy toll.
Looking back, she sees signs she missed.
“There were so many signs, I just didn’t know the resources to help him,” she told KCRG. “I did the best I could to try and support him, but I didn’t know the resources.”
Determined to spare others the pain she has endured, Michelle has joined forces with the American Federation of Government Employees Local 4070, a union representing correctional officers. Together, they’ve contributed $3,000 to the Gray Matters Collective, an organization that promotes mental health awareness in Eastern Iowa and Illinois, KCRG reports.
“Correctional officer suicide is at an all-time high,” said Haley DeGreve, founder of Gray Matters Collective.
The organization focuses on suicide prevention education and mental health wellness, equipping people to recognize warning signs and check in on those around them — as well as themselves, KCRG reports.
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“Make sure people know how to check on the people around them and check on themselves,” DeGreve said. “Check on themselves most importantly as well.”
For Michelle, the effort is about more than statistics.
“Statistics are just the numbers with the tears washed away,” said Michelle. “Unfortunately, my husband is a statistic now, but he’s not just a statistic, he was a father, he was a husband. I want there to be no one else that goes through this, and I want everyone to be able to go home to their sons and daughters and never have to feel like there is no way out.”
In October 2024, a bill named in honor of Blake was introduced to Congress to expand access to mental health resources for Bureau of Prisons officers.
The bill, called Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act of 2024 (HR 9929), would require the Department of Justice and Bureau of Prisons to establish grants for mental health screenings and referrals for corrections officers in federal and contracted facilities.
The AFGE union endorsed the bill, with the union’s president highlighting the elevated risks corrections officers face.
“Federal correctional officers work in some of the most dangerous and violent places imaginable and, as a result, are at increased risk for developing depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidality as compared to those in other professions,” national president Everett Kelley said.
