By Brandyn Wilcoxen
The Southern Illinoisan, Ill.
CHESTER, Ill. — Nine more staff members were hospitalized over the past week from Menard Correctional Center, bringing the reported total number of hospitalizations to at least 27.
Among the hospitalized staff were two TACT team officers, a sergeant, three mailroom employees and two other staff members, according to a statement from Naomi Puzzello, public information officer with the Illinois Department of Corrections.
In late August, 19 people were hospitalized surrounding what was initially described as an “exposure,” according to State Sen. Terri Bryant, who is also a retiree from the IDOC. This included many Menard staff, at least one inmate and one emergency responder.
While the IDOC officially only referred to staff members “experiencing medical symptoms,” the AFSCME Council 31 union that represents correctional officers called it “harmful effects of exposure to an unknown foreign substance.”
Over the past week, the TACT team has conducted searches as part of an ongoing investigation at Menard Correctional Center, reporting several discoveries synthetic cannabinoids and at least one discovery of Fentanyl in the facility.
Two officers conducting the cell searches experienced medical symptoms and were taken to an outside hospital on Sept. 8 . A sergeant who was present for those searches reported feeling ill and was also transported to an outside hospital.
In a separate incident on Monday, Sept. 9, one staff member from the mailroom exhibited symptoms while opening mail and was transported to an outside hospital. The remaining staff in the mailroom were then relocated to the facility’s warehouse.
While in the warehouse, two mailroom employees exhibited symptoms and were taken to the hospital. One mailroom staff member was taken to the hospital without symptoms for precautionary measures.
Two other staff members, who were not in the mailroom, but came in contact with the first two mailroom employees, started exhibiting symptoms and were taken to the hospital.
All impacted staff were treated and released.
Across four days from Sept. 6 to 9 , the team made at least seven separate discoveries of pieces of paper that yielded a preliminary positive result for synthetic cannabinoids.
The team also discovered a book in the mailroom with several pages being covered in an oily substance, which yielded a preliminary positive result for Fentanyl.
The TACT team also confiscated two improvised weapons during its searches, and located a liquid substance in a nasal spray bottle that did not yield any known substance.
The Illinois State Police, supported by members of the Illinois National Guard, were called upon to test items of concern in the mailroom, as well as performing additional testing on all substances located during the weekend searches.
The investigation into the recent events at Menard are ongoing.
Sen. Bryant called upon Governor J.B. Pritzker and state officials to take action, starting with a change in leadership at the Illinois Department of Corrections. She said the issues seen at Menard are pervasive in other institutions throughout the state.
In the video below, Gordon Graham discusses the importance of safety checks in corrections.
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