EAST MOLINE, Ill. — Correctional workers throughout Illinois are calling for stronger security measures and better protections from the state’s Department of Corrections. On Thursday, Oct. 17, employees picketed outside the East Moline Correctional Center, as well as at more than two dozen other facilities across the state.
The protest, organized by AFSCME, the union representing over 10,000 Illinois prison workers, aimed to highlight issues such as staff shortages and the growing presence of dangerous substances smuggled into facilities. Workers report frequent exposure to synthetic drugs like fentanyl and K2, sometimes soaked into mail, which puts their health at risk.
“We’ve seen 27 drug-related incidents at East Moline Correctional Center since July of last year, leading to multiple staff assaults,” Mark Bramm, president of AFSCME Local 46 said. Bramm and other union members are urging the state to expedite the hiring of new staff and increase safety protocols to reduce exposure to dangerous contraband.
In response, the Department of Corrections issued a statement emphasizing their intensified screening efforts, the deployment of tactical teams, and ongoing collaboration with state agencies to address the issue. However, union leaders argue that more immediate action is needed to ensure worker safety.
"Our safety matters, it mattered yesterday, and it matters tomorrow," Bramm said.
The union plans to continue pressuring the Department of Corrections until they see meaningful changes in staffing and security measures across the state.
