PINCKNEYVILLE, Ill.—A Level 1 lockdown at Pinckneyville Correctional Center was explained by Illinois Department of Corrections spokesman Tom Shaer today per requests for information from Disclosure readers.
Shaer advised that the lockdown started with one cell unit last Wednesday night, November 12, 2014, and was extended to the entire facility for investigative purposes, starting on Thursday morning, Nov. 13.
“We need a lockdown (no movement except for medical and other necessary reasons) to have inmates available at all times to fit our schedule for interviews, searches and other standard components of investigations,” Shaer said, stating that the reason DOC investigates is “to determine if there is more behind an incident that meets the eye. It usually turns out to not be the case, but we’re very thorough before determining the exact ‘why’ of an occurrence. The investigation has thus far shown nothing unexpected.”
He explained that the incident began that Wednesday night at approximately 9:35 p.m.
“It involved two inmates in one cell and four correctional officers,” Shaer said. “Officers notified one of the inmates that his fan would be confiscated because it had been altered, which was noticed during a routine search of all cells in Wing R4. Each of the two inmates began resisting and created a physical confrontation. Three of the four officers were struck. The inmates were put to the floor by the four officers and a Lieutenant and secured with restraints.
All four officers asked to remain on their shift and all completed their duties, Shaer advised. One officer did not require examination in the PCC Health Care Unit (HCU); three were examined in the HCU—one officer showed no signs of the altercation and two had one laceration each. Again, all asked to remain on their shift and completed their duties.
The inmates were not injured and were taken to segregation cells and transferred to Maximum-Security Menard Correctional Center and High-Medium-Security Lawrence Correctional Center.
“They are receiving the highest level of punishment within IDOC and the Department has pursued criminal charges through the Perry County State’s Attorney,” Shaer said. “Conviction will result in a new, separate sentence added to their existing time due the State of Illinois.”
Shaer said that serious assault (striking another person) on IDOC staff was down 8 percent system-wide from Fiscal Year 2013 to FY14.
“IDOC also knows that serious inmate-on-inmate assault poses risks to staff breaking up such altercations,” he added. “Serious inmate-on-inmate assault was down 35 percent during the same period. Still, we take every incident very seriously and we recognize felons who made bad choices which landed them in prison could very well make similar mistakes while incarcerated.”