LAWRENCE CO.—Another incident of violence has occurred at a downstate Illinois prison, and once again, it involves an inmate attacking a prison guard.
The incident occurred this afternoon at Lawrence Correctional Center (LCC) in rural Lawrence County, resulting in injuries to a correctional officer. According to published reports:
…inmates were being taken off the gallery and were on their way to chow, when the inmate attacked the corrections officer, stabbing him in the neck with what at this time is being reported as a pen. The officer, who was into his second eight-hour shift, also suffered multiple lacerations to the head and was taken to an outside area hospital. Caumiant could not confirm the guard’s status.
Our sources on the ground tell us that the correctional officer, Jeff Allen, suffered a broken thumb, a black eye, and a puncture wound to the neck. He’s doing okay, our sources tell us, considering the nature of the attack.
Our sources also advise that the fact that the inmate has been sent to Dixon Psych is an “ass-covering” move by DOC, as they’ve been under fire for not only overcrowding in the prisons, but for understaffing/overworking the guards and other staff.
Our opinion: a murder convict from Champaign County should be sent to a prison a little closer to CHAMPAIGN COUNTY. Vermillion County with its prison is right next door. What’s happening with these inmates is a combination of things: the violent ones are being sent into an environment where things are a little more laid-back (newer, downstate prisons) and are taking advantage of the younger, less experienced guards; and non-violent inmates are being swayed by the violent ones who come from upstate—and should be sent to harsher, upstate prisons—and the non-violent ones are popping off.
Solution: non-violent offenders, especially drug offenders and most especially marijuana ‘offenders,’ should NEVER be sent to prison. It’s a breeding ground for nutcases, and the people who are susceptible to the virus of nuttiness are only going to proliferate in the environment of prisons. It’s seriously time for reform; call your legislator and our idiot governor’s office and tell them enough is enough; don’t release the hardcases; release the potheads and bad check-writers, and corral the murder convicts, rapists, child molesters, etc, in more severe prisons than LCC.
A map of Illinois prisons