The Illinois Sheriff’s Association filed suit against Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Corrections yesterday for their refusal to accept parole violators and convicted individuals from county jails into correctional facilities.
On March 26th, Pritzker unilaterally suspended all admissions into IDOC facilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. IDOC said at the time that proper installation of intake procedures and safety precautions needed time to be implemented. The lawsuit accuses IDOC of never implementing the procedures, forcing county jails to harbor criminals.
The lawsuit also alleges that health of inmates and space have become issues for county sheriffs at local detention facilities. The local sheriffs have had to shoulder the responsibility of housing detainees while ensuring health of the local department and county inmates.
