Carbondale Reporter

State Senator Terri Bryant addressed concerns regarding unsafe conditions in Illinois state prisons in a Facebook post dated November 26. "I have gathered information from at least 20 different facilities across the state," she said.

"For more than two years, I have been working to bring attention to the dangerous conditions that both correctional officers and residents at our state facilities have endured for far too long," said Bryant, according to Facebook. "As a result of these efforts, I have gathered information from at least 20 different facilities across the state regarding drugs, drugs found in the mail, staff exposure to drugs, inmate deaths confirmed to be drug-related, staff assaults, and homemade weapons."

According to Bryant, she included a video of her remarks from a recent press conference concerning drug exposures at the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC). "When that happened at Menard, my attention was turned in a new way," she said. She mentioned that documentation has been collected since May, highlighting over 100 staff members requiring outside medical attention and confirming several deaths due to drug interactions, including fentanyl exposures.

Screenshot of Sen. Terri Bryant's Nov. 26 Facebook post | State Senator Terri Bryant's Facebook post.

The incident at Menard Correctional Facility occurred in August. According to an August 29 report from WSILTV, a dozen staff members experienced medical reactions to an unknown substance. A spokesperson informed WSILTV that one staff member was transported to a hospital via ambulance, while 11 others were taken for medical evaluation. The investigation involved Illinois Poison Control and the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency Hazmat Team, leading to a lockdown of the facility and distribution of personal protective equipment to staff.

Bryant emphasized the gravity of the situation by stating, "But there have been people who have died." She indicated that coroners had urged her to address these issues during her closing remarks at the November press conference.

Bryant has been part of the Illinois General Assembly since 2014 and was elected to the state senate in 2020. Her background includes two decades with the Illinois Department of Corrections and various political roles within Jackson County's Republican organizations.