News & Commentary

The Chicago Tribune reports that Governor Pat Quinn plans to close Illinois “supermax” prison at Tamms. Although this is for budgetary reasons, this is a big step forward in the ACLU of Illinois’ fight against the inhumane practice of solitary confinement in our prisons.

We applaud the announcement by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, regarding the closure of the “super max” prison facility at Tamms.  Since its opening in 1995, Tamms has been an enormous burden to Illinois taxpayers and done irreparable harm to detainees by its use of long-term solitary confinement without any human contact. The best estimates are that housing an Illinois prisoner at Tamms costs three times more than the average of other correctional facilities in Illinois.  It is little wonder that the Governor has decided to shutter the facility.Tamms also has become a symbol for harsh treatment because of the use of long-term solitary confinement.  Some detainees at the facility were held in these conditions for up to a decade – causing profound and irreparable harm that has been criticized by human rights groups, legal experts and a federal judge.  We hope that the closure of Tamms will cause the Illinois Department of Corrections to re-think their use of solitary confinement in all state facilities.  Other states have reduced their reliance on solitary confinement without any increase in the rates of recidivism of prisoners or violent crime.

The

Cook

Melissa was pregnant at the time of her arrest in 2006; she gave birth in shackles. Melissa was in shackles two days prior to giving birth to her son. As she delivered her baby, her wrists were handcuffed to the bed, a leg iron chained her to the stirrups, and a male sheriff deputy sat in the room, watching TV, as Melissa wailed in pain. This is just one of many stories of incarcerated women in Illinois who have suffered the harm and indignity of giving birth in chains.