Crime & Law

Illinois Lawmakers Push for Independent Oversight of Department of Corrections

Some state lawmakers are pushing for independent oversight of the Illinois Department of Corrections — a new pair of eyes that the department’s director said isn’t necessary.

On Tuesday, the House Restorative Justice and Public Safety Committee held a subject matter hearing on a bill introduced by state Rep. Kevin Olickal (D-Chicago) that would establish an ombudsman’s office to independently monitor and inspect IDOC.

Earlier in the day, some members in the committee held a hearing on the department’s failure to stop or prevent incarcerated men from setting themselves on fire, despite two deaths.

“Under our current system, we are relying on IDOC to investigate complaints about IDOC. … That is not a sufficient model,” Olickal said at the hearing.

But IDOC Director Latoya Hughes told the committee that “an additional oversight entity is not necessary.”

IDOC, Hughes said, is already subject to extensive oversight. Externally, she pointed to the Illinois Office of the Executive Inspector General investigating allegations of fraud and the Illinois State Police assisting in investigating matters like serious assaults.

State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) said despite what’s in place, the call volume to her office from concerned families across the state has increased.

“What you’re doing isn’t working,” Cassidy said.

Grievances, an integral tool for incarcerated people to remedy issues with the department, are not subject to external review.

“Every step of the process, from the first review to the final appeal, ends with an IDOC employee or the IDOC director,” Olickal said.

The John Howard Association is the only independent prison watchdog organization in the state. John Howard supports the bill as there are limitations to what the organization can do. It cannot investigate claims, for example, or show up unannounced.

“I often describe us as the little Dutch boy with our thumb in the dike,” executive director Jennifer Vollen-Katz said. “We are begging for help.”

An ombudsman office for an Illinois state agency isn’t unprecedented. The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice has had an ombudsman for more than a decade.

Other states have long mandated independent oversight. One speaker at Tuesday’s hearing was Terry Schuster, ombudsperson for the New Jersey Department of Corrections. He said the office can serve as an outside, trustworthy source for families; a reporting mechanism for staff fearful of retaliation; and as a facility inspector, among other roles.

“I really don’t think that establishing independent oversight is a critique of the Department of Corrections,” Schuster said. “Often, I think it’s a really, really valuable partner.”

The bill did not make it out of the Illinois House earlier this year.

Contact Blair Paddock: @blairpaddock.bsky.social‬ | [email protected]  

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