SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Corrections Lodge 263 President Scot Ward issued the following statement regarding House Bill 3564, the proposed Isolated Confinement Restriction Act, that would limit the time an inmate could be placed in restrictive housing to ten days during any 180-day period and would allow the inmate out-of-cell privileges while in isolation:
“This past weekend a correctional sergeant in Mt. Sterling was nearly killed when he was stabbed in the neck and head by a convicted murderer who was standing in the dinner line with other inmates. Under this proposed legislation, that inmate could only be placed in restrictive housing for ten days for his actions, and even during that time he would have out-of-cell privileges for things like watching T.V. or having yard recreation. Legislation like this encourages violence against correctional officers by not holding dangerous inmates accountable for their actions. How many wounded and killed officers will it take before our elected officials realize the sheer madness of coddling these criminals?”
The Fraternal Order of Police, founded in 1915, is the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. With a proud tradition of officers representing officers, the FOP is the most respected and most recognized police organization in the country. The Illinois FOP, chartered in 1963, is the second largest State Lodge, proudly representing more than 34,000 active duty and retired police officers – more than 10 percent of all FOP members nationwide. Visit www.ilfop.org for more information.