MURPHYSBORO ― Community members and inmates interviewed by The Southern this weekend say that up until just over two weeks ago, masks were considered contraband in the Jackson County Jail, causing COVID-19 cases to increase.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the county’s top prosecutor Joseph Cervantez have not directly addressed these claims, but say they are “working together to ensure the health and safety of those in the jail.”
“When the pandemic first began, the Sheriff’s Office took measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as recommended by the Illinois Department of Public Health. The Sheriff’s Office installed ionizers on the return air systems and deployed peroxide solution misters to help kill and prevent the spread of airborne contaminants. Masks, specifically N95 masks, were issued to all staff for mandatory use, and masks were also issued to all inmates who desired them. These measures continue today,” the statement read.
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The offices did not respond to additional requests to confirm or deny the allegations of masks being considered contraband for several weeks.
The allegations were brought to light during a protest this weekend outside the jail.
In a joint press release from the Jackson County Sheriff Robert Burns and State’s Attorney Joseph Cervantez, they argued proper quarantine procedures are in place.
A dozen protesters gathered outside the Jackson County Jail on Saturday to pray and to protest the treatment of inmates during a COVID-19 outbreak within the jail. The Southern learned of the protest through a flier dropped off at the newsroom the week prior.
Some of these protesters were mothers of men in the jails. One of these mothers called her son, who passed the phone off to other inmates within his block to speak to The Southern.
Raymond Grant, one of the protesters at the event, said a person's pre-trial status should not affect their ability to protect themselves. With a 200-person capacity, 151 people are housed at the Jackson County jail — of those, 106 are awaiting trial.
“Their pretrial status shouldn't preclude them from their constitutional rights, because in this country, we're considered innocent until proven guilty, and they have not had their day in court yet,” Grant said.
Luzzetta Gibbs, one of the organizers of the demonstration and a mother of a man in the jail, said they are asking for release of these offenders because of overcrowding.
“It's so crowded with the COVID. And they are allowing the positive ones, that's positive with the COVID, they put them with the ones that's negative. In other words, they saying you know, ‘(If) you die, you die,’” Gibbs said.
Authorities say the increase in COVID-19 cases at the jail in recent weeks mirrors that of the dramatic increases seen nationwide.
In a statement, county jail officials said the jail had no positive tests for the first four weeks of December. However, one inmate tested positive the week beginning December 28; 31 tested positive the week of January 5; and four tested positive the week beginning January 12.
Cynthia Campbell, a mother whose son is incarcerated elsewhere and caught COVID-19, showed up to support the demonstration. She said she believes some inmates without serious violent charges should be put on house arrest while awaiting trial as COVID-19 circulates in jails.
Cervantez said that the majority of those in the jail are “violent offenders.”
“Moreover, the Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Office has worked closely with local law enforcement to determine, on a case-by-case basis, which arrestees were sufficiently dangerous so as to require incarceration for the safety of the public,” the release said. “As of this date, the Jackson County Jail is operating at a mere 75% of capacity, but approximately 89% of the inmates awaiting trial in the Jail were arrested on charges relating to violent crimes and/or use of firearms.”
He said he came up with new directives to law enforcement during COVID-19 regarding who would and would not be sent to jail to avoid overcrowding.
“Our priority is maintaining the health and safety of all Jackson County citizens,” Cervantez said.
Multiple inmates who spoke with the Southern on Saturday by phone said there are 11 of them in their block — a room they described as a dorm with no way to separate.
One inmate said they were one of the first to test positive for COVID in jail, but instead of being sent to quarantine, they were sent back to their dorm and now everyone in that dorm tested positive. The 11 men housed in the dorm had chest pains, body aches, fatigue, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, vomiting and coughing, one inmate described.
In a statement to The Southern, the sheriff's department said when a person is arrested and taken to jail, they are tested “as soon as possible” and quarantined until a second test can be performed.
Five to seven days later, a second test is performed. If it is again negative, they are moved into the general population, the sheriff said.
Inmates within the jail who spoke with The Southern said up until two and a half weeks ago, masks were banned and considered contraband. Inmates said this happened after the 14-day quarantine period when an individual would first arrive at the jail.
Ginger Rye Sanders, a Carbondale councilwoman and member of Women for Change, attended the protest in solidarity.
“I'm here because I'm letting the inmates know that I hear them and I see them. And even though they can't speak up for themselves, we're here to speak up for them,” Rye Sanders said. “And there are some injustices that's going on inside of the jail … the fact that they have been unable to have masks to prevent this COVID … And recently I heard that about a week and a half ago that they did give them masks but nothing proactive was done.”
Rye Sanders said this is a violation of a person’s rights and not following CDC guidelines.
“So we're here to speak up for them. And hopefully the administration will make some decisions moving forward about individuals that are there that may be able to be moved out. And some kind of solutions and answers will be gathered for those who work on the inside,” Rye Sanders said.
Burns said in a statement that COVID-19 has presented “major challenges to our jail staff.”
“But we have been able to overcome those challenges by working cooperatively with the States Attorney and the Jackson County Health Department,” Burns said.
Photos: Tri-State Tornado of 1925
Damage from the 1925 Tri-State Tornado in Murphysboro. (Provided by Brett Berger)
Damage from the 1925 Tri-State Tornado in Murphysboro. (Provided by Brett Berger)
A panoramic photo of West Frankfort following the Tri-State Tornado in 1925. (Franklin County Historical Society)
Damage from the 1925 Tri-State Tornado in Murphysboro. (Provided by Brett Berger)
Damage is shown at the Industrial Coal Company Mine in West Frankfort after the Tri-State Tornado in 1925. (Franklin County Historical Society)
A downed water town at the Orient Mine after the Tri-State Tornado. (Franklin County Historical Society)
Damage from the 1925 Tri-State Tornado in Murphysboro. (Provided by Brett Berger)
Coal miners at Peabody Coal Co. #18 in West Frankfort came to the surface after the Tri-State tornado passed through the town to find a boxcar from an overturned train in the parking lot. The town lost more than 140 people, mostly women and children, in the March 18, 1925, storm.
This 1921 picture is of the Harrison School located North of Murphysboro in Somerset Township. Effie Cox and her brothers, Howard and James, were in the school on March 18, 1925, when the Great Tri-State Tornado ripped through Southern Illinois. Michael Jennings also attended this school from fourth grade through the first half of seventh grade.
Lawrance F. Paul stands amidst the remnants of his family home at 536 N. 15th St. in Murphysboro after the Tri-State Tornado leveled much of the town on March 18, 1925. A glass vase Paul recovered from the rubble -- the only item that weathered the storm -- remains in the family.
Typical scene in residence district of Murphysboro where 154 city blocks were destroyed in tornado of March 18, 1925.
Thirteen people perished when the Blue Front Hotel caught fire in the hours following the March 18, 1925 tornado.
Five students lost their lives when the March 18, 1925, tornado completely destroyed Logan School.
Three students died when the central section of the Murphysboro high school building collapsed during the March 18, 1925 tornado.
Nine were killed when the brick walls of Longfellow School caved in on the students and teachers. Courtesy Jackson County Historical Society in Murphysboro, Illinois.
