All Stateville Inmates Should Be Transferred Or Released Immediately, Lawyers Say

CREST HILL, IL — Attorneys representing the more than 400 inmates at Stateville Correctional Center in a class action lawsuit on Wednesday filed a motion seeking their immediate transfer or release, citing safety concerns such as extreme heat and falling concrete.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker in March announced a five-year plan to close and rebuild the prison, which was ranked last among Illinois corrections facilities in a state evaluation's building conditions index, according to civil rights law firm Loevy and Loevy.

“More delays invite serious injuries and possible death,” attorney Heather Lewis Donnell said in a news release.

Stateville is crumbling amid over $250 million in deferred maintenance, according to Loevy and Loevy, which noted the prison has extreme temperatures, unsafe drinking water, mold and vermin. The quarter house, which was built in the 1920s and houses most of the inmates, has concrete falling from the walls, the law firm said.

The condition of the prison has taken on an added layer of urgency since Michael Broadway died June 19 in his cell, according to Loevy and Loevy.

“The unlivable conditions at Stateville—including extreme temperatures, poor ventilation, and airborne and waterborne contaminants—likely played a role in his death,” the news release said.

While the Illinois Department of Corrections is unable to comment on active litigation, the agency previously indicated operations at Stateville are expected to begin to wind down no earlier than Sept. 13, which is 180 days since it filed its closure notice, according to WTTW.