A staffing crisis is plaguing prisons across the country. In Illinois, there are nearly 30% fewer corrections staff than there should be. That leads to dangerous conditions for corrections officers and inmates.
But thanks to a new initiative that AFSCME Council 31 members fought for, the state will increase the number of training academies where cadets learn how to become corrections officers (COs). This will create more opportunities for Illinoisans to join the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) and keep their communities safe.
Council 31 members who work in IDOC have been dogged in fighting for the tools they need to do their jobs effectively.
Currently, people who wanted to become COs in Illinois have to attend a six-week academy at the state’s main training hub in Decatur, in the central part of the state. That can mean traveling up to 250 miles away for some cadets.
Due to security concerns, cadets are also not allowed to use their cell phones during training. Many qualified, would-be applicants found the distance from their homes and being cut off from their lives too much.
Soon, however, two new training hubs will be able to host cadets. One is at John A. Logan Community College, in Carterville, which will send cadets to work in prisons in the southern part of the state.
And the other is through the Elementary School District 54, in Morris, where a vacant middle school will be converted to a training center. Cadets trained there will serve in the northern part of the state.
The goal is to provide better, more localized access to a broader swath of Illinoisans who are interested in careers in corrections. The state estimates that this pilot program and ones like it could increase training class capacity by 300%.
It’s also great example of how AFSCME is continuing to staff the front lines in innovative ways by making it easier for qualified people to serve their communities in essential public service roles.
Public safety professionals are increasingly turning to AFSCME to build power at work, advocate for safety, secure better wages, improve health care benefits and ensure a stable retirement. AFSCME members in corrections, law enforcement and emergency response defend our freedoms and those of the communities we serve.
Visit the AFSCME Public Safety website to get involved and learn more.