An official from within IDOC should be familiar with and visible within the communities impacted by the highest incarceration rates. In order to correct something that is broken, you have to be familiar with and connected to the origins of the problems. The institutions that should educate, employ and treat illness (physical and mental) in these communities are part of the problem and these issues certainly aren’t addressed in prison. In comparison to other prison systems, IDOC is rated as one of the worst. IDOC need to refocus by finding fresh new approaches to enhance the rehabilitation process. To be successful, the process must start at the top with the Director.
We need to stop doing business with companies that victimize Illinois’ most economically depressed people. Family members of prisoners who try to stay involved in their rehabilitation process pay excessive phone costs (IDOC takes 75% of phone charges from service providers, and the union used its political clout to influence legislators to earmark that money for security purposes only). Additonally, the cost of travel to and from the prison is a great financial burden which many families can’t afford.
Family bonding is an intricate part of the rehabilitation process, but there are policies and practices that restrict that bonding when they are used as methods of punishment. Practically every infraction of which a prisoner is accused involves phone and visiting restrictions. The Director needs to hold community forums that provide community leaders and family members a voice in other kinds of reforms that can be enacted which are fair to all involved parties.
IDOC is one of Illinois biggest budget expenditures therefore its contracts for goods and services should be used to create small business opportunities in the communties that are both impacted by the highest incarceration rates and the most economically depressed. A program should be created to provide contract opportunities for those who already have businesses and training for those who want to learn how to secure service contracts for prisons and prisoners. The program should include a fast track component and an opportunity to partner with an established business for training.