Recent drug exposure incidents at several Illinois state prisons, including Menard, Pinckneyville, and Big Muddy Correctional Center, have sparked calls for reform. Former inmate Jake Ridge describes widespread drug use behind bars, often involving creative smuggling methods like dipping drugs onto letters.
Illinois State Senator Terri Bryant has been investigating these incidents, noting frequent ambulance responses for staff and even EMTs exposed to drugs. She says most drugs enter through legal mail and is advocating for prisons to adopt electronic mail scanning, a method already in use in some jails. Bryant hopes to work with other legislators and the Pritzker administration to tackle the issue, while Ridge calls for broader prison reform to address addiction.
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