Amongst historic neglect and abuse, people in prisons continue to result in self harm to get any sort of reaction out of the prison system which willfully ignores all issues people face who are locked in prisons, jails, and detention centers everywhere, regardless of the consequences. In Illinois Department of Corrections, two known deaths have resulted from fires set in prison cells because of IDOC’s neglectful treatment of people inside, incompetence by prison guards, and neglectful upkeep of life saving equipment that could have been utilized to prevent these deaths. Prisons in general are places of unlimited harm, where $2 billion dollar budgets provide zero safety, and create such neglect that there isn’t enough lawyers in each state to handle all the lawsuits that should be advocating for the victims of the prisons.
JASON STEPHENS
On 7/27/24 Jason Stephens requested a crisis team, which is typically done when somebody locked inside IDOC is pushed to do something drastic. The request is an attempt to resolve problems people inside are facing and also used by those individuals to prevent self harm. On 7/27/24 Jason was denied a crisis team, which happens far too often, resulting in horrific outcomes.
At 10:00pm on 7/27/24 at IDOC’s Joliet Treatment Center, a fire alarm was called in an isolated area of the prison. CTOS Timothy Hines #6243 was the first response into Dorm 1 A– Wing, which was already completely full of smoke. Hines and other staff arrived seeing that cell A-11 holding Jason Stephens was completely “engulfed in flames”. The food port was opened up and a fire extinguisher was used, putting the fire out. Still not opening the cell, Hines ordered Jason to cuff up. There was no response so Hines sprayed pepper spray into the cell through the food port, eradicating any last chance of taking a breath Jason still had. This is common practice when a person does not respond to being told to cuff up. Hines told Jason to cuff up again with no response. Hines could not see inside and had no visual confirmation of Jason because of the heavy smoke inside the cell. Hines left the wing because he himself couldn’t breathe, leaving Jason’s cell door closed, with no way for the smoke to clear out. Jason was left inside with no oxygen to breathe, leaving the question where were the emergency Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses known as SCBA to be utilized for cell extraction. Looking through SCBA records of monthly inspection, show that the last recorded month where the inspection labeled the SCBA as “full” in Dorm 1 A wing, was July 2023., an entire year before the fire that left Jason stranded in his cell. The SCBA were not labeled as “full” until after the fire killed Jason in August 2024. Records show every month until then, the SCBA in Dorm 1 A-wing and at times nearly all SCBAs in Joiliet Treatment Center were labeled as “Empty(storage)”. But even when the oxygen tanks were labeled full, many of the SCBA sets themselves were still incomplete until going out for service in December 2024 and January of 2025. Leaving many people in threat of death, while IDOC’s $2.032 billion dollar budget remains incapable of keeping anyone safe.
The guards came back to the A-wing “after some time” and went to cell A-2 where Bobby, the only other person held on the wing was located. Bobby was upset, refused cuffing up and was pepper sprayed through the food port. He then put his hands through the food port and cuffed up, and was escorted out in his wheelchair to the day room for medical attention and an eye flush from the pepper spray. While Jason was still unresponsive with no visual of him inside his cell, CTOS Hines told Commander Evry the smoke was too thick for anyone to be inhaling. When the fire department arrived they were able to help remove Jason from his cell and lift him onto a medical gurney to be transported to the ambulance.
At 10:30pm, 30 minutes after the initial response to the fire, the ambulance driver seated inside the ambulance at the front gate was trying to get Jason to the hospital. The driver got into an exchange of words with Officer Abayomi Obadein #8331. The frustrated ambulance driver then says “fuck you” and officer Abayomi Obadein responded “fuck you too”. The ambulance driver responded with ” I will kick your fucking ass”. Which then officer Abayomi Obadein escalated the situation putting Jason in further danger. Officer Abayomi Obadein opened up the ambulance door and said “go ahead”. With concern for the patients safety, firemen on the scene then had to get involved saying “you will have to deal with 5 more of us”, and so instead of getting Jason to the hospital, more prison staff was called to the sallyport of the main gate. Abayomi Obadein #8331 referenced following protocols as the reason he wouldn’t open the gate for the ambulance driver. Which then lead to a longer wait for Jason to be transported to the hospital. If there are protocols to be followed, he broke them while engaging with outside medical staff in a hostile manner, delaying Jason’s time sensitive arrival to the hospital. Opening the door of the ambulance to fight the driver is preventing the driver from performing his job and shows deliberate indifference, violating Jason’s 8th amendment rights by disregarding Jason’s serious medical needs. Besides delaying Jason’s adequate medical access, his actions could have left the driver incapacitated, leaving Jason with no transportation to the hospital all.
Around 10:50pm to 11pm, additional staff including Hines #6243, Brodie #6260 and Binns #12824 arrived at the sallyport of the main gate. Brodie and Hines escorted Obadein away from the front gate, and Jason was finally taken to an outside hospital. Jason died on 8/10/24 with the Cook County Medical Examiners office labeling his manner of death “undetermined” and his primary cause of death “complications from inhalational injuries, mattress fire”.
Earlier that day in the B-wing at 5:45pm Latayuss set fire to a toilet paper roll and milk carton in his cell doors food port. CTO Valazques #6725 noticed the fire, opened B-wings door to let the smoke out and took the burning materials outside. Which was the opposite of what happened with Jason, with there being no mention of any attempts to increase any air flow in A-wing during the time Jason was trapped in a burning cell. And Jason’s fire wasn’t noticed until the wing had already filled with smoke.
Latrell Edwards
At 9:00pm on 11/05/24. Latrell Edwards held in Dorm 5 A-wing cell A-15, fished a flame and set a fire in his cell. But no alarm and calls for help were heard until much later.
At 10:04pm guards arrived to Dorm 5 A-wing. Williams #762 and other guards responded and could only see dark smoke in the hallway, with the sounds of loud banging and screaming for help coming from the cells in the wing. Guard Bridges reported going to Dorm 6 to grab SCBA but the box was empty, they then went to Dorm 1 and were given SCBA. They went to Dorm 5 to assist with cell extractions but then their oxygen tanks went empty. The rest of the staff that had on SCBA were only able to get a few people confined on that wing out, before their SCBA gear quickly ran out of oxygen. Williams ordered all staff off the wing because of the amount of smoke. Brodie #6260 and Ledbetter #15126 were unable to continue getting people out of their cells, and opened the back door of the wing to let the smoke out, but the guards were not equipped to help anyone. When fire department arrived they were able to enter and get to Latrell, while the 9 residents were escorted to the dayroom in Dorm 5 B-wing.
By the time the fire department arrived the hall had started to clear from the smoke. When they opened Latrell Edwards cell door it was too late, he must have been pressed up against the cell door grasping for air, when the door opened he collapsed out of the cell onto his stomach. The fire department then put out the fire, Latrell was cuffed up and taken to the dayroom where attempts at taking his vitals were unsuccessful. The Joliet Fire Department did a medical evaluation and stated Latrell “needed to be transported via ambulance immediately to the local hospital due to black soot in the residents throat and the residents heavy labored breathing”. He was taken to St. Joseph Hospital “for his injuries” where he died 2 months later. The medical examiners office records for Latrell Edwards death documents the incident happening on 11/05/24, showing his date of death was not until 1/12/25. With his manner of death still pending.
CTS Williams suggested Bridges take the SCBA to get filled at the fire department in the morning. But even when the SBCA’s are labeled as full, this information is not accurate. Both 10/1/24 and 11/1/24 SCBA monthly inspections were labeled as full for all locations in Dorm-1 and Dorm-5, showing monthly inspections are clearly not enough.
Ongoing frustration due to neglect and harm by prison staff is apparent and resulted in multiple altercations after the fire. While everyone was handcuffed to the dayroom tables in B-wing, Deshawn spit at CTO Dismukes #15019. Dismukes responded with hitting a very vulnerable man in the head, saying he “responded immediately as self defense by striking resident Deshawn in the head because I feared he’d spit and/or lounge at me again”. Dismukes was then escorted off the wing. How can beating a man handcuffed to a table be self defense? This is why people inside feel forgotten. Upon escorting everyone from the wing back to their cells, Latayus headbutted Adeyamo #151713, and wrapped his leg irons around Brodies leg and tripped him. And then was put back in his cell.
As ongoing frustrations continue to build with no real medical, mental health, and protections from abuse in sight. How will people inside continue to be there for one another, and fight for themselves and each others rights, and when will the outside world get involved in a more liberatory way?
JASON STEPHENS and HIS FIGHT AGAINST IDOC’s MEDICAL NEGLECT
On 5/17/24 Jason Stephens was transferred from Lawrence Correctional Center to Joliet Treatment Center. Upon intake examination he was immediately sent to St. Joseph’s ER in Joliet IL for treatment and evaluation due to his extremely painful sickle cell disease worsening into a “sickle cell crisis”. Sickle cell crisis causes a block of blood flow resulting in organ damage, stroke, bone tissue death, anemia, difficulty breathing, and chronic pain. Rampant abuse, deadly force, and uninhabitable conditions for people held in jails, prisons, and detention centers with zero access to adequate medical care, cause people to enter sickle cell crisis. While simultaneously sickle cell crisis is consistently used by these institutions to torture and cover up murders at the hands of cops and CO’s. It was even brought up in George Floyd’s murder as a failed attempt to excuse Derrick Chauvin. And used to acquit 6 guards for the murder of 14 year old Martin Lee Anderson, who was beaten and suffocated by guards during his first day at the Bay County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center’s bootcamp. Martin, named after MLK, had been found guilty of breaking curfew and stealing candy.
On 6/7/24 at 7:45pm Jason Stephens was in physical duress and severe pain from sickle cell, because he was held in solitary, he was handcuffed to a table in the dayroom for medical evaluation. He was given his prescribed medication, which he always said was never enough, and was denied outside treatment by Nurse Aldridge. After constant requests to be taken to an outside hospital for care he was not receiving in IDOC. Jason warned CTOS Leturgey #7070 he would self harm, resulting in him being strip searched and placed on a 10 minute crisis watch.
10:35pm Jason attempted self harm in efforts to be seen by a medical professional. He swallowed something tied to a string, and reported to guards he had swallowed glass. Swallowing things tied to a string is a technique people in prison use to visually show guards and nurses that their threats of self harm in protest of neglect are viable. Without the visible string it is easier for guards and nurses to ignore and invalidate the reality of the situation, just as they do with all medical and mental health issues faced by people in their custody.
On 6/13/25 at 1:15pm after ongoing requests for proper medical attention, Jason again swallowed an object in attempts to be seen by an outside hospital. He was given meds for his sickle cell and sent to St. Joseph ER to have the object removed. RN Lindow noted he swallowed the object to get the medical care he needs.
On 6/30/24 at 10:45pm Jason one again requesting outside treatment had a string hanging out his mouth and said he swallowed glass. He was placed on watch by Dr. Kucera, cleared good to go by RN Alex, and was ordered an x-ray. He refused to go back to his cell until he received outside medical attention.
On 7/1/24 at 11:25am Jason was still in the dayroom. CTOS Martin #2791 contacted medical to ask about Jason’s test results because Jason was still refusing to go into his cell. Martin spoke with Dr. Henai and Shift Commander Crudup, both who had not been notified of the incident, and did not know about the “fishhook” in Jason’s mouth. On 7/2/24 8:00am Jason still had the string hanging from his mouth. He had been taken to St. Joseph’s the day before but refused treatment because he wanted to go somewhere else, because of previous attempts of getting people at St Joseph’s to address his pain from being in a sickle cell crisis. At 8:20am Jason covered his cell doors window with his mattress. He was told to move it, and he responded that when he went to St. Joseph’s hospital “they didn’t do shit” for him. He stated he swallowed the string so he could seek medical treatment for his sickle cell crisis. He stated he would do whatever it takes, including self harm, to get the treatment he needed, hoping the outside hospitals would look into it. Martin expressed that “Stephens is determined to cause issues until his medical needs are addressed”. On 7/4/24 8:00am Jason still on crisis watch, and had his unauthorized underwear and t shirt he was wearing taken away. He was only approved to have a safety smock, a safety blanket, and a mattress.
On 7/27/24 Jason after all attempts to get himself help and seen for outside medical treatment for his sickle cell, Jason started the fire in protest. Jason experienced every type of neglect possible before starting the fire, and all of it in the end, killed Jason Stephens.
On 8/10/24 1:53am Jason Stephens died, primary cause of death “complications from inhalational injuries, mattress fire”.
LATRELL EDWARDS, NO MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS,
4 POINT RESTRAINTS AS THERAPY
On 8/22/24 3:04am Latrell had self harmed, he had wrapped a cord around his neck, and had cuts on his forearm and antecubital.
On 8/25/24 2:30am Latrell had self harmed, cuts on upper abdomen and antecubital. He struggled with staff, and was wrestled on the floor, put in cuffs and secured to a table for medical care. He was then put in 4 point restraints.
On 8/26/24 5:30pm Latrell goes on hunger strike until 8/27/24 at 10:55am.
On 8/28/24 8:00am Latrell was told to stop banging on his door and yelling. At 8:15 he started flooding the deck by holding his blanket in the toilet and repeatedly flushing it, spilling water out into his wing. He then put his right arm into the food port box of his cell door, punched it with his left arm, and threatened to hit the guards with feces. He was told to cuff up, and he refused. He was then pepper sprayed by Hernandez #12780 in attempts to “stop Edwards from further damaging the food port box”. After being pepper sprayed he cuffed up, and was given mental health assessment when he spit at mental health. He was put in a spit mask, and ordered to be in 4 point restraints at 9:35am. He fought being placed in 4 points, biting Hernandez arm and hand, and was able to get an arm free. At this point 5 guards came to put him in restraints, and he was ordered a forced medication by Dr. Sangster and given the forced shot by RN Shah. After about an hour of trying to get free, he was fully put in 4 point restraints. He was offered medical assessment, and told the guards to get the fuck off my door mutherfuckers”.
On 8/29/24 4:00pm Latrell self harmed, blood coming from his arm, and he reopened his stomach wound, taking out the stitches from his previous act of self harm. He complied to being cuffed up, but wanted to be taken to an outside hospital for medical care, refusing medical at JTC stating “I don’t want you to touch me, I don’t trust you guys here. You do something to the blood you take here. I will do more self harm if you don’t send me to the proper hospital”. He was forced into 4 hour 4 point restraints at 4:55pm.
On 9/1/24 8:55am Latrell requested protective custody fearing for his and his families life.
On 9/7/24 4:05am Latrell refused his breakfast tray, and declared a hunger strike but ended it at11:00am.
On 9/10/24 4:30am Latrell again cut open his stomach wound and was put into 4 point restraints.
On 9/17/24 9:45am Latrell was secured to the dayroom table to get his stomach wound dressing changed, when he revealed he put staples in his arm and stuck a “seg pen” in his penis. The staples were removed, he was ordered and refused being put in 4 point restraints. He tried to remove his handcuffs and was put into a restraint chair. He was deescalated and allowed to remove the pen from his body himself. He was strip searched and then put into 4 point restraints.
On 9/23/24 10:27am Dorm 1 A-wing. Everyone locked up was told they will not receive their medication that day “due to time frame being over the 1 hour window”. Latrell and Allen responded to the neglect by flooding their cells.
On 9/28/24 11:00am Latrell was banging his head against the door and wall in his cell. He stuffed his safety smock in the toilet and started flooding the cell. Mental health responded by more time in 4 point restraints as therapy.
On 10/1/24 4:30pm Latrell was being escorted back to his cell from a medical dressing change, when he demanded to know where his property was. He began to struggle with the guards who called the ERT. Upon arrival they immediately sprayed Latrell with OC spray, even hitting CTOS Leturgy and CTO Dismukes who were wrestling with him. Latrell was take to the ground, taken to get his face flushed, and then put back in his cell.
On 10/3/24 12:40pm Latrell swallowed 3 screws from his cells light cover, cut his testical, and reopened his stomach wound with 2 other screws. His wounds were clean and he was then put into 4 point restraints.
On 10/16/24 11:10am Latrell was in his cell we he was observed swallowing a handful of pills, thought to be Cymbalta, Prolosec, and Tylenol. Latrell said he “wanted to get high to be possessed”.
10/17/24 4:08am Latrell went on hunger strike for “administrative” reasons.
10/22/24 2:02pm Latrell Julian and Hudson in response to conditions inside, broke windows to surrounding doors and ripped shelves off the wall. Latrell had also self harmed by reopening his stomach wound.
11/25/24 9:00pm Latrell started a fire in his cell, with no alarm being rung for an hour. He was unable to escape the cell until the fire department came. He was taken to St. Joseph Hospital “for his injuries”. Dying 2 months later at Kindred hospital in Chicago at 6:40am.
ONGOING TORTURE AND NEGLECT
These 2 mens stories at JTC are just a portion of what they endured while held in IDOC. Only made available by the extreme circumstances that killed them, but similar stories are happening everyday. Solitary confinement which can restrict all communications to the outside world, leaving people inside to seek help from the same people that left them for dead. Medical neglect is everywhere, with no real solutions for people until their issues become life threatening. Mental health is not an option in prisons and many people are consistently put in cycles of incarceration for reacting to abusive treatment and policies. Often accumulating more time on their sentence because of how they are forced to react to subhuman standards of living, with no end in sight.