This is an example of what is happening in IDOC facilities because Illinois is short on money and cutting back on costs. The problem is that many IDOC facilities are old and haven’t been properly maintained for years now. Combine a lack of money and maintenance with an institutional and staff disregard for the welfare of inmates and people will die. We all know how hot this summer was. This man was young and not in poor medical condition. Lots of other inmates must take medication which may also increase their susceptibility to heat. There were plenty of complaints from inmates suffering from extreme heat aggravated by a lack of air conditioning and continuing overcrowding in IDOC facilities. No one should have to flood their cell with water just to stay alive. The question is what is going to be done about this?
Inmate’s death raises questions
BY BECKY MALKOVICH THE SOUTHERN thesouthern.com | Posted: Sunday, September 12, 2010 2:00 am | (7) Comments
RichardWanke.Com 
This pain and suffering was posted by Mrs. Ingram on ILPrisontalk.com concerning her husband’s death. No difference between his death and that of a crime victim. His suffering took over a day to occur before his death.
Husbands’ Unexplained death in Menard caused by inhumane conditions.
« on: Today at 03:38:31 PM »
We got a call Monday June 28, 2010, there was a change in custody. I found out he died and was mortified. His cause of death was unknown. Initial autopsy results showed no cause of death I was told by coroner. Had to wait to find out cause of death. Funeral was on July 17,2010 and thats when we found out that the prison may be responsible for his death. We were infomed that they had no running water in cell and no ventalation in extreme heat. On September 3,2010 was informed by funeral home cause of death was Hyperthermia due to heat exposure. This cofirmed what we were informed of at his funeral and it opened the wounds yet again. All my son does is cry and his four sisters aren’t to far behind. I try to stay strong for them but this has torn my family down. We are so distraught and the pain is unreal. It was already very difficult dealing with the incarceration and the circumstances that lead up to it. Now this is just like taking the knife and turning it after it has been jabbed in the back. This did not hae to happen. Isn’t a human beings life worth insuring the cells in the prison are at a life sustainig temperature. How may people have to die before something is done. I can only imagine how James suffered before he died. How could noone notice, thats not acceptable. It sickens me thinking about his last suffering day alive, praying to God for mercy and help. How could they let him suffer so, Isn’t a human life worth the effort to insure sufficent air to breath. I wish I could of heard his cries or been aware of his suffering. I wasn’t able to help then but I plan on giving him a voice now. This is a sensless death that has taking a piece of me and my children with it. Something has to be done.
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This is a very sad situation and I feel for the family of these two inmates. I understand that they did something to have them in this situation but “{no one” deserves to be treated this way. This is just another screw up by the IDOC Department. How many other prisoners are going to have to give their lives before someone takes a stand and does something about the situation in the prisons? They have no money to spend but yet they are keeping everyone locked up and feeding them garbage for food, charging for medical treatment, eye glasses and dental (if they can even get the attention they need) and some prisoners do not have anyone on the outside to send them money for anything. Sometimes they get $10.00 on the books from the state, but they have to now pay for their laundry detergent so they can have clean clothes and bedding. It seems that the Prisons are getting money from the state but what is it being used for? It is my understanding that the guards are making a lot more money because they are all getting a lot of overtime every week.
WHEN IS THIS ALL GOING TO STOP??????
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I pray for da families that lost there love ones who wus fighting for there life while paying da price for there actions… Right now today my husband is currently locked up in Vieanna,IL which he wus just moved from Big Muddy River where he complained to me numerous times of da heat no air at all.. In order to recieve air u had to purcase your own fan. If u did’nt have a love one on thee outside to send you money to get one u wus out of luck. Meaning u had to suffer an make away to get air on your own. Wha a shame how they dont pay any attentions to the humen beings in there. They think that the prisioner’s deserve to suffer sumthin has to b done like asap before this happen again..
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[…] IDOC Inmate Dies from Heat Exhaustion « RichardWanke.Com […]
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I cried when I read of your situation.
There is an element of people alive today, somehow evoked into existence in this country in particular, who thrive on causing physical or emotional harm to others. They are particularly attracted to work in prisons, because this is where they can freely engage in their sick behavior. Others in the general population, you can run into them frequently, don’t physically attack others to feed their blood lust, but do so vicariously in the knowledge that somewhere, someone under their jurisdiction, and by their desire (I’m an American Citizen! or something similar), is suffering. They will cloak their obscene desire in how right they are, or how deserving of punishment someone may be. But they cannot cloak their pleasure. Their sickness bursts forth from them with such force that they cannot even begin to hide their enthusiasm.
They are among us. I believe they are incurable.
Then there are those of us who do nothing. We know and we do nothing. Oh sure, I’ve written senators, congressmen, the Inspector general, more than I can list here (I have a huge filing cabinet full of such endeavors). I have done nothing.
I can tell you this: my actions are to no avail.
I am so angry with these who can do something – doing nothing, or worse; should the world come to an end tomorrow, Ii will at least have the comfort of knowing that that the evil has been taken with it, and the countless victims now incarcerated, hopefully, would now be at peace.
I pray every night, I search endlessly on the Internet. I write to those who do not care.
Sometimes I think that I should better rid the world of my own self if I cannot stop its mad and continuous torture and killing.
We need to think, and think more, on how to stop this.
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