A weekend drug-related incident at the Pinckneyville Correctional Center is drawing sharp criticism from the Darren Bailey/Aaron Del Mar governor campaign, which says the situation highlights what it calls a “total breakdown” within Illinois’ correctional system under Governor JB Pritzker.
According to reports, six inmates overdosed Saturday after being exposed to illegal drugs inside the facility. State officials have not yet disclosed how the drugs entered the prison or what security lapse may have occurred.
Aaron Del Mar, Bailey’s running mate, issued a statement Monday blaming the incident on what he described as failed leadership by the current administration.
“Let’s be clear: this is what happens when a governor is more focused on political games than public safety,” Del Mar said. “Under JB Pritzker, the Department of Corrections has become a leadership vacuum. Drugs making their way into a state prison is not an accident – it’s a symptom of an administration that has lost control.”
Del Mar argued that policies supported by the governor have weakened discipline and morale within the Department of Corrections, putting both staff and inmates at risk.
He added that a Bailey administration would “restore order,” bolster correctional officers, and enforce stricter accountability.
“If a director under a Bailey Administration allowed drugs to infiltrate a facility, they’d be removed immediately,” Del Mar said. “That’s accountability. That’s leadership. And it’s something Illinois hasn’t seen from JB Pritzker.”
Officials with the Pritzker administration have not yet released additional details on the incident or responded publicly to the Bailey/Del Mar campaign’s criticism.