State Representative Adam Niemerg is calling for the resignation of Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) Director Latoya Hughes, citing continued safety concerns within state correctional facilities.
Niemerg, who toured the Robinson and Lawrenceville Correctional Centers in October 2024, said the conditions for prison staff are unacceptable, especially with ongoing reports of illegal drugs entering the facilities and continued assaults on correctional officers.
“She’s been terrible,” Niemerg said. “We keep having Department of Corrections employees put in the hospital because of incompetent management and bad policies that favor the inmates over the safety and security of the corrections officers and employees.”
Last October, correctional employees held pickets at several Illinois prisons, demanding safer working conditions. Reports suggest illegal drug deliveries are being made through visitors and the mail system to inmates. Niemerg said he has offered potential solutions to intercept such mail-based smuggling but has seen no action from IDOC leadership.
“I have been contacted by current and retired DOC employees for nearly a year asking for help and finding a fix for these problems,” Niemerg said. “The bottom line is Governor Pritzker’s hand-picked director is responsible for the proper administration of the Department of Corrections, and the assaults and drug smuggling are still unsolved problems. Ms. Hughes must go!”
Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact Representative Niemerg’s district office at 217-813-6036 or visit RepNiemerg.com.
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