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WNIJ's summary of news items around our state.

IDOC Chief: Training Needed For Working With Women Inmates

flickr user / Michael Coghlan "Prison Bars" (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The Illinois Department of Corrections' director says staff at the major women's prison needs training on how to work with female inmates.

John Baldwin responded to a federally funded study of Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln released Friday that found women there are treated more harshly than men and end up spending more time behind bars than necessary.

Most women inmates were put together at Logan in a 2013 consolidation the report found ``chaotic.'' In a statement Friday, Baldwin says poor planning by a former administration ``was a setup for failure.''

He says IDOC is adding training on effective communication with women inmates and dealing with those who are mentally ill.

The assessment by the National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women was conducted for IDOC.

Meanwhile, the union representing guards at the main Illinois women's prison is embracing a report calling for gender-responsive training.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees state council said Friday it agrees with a review that says women were consolidated at Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln in 2013 in crowded conditions without adequate training.

The report by the National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women found that female inmates get harsher treatment than men because of misunderstood emotional reactions.

Ed Caumiant is AFSCME corrections liaison. He says the haphazard merger of women at Logan resulted in overcrowding, too few rehabilitation programs and ``a rash of inmate violence against staff.''

Caumiant says the union is ready to work with the Corrections Department to ensure proper staffing and training.

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