Making an appeal for support from unionized prison guards and law-and-order voters, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Glenn Poshard on Friday proposed a crackdown on inmate privileges and an increase in penitentiary staffing levels.
But Poshard’s Democratic rivals said his plans did not go far enough, and officials for the Illinois Department of Corrections in GOP Gov. Jim Edgar’s administration called him ill-informed on penitentiary policies.
The plan offered by Poshard, a Downstate congressman, called for the hiring of an additional 900 guards to beef up prison staffing, a stance long supported by the guard union. But he did not say how he would pay for the $27 million that officials said would be needed to fund the positions.
Additionally, Poshard called for restrictions on smoking and television viewing by inmates, eliminating free weights for inmate bodybuilding activities, forcing convicts to wear uniforms, banning “gang picnics and parties” and forming a gang-control unit in the prison agency.
“What consequence is there if someone commits an atrocity against society and they go into a prison situation where they have (perks) . . . that aren’t normally available to the communities that surround the prison?” Poshard asked.
Nic Howell, a Corrections Department spokesman, said the state already has restrictions on smoking in prisons, requires uniforms, bans picnics and parties and allows privileges to only those who merit them. Moves to take away privileges could incite violence in overcrowded prisons, he said.
“This is a prime example of a guy who is not informed. I understand he is running for election and there is a certain amount of rhetoric, but at least make it informed,” he said.
Another Democratic candidate, John Schmidt, said Poshard’s plan did not go far enough to totally remove gang activity in prison. And an aide to Roland Burris, who also is seeking the party’s nomination, said the candidate advocated strong rehabilitation programs for inmates.
