", "With a shift to evidence-based programming and the utilization of early release mechanisms for our most vulnerable population, I am pleased this legislation will further reduce the prison population and recidivism rate," said IDOC Director Rob Jeffreys. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune). The House took up a constitutional amendment to the states Bill of Rights that says Illinois workers shall have the fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively for the purpose of negotiating wages, hours, and working conditions.. "I watched helplessly as my father died a lonely death behind bars," said Joe Coleman, Jr. "I thank the Governor and the General Assembly for ensuring no other family has to experience that despair, and for doing so in the honor of my father. After a deadly second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Illinois prisons sickened thousands of workers and inmates, the state will begin vaccinating both groups in the coming week a plan that drew praise from advocates but provoked the ire of some lawmakers who argue criminals should not be prioritized. Lester Mason, 76, at the home of his nephew in East Peoria on Dec. 14, 2020. The board also makes recommendations for clemency petitions to the Governor. J.B. Pritzker last week claims that the states prison system has failed to protect medically vulnerable prisoners from COVID-19. We must act quickly. In a November interview, she told the Tribune that he used to phone her once a week from Stateville and that, during one call, she noticed he could barely speak. Amanda Antholt, one of the attorneys representing the prisoners, said the settlement will likely affect up to 1,200 inmates across Illinois prisons. Medical furloughs, which Gov. Andrew Sullender reported from Springfield, Rachel Hinton from Chicago. INSTEAD, THERE IS A FIXED RELEASE DATE, ASSUMING GOOD TIME IS SERVED, SET BY LAW AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRISON TERM. In cases of medical On April 22, 2020, Chicago area civil rights groups came together to write a letter of support for the actions of Illinois Governor Pritzker. Pritzker could slow the spread of COVID-19 at Cook County Jail, Prisons worldwide risk becoming incubators of covid-19, Pritzker criticized over quiet commutations, not releasing medically vulnerable, Request for broad prisoner release untenable on class-wide basis, Ill. Judge Won't Expedite Prisoners' Release Amid COVID-19, Federal judge declines to step in and order Illinois to release more inmates in the face of COVID-19 threat, PRISONERS IN ILLINOIS DESCRIBE DIRE CONDITIONS AMID CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK, Pritzker Signs Executive Order Allowing Prisoner Furloughs, Pritzker Signs Executive Order Allowing Medical Furlough for IDOC Inmates, Activists Fight to Prevent Virus Spread in Prison Petri Dishes, As COVID-19 Spreads, Advocates Sound Alarm For People In Prisons And The Communities Around Them, As COVID-19 Spreads, Advocates Sound Alarm For People in Prisons And The Communities Around Them, Stateville prison outbreak signals COVID-19 threat to inmates, surrounding hospital systems, Illinois prisons and rural healthcare systems facing crisis due to slow COVID-19 response, Pritzker named in suit to free prisoners at risk of COVID-19, Civil Rights Attorneys Launch Legal Challenge to Free Prisoners At Risk of Coronavirus, 1st Illinois prison inmate dies of COVID-19, health officials say, Group Calls On State To Release Inmates After COVID-19 Death At Stateville Prison, Stateville inmates with Coronavirus taken to Saint Joseph Medical Center, Alarm grows as Cook County, state struggle with what to do with the incarcerated in the face of COVID-19, Illinois inmate dies from COVID-19; dozens more sickened, Jails and prisons could become coronavirus disaster. Since the start of the pandemic, more than 10,800 Illinois prisoners and 4,200 staff members tested positive for COVID-19, according to the department of corrections. As of Monday, more than 10,800 state inmates and 4,200 staff members had tested positive for the virus, according to IDOC statistics posted online. (Family photo). The most recent numbers provided by IDOC show that 87 prisoners and one staff member have died of COVID-19-related causes since the beginning of the pandemic. The House-passed bill, HR 5682, establishes a new program of time credits (sec. Vaccinating prisoners is good public policy. Suburban Crime Groups that track national virus data for state and federal prisons, such as the COVID Prison Project and The Marshall Project, place Illinois about average on lists comparing infections based on inmate populations, but Illinois has one of the higher death tolls. J.B. Pritzker is deploying medics from the Illinois National Guard to the Illinois Department of Corrections facility, where advocates have declared a disaster.. A stress fracture in his shin. It was dropped near the main entrance of the prison near Joliet by Jennifer Lackey of Northwestern Universitys Prison Education Program. Then the Power Started Going Out. So far, three incarcerated men in Illinois two who had been housed at Stateville prison in Crest Hill and a detainee at the Cook County Jail have died from complications related to the coronavirus. I could hear it in his voice, that he was close, said Susan Hertzberg, as quoted in a petition her lawyer filed with the state seeking early release. In April, CDCR expedited the release of almost 3,500 incarcerated persons serving a sentence Terminally ill incarcerated people would only be eligible if they have family able to care for them and are expected to die within 18 months, OConnor said, adding the new measure would be used when being imprisoned doesnt make a difference anymore., But state Sen. Terri Bryant pointed to cases in the states Department of Corrections where physicians said someone would imminently die over and over and over again.. "Too many seriously ill people in prisons are getting substandard medical care at exorbitant cost to the state," said State Representative Will Guzzardi (D- Chicago). << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1028 >> At last count, more than 3,200 staff and 6,900 inmates have been infected since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Dec. 22 state data. LockA locked padlock Antholt said the settlement also ensures the Department of Corrections is providing training to all the relevant facilities' staff about how to accommodate the needs of vulnerable prisoners. "(The prisoners) have provided no convincing reason for a federal court to intrude here and now -- either to issue a blanket order for the release of thousands of inmates or to superimpose a court-mandated and court-superintended process on the mechanisms currently in place to determine which IDOC inmates can and should be safely removed from prison facilities at this time," the judge wrote in his 48-page opinion. Built in the early 1920s and dubbed the roundhouse, the unit was used to quarantine infected inmates. If you are in contact with a friend, family member, or other loved one who is currently in IDOC custody and believe that your loved one would be comfortable with you sharing their information with us, please take a moment to fill out this survey. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). Matthew Echevarria's photos are displayed at his mother's home in East Dundee on Dec. 4, 2020. The application of credits is expected to begin within the next 30 days, the court document states. Thousands of prison workers have been sickened, including a correctional officer who spent a month on a ventilator fighting COVID-19 in March. Official websites use .gov ESSENTIALLY, ONLY INFORMATION ON PRISONERS RELEASED IN THE 1970'S IS AVAILABLE IN ANY DETAIL. She said prison officials did not notify her or Wilsons wife that he was hospitalized until the family made repeated phone calls. The federal lawsuit asked the court to issue an emergency order that would have authorized the release of roughly 13,000 state prisoners. On January 13th, state legislators approved a colossal 764-page police and criminal justice reform bill that includes major changes, such as ending the practice of cash bail and money bonds, requiring all officers across Illinois to wear body cameras, and easing restrictions placed on those convicted of lesser charges. J.B. Pritzkers failure to release vulnerable prisoners from overcrowded facilities will cost unnecessary loss of life behind bars and in surrounding communities, say advocates and medical professionals. In an effort to address the COVID-19 pandemic inside the states prisons, CDCR implemented emergency measures to protect all those who live and work in our state prisons, and the community at-large. May 12, 2020: Arkansas state officials announced that 300 inmates had been released from state prisons, and the states Board of Corrections have made over 1,200 inmates eligible for parole since April. Camren Wynter hit a three-pointer with 0.7 seconds left to give Penn State a 68-65 victory against Northwestern. Early in the pandemic, Pritzker signed an executive order that temporarily stopped the transfers, but they resumed in early August after the Illinois Sheriffs Association filed a lawsuit challenging the order. To date, 20% of inmates across the $1.6 billion corrections system have tested positive since March. The Illinois Department of Corrections will identify medically vulnerable and elderly prisoners eligible for early release or electronic home monitoring. J.B. Pritzker and IDOC had dragged their feet on identifying vulnerable prisoners eligible for early release, putting detainees, prison staff and the public at greater risk of severe illness and death. So Why Have Only 27% Of Workers Taken The Vaccine? All 50 were men. Additionally, the Corrections Department will give credit for good behavior to prisoners within nine months of their release date. The IDOC administration, he said, has tried to be responsive. Camren Wynter hit a three-pointer with 0.7 seconds left to give Penn State a 68-65 victory against Northwestern. There have been 87 Illinois prisoner deaths due to COVID, according to the Marshall Project's database. We urge officials to promptly release detainees who can be released safely. Under the settlement, the Department of Corrections agreed to "identify and evaluate medically vulnerable prisoners for release through legally available mechanisms." Arkee Chaney shows a painting he made about a childhood memory of his father, at his home in Westchester on Dec. 4, 2020. A MONTHLY REPORT GIVING COUNSELOR CASELOADS AND TRANSFERS IS PUBLISHED. Their complaints echo a survey conducted in April and early May by the John Howard Association, a prison watchdog group. Pritzker Joins Reproductive Freedom Alliance. The effort includes a proposed class-action lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court, naming Gov. The settlement arises out of the lawsuit filed last April on behalf of medically vulnerable and elderly prisoners, by a group of public interest lawyers, including attorneys from Equip for Equality, Loevy & Loevy law firm, the Uptown People's Law Center, and the Illinois Prison Project. At about 100 pounds and in poor health, 78-year-old Susan Hertzberg hardly poses a threat to public safety, her lawyer said. It was tough., Down to Business: Helping children learn to communicate empowers whole family, speech-language pathologist says, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. In nearly two dozen of the cases, Pritzker granted freedom to men serving natural life sentences for armed robbery under the states habitual criminal law, which after a third offense triggers the mandatory sentence even if no one was physically harmed. Mason, 76, said a feeling of lightness overtook him when a correctional officer stopped by his cell to tell him he was going home. Sheila Bedi, of Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, said that releasing some prisoners back to their communities is the best way to protect the health and well-being of people in prison. This landmark legislation requires that PRB both verify eligibility for release and consider victim statements in making its determinations.". Citing his age and poor health, Grays lawyer made a final plea for mercy dated Nov. 5. House Bill 3665, also known as the Joe Coleman Medical Release Act, reflects the administration's commitment to bringing about true, meaningful reform in the justice system. Others are still hoping to be released. Im open to all things that are positive, he said. (The Exoneration Project photo). Her husband, Terry, said she said was a gifted nurse with a tender heart. She loved camping, travel, flea markets and yard sales. State Rep. Lance Yednock, D-Ottawa, pointed to states that have right-to-work laws, saying theyre one of the most diabolical ways to limit collective bargaining and limiting bargainingis a losing proposition for all workers, Yednock said. Many inmates, relatives and recently freed men interviewed by the Tribune agreed that access to masks and cleaning supplies has improved since earlier this year, when there was a national shortage. The Illinois Department of Corrections agreed to use its best efforts to process the awards within the next month. Already approved by the state Senate, it will go before voters, appearing on Illinois ballot in 2022. State Rep. Marcus Evans, Jr., D-Chicago, celebrates passage of a ballot question for a constitutional amendment protecting the right to unionize on the floor of the Illinois House of Representatives Wednesday. Mason was freed from Pontiac Correctional Center on Nov. 25 by Gov. J.B. Pritzkers decision to release inmates as the spread of COVID-19 continues in the states prisons, including questions about transparency. This legislation gives the PRB the authority to grant or deny a prisoner early release based on their medical incapacity or terminal illness. As COVID-19 vaccination distribution has expanded across the country, incarcerated people remain one of the populations that is both most vulnerable to COVID-19 and most distrustful of medical care, according to several legal advocacy organizations. Gray had lived behind bars for more than 40 years, serving a life sentence for hiring a relative to kill his business partner in 1978. A public statement on Governor Pritzkers vaccine mandate for prison staff, COVID-19 vaccines should be mandatory for all Illinois prison employees, Chicago legal advocacy groups use education campaigns to encourage vaccination among incarcerated individuals, State Cites Low Vaccination Rate Among Prison Workers In Mental Health Litigation, Vast majority of state prison workers havent taken the vaccine. Rosario Ibarra, Mexicos champion of the disappeared, has died at 95, Cook County judge refused to speak with police investigating another judge, Lightfoot is out, Vallas and Johnson are in the April runoff, Chicago police officer dies after exchanging gunfire at close range with suspect in Gage Park, Analysis: How Lightfoot went from political rock star to rock bottom, Patrick Kane leaves Chicago with clear legacy: Blackhawks greatest player of all time, Mayor Lori Lightfoot was in a fight she couldnt have won, Northwestern falls to Penn State in OT for third consecutive loss, Bulls nearly blow 21-point lead but survive against Pistons, Defensive whiz Richard Zoller, high-flying Angelo Ciaravino help Mount Carmel take down Hyde Park. Also, early release substantially accelerated the amount of crime suffered by the public, but contributed to less than 1 percent of all crimes reported in Illinois. A broken ankle. Many experts agree the best way to control the virus in prison is to reduce head count. Read more here! More than 1,000 Illinois prisoners to be released under COVID-19 lawsuit settlement, Coronavirus live blog, March 23, 2021: COVID-19 cases ticking back up across Chicago, More Than 1,000 Medically Vulnerable IDOC Inmates to be Released Under Lawsuit Settlement. The pandemic hit Illinois prison system hard last spring, with cases mushrooming and fatalities reported at more than a dozen facilities before cases leveled off late in the year. He called his crimes stupid mistakes.. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Watson Gray, 73, died of complications related to COVID-19 on Nov. 6, 2020, at Dixon Correctional Center. As millions of Illinoisans are still waiting for their chance to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and even those who are eligible are scrambling for appointments, at least one group is largely giving up its place at the front of the vaccine line: people who work in Illinois prisons. Chicago Tribunes Annie Sweeney contributed. J.B. Pritzker in late June after serving 31 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, is an artist whose work focuses on his experience as an African American. He said, Ill be with you. . But some Illinois House Republicans have criticized his administration for releasing prisoners who committed violent crimes and for not being more transparent. And the record here shows that the authorities in this state are doing just that, with constantly evolving procedures increasing the number of inmates released on a daily basis.. Whilst staff at veterans' homes, nursing homes, hospitals and sundry health care facilities balk at getting vaccinated let-me-think-about-it rates for doctors, nurses and other frontline health care workers are as high as 40 percent nationwide the state of Illinois has decided that while doses remain scarce, prisoners and the homeless who reside in shelters or frequent day centers are on par with the elderly (75 or older) and "frontline essential workers" who will be second in line after health care workers. Click the videos below to hear messages from Dr. John Raba and Dr. Pablo Stewart, two of ourindependent court monitors in Lippert v. Baldwin, about COVID-19 vaccines. That is the highest figure ever. At Stateville, all but three who died were serving life sentences for murder. WebUNDER THE LAW EFFECTING THIS CHANGE, PRISON TERMS ARE ESTABLISHED FOR SERIOUS OFFENSES AND FOR SUPERVISED RELEASE TERMS, AND Watson Gray, 73, died of complications related to COVID-19 on Nov. 6, 2020, at Dixon Correctional Center. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Corrections, demanding the immediate release of Illinois prisoners vulnerable to the coronavirus. Zach LaVine finished with a game-high 41 points, DeMar DeRozan added 21 and Patrick Beverley had a double-double with 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Newsletter, Paddock Publications, Inc. is an Employee-Owned Company. An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice. At a recent state Senate committee hearing, acting IDOC Director Rob Jeffreys acknowledged the high numbers, which he blamed in part on increased testing and said mirrors state and national trends. At the county level, judges, prosecutors, and public defenders are working together to release low-risk pretrial detainees and inmates serving sentences for nonviolent offenses. ), Gov. Arkee Chaney shows a painting he made about a childhood memory of his father, at his home in Westchester on Dec. 4, 2020. Earlier this month, the state began regularly testing all prison employees whether or not they have symptoms. Officials also did not respond to a request for comment on the case. They say that earned time credits, which allow for early release for low-level offenders, need to be utilized more in light of the ongoing pandemic and high numbers of "Obviously this is training that we wish would have been done a year ago, but at least they're doing it now," she said. The settlement reached March 23, 2021 will result in the immediate release of more than 1,000 people from IDOC facilities. The one prison worker known to have died of the disease was Linda Savage, a 64-year-old nurse at Vienna Correctional Center. The amendment would also ensure the right to bargain will not be diminished by any future law, proponents said. J.B. Pritzker, which claimed they werent doing enough to protect against COVID-19. The Illinois Department of Corrections will identify medically vulnerable and elderly prisoners eligible for early release or electronic home monitoring. To stay up-to-date on our work,subscribe to our newsletter. "We cannot forget that people who might be incarcerated are still human beings and they are still people deserving basic human dignity and respect," said State Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago). But a coalition of advocacy groups that sued the state over the issue said the IDOC should free thousands more who are either old, infirm, nonviolent or near the end of their sentences. "Instead, those who pose no risk to the public should be able to go home, get the care they need and spend their final days with their families. The lawsuit argued that keeping medically vulnerable prisoners who are at risk of contracting COVID-19 confined in close proximity to one another violated their constitutional rights, including the right protecting individuals from cruel and unusual punishment. The law took effect January 1, 2022. He said he continues to bathe using the sink in his cell rather than risk infection by sharing a shower room with others. IDOC officials in early December began rolling out the testing program in which each worker is tested at least once a month, with the frequency based on the positivity rate of the prisons county. Federal sentencing and prison experts Maureen Baird, Mark H. Allenbaugh, and Alan Ellis evaluate the effectiveness of the First Step Act, a bipartisan bill passed in 2018. To see charts broken down by prison. The releases follow an April 20 directive from Gov. Bedi, though, said there are reports that a significant number of correctional officers are refusing vaccines, which continues to pose a risk to those in congregate settings. Echevarria is incarcerated at Menard Correctional Center. ICJIAs Research Hub is funded through a grant from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. An amended lawsuit filed against Rob Jeffreys, director of the Illinois Department of Corrections, and Gov. WebIllinois The recidivism rate in Illinois within one year of release is 17% and within three years of release is 43%. In the decades that followed, he tried to improve himself in prison, his lawyer said, working as a barber, a teacher and paralegal. Illinois Prisons Are COVID-19 Hotspots. As a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic spread rapidly through Illinois prisons this fall, 73-year-old Watson Gray made another plea to be released from Dixon Correctional Center, where new infections were rising. Recently, Governor Pritzker announced that all staff working in Illinois prisons will have to be vaccinated for COVID-19 by mid-October. RECORDKEEPING PRACTICES DIFFER IN EACH AREA OF ILLINOIS' PAROLE DISTRICTS. In total, more than 10,000 inmates and staff have tested positive from the start of the pandemic. INFORMATION ON WHERE TO OBTAIN DATA ON ILLINOIS INMATES PAROLED FROM THE FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM IS PROVIDED. An early release law is a state criminal law that allows a prisoner to be released before the end of their prison term. The legislation was named after Joe Coleman, a father, decorated veteran, and active member in his community who had terminal cancer. There was so much information that was coming and we had to figure it out for ourselves because there was just no guidance for correctional settings as it relates to this outbreak, he said. The Pandemic Had Prisoners' Nerves On Edge. The first, Russell Sedelmaier, was convicted of a 2005 double homicide in Buffalo Grove. Roger and Susan Hertzberg before being convicted of marijuana trafficking for hauling nearly 50 pounds of pot through Illinois in 2012. A broken ankle. A consortium of Chicago civil rights attorneys and community activists who filed the suit initially sought the release of as many as 13,000 at-risk prisoners due to the virus. A new point of contention is where prisoners will be on the vaccine distribution list. This legislation gives the PRB the authority to grant or deny a prisoner early release based on their medical incapacity or terminal illness. The bill provides reasonable timeframes and deadlines for the Prisoner Review Board to review cases involving medical incapacity or terminal illness, and to determine if those inmates with victim input would basically have a quality-of-life improvement if theyre moved out of prison, Connor said. J.B. Pritker for failure to protect the health and safety of those in prison from COVID-19, outside the Thompson Center in Chicago on Dec. 15, 2020. He wasnt really asking for another chance, said Lindsay Hagy, Grays attorney. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune). Bronis said he recovered but continues to have headaches and breathing difficulties. Roger Hertzberg, 76, died Sept. 24, 2020, at Robinson Correctional Center of COVID-19 complications while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. In cases of medical incapacity, individuals may not be terminally ill, but in a state that renders them no longer a threat to the community. Click here to sign up for the Dr. John Raba, the court-appointed monitor in a federal consent decree case regarding inmate health care, began pushing in August for the testing of all staff. Republican state Rep. Deanne Marie Mazzochi. For weeks, two houses in Illinois Vienna Correctional Center ran on generator power and had intermittent failures. As of Monday night, 57 prisoners and 90 staff members were infected with the virus. J.B. Pritzker through executive clemency. That means prison medical copays must go. Similar to what happened in the outside world, the pandemic seemed under control in Illinois prisons most of the summer. The outages made it harder to use the shared bathroom, one of the few places they could wash their hands. It was tough., Down to Business: Helping children learn to communicate empowers whole family, speech-language pathologist says, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Already approved by the state Senate, it will go before voters, appearing on Illinois ballot in 2022. To try to hinder the pandemics spread, IDOC brought in about 30 members of the Illinois National Guard to assist with routine health screenings and other duties at Stateville. They ranged in age from 35 to 80, with a median age of 62. While he was awaiting a decision on clemency, he passed away alone in prison, though he did not pose a risk to the public. He kept reaching out, Mom, help me. Im sure that those victims would love to have two to three more years with their families, except for the fact that theyre all dead, McClure said. The man was imprisoned at Stateville Correctional Center, where officials say there are now 12 men who are hospitalized, "including several requiring ventilators.". To put the numbers in perspective, there were fewer than 700 known infections of inmates and staff across IDOC from March to early August, when the latest surge began. Members of End Illinois Prison Lockdown Coalition rally as they call out Gov. Roger Hertzberg, 76, died of COVID-19 complications Sept. 24 at Robinson Correctional Center. It was dropped near the main entrance of the prison near Joliet by Jennifer Lackey of Northwestern Universitys Prison Education Program. Inmates with at least nine months of their sentence remaining who are considered low-risk will recei. It remains to be seen if the law does anything. On April 2, 2020, in response to the swiftly spreading coronavirus epidemic in Illinois' prisons, a consortium of the area's leading civil rights attorneys and community advocates filed three cases seeking release of prisoners. The demands include early release of: prisoners due to be paroled within 120 days; those with viable clemency petitions; those who are pregnant, postpartum, or living with their infants; and those who have health conditions, including the elderly. IDOC has about 1,000 unfilled, budgeted positions, according to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31. W&lP-1C/(JISe?jp}2 =U*#Ochs#U, MI6rje{ (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune), Lester Mason was released from Pontiac Correctional Center on Nov. 25 after spending 39 years in prison for armed robbery, his third such offense. A spokeswoman for Gov. Read more here! People in Prison in Winter 2021-22 Vera Institute of Justice, February, 2022 All states and the federal prison system reduced their prison populations in 2020, but 19 states and the federal government increased the number of people incarcerated in prisons in 2021. COVID looks like it may stay. In addition, the state agreed that IDOC will continue to identify and evaluate medically vulnerable prisoners for release through legally available mechanisms, according to the terms of the settlement. Staffers are expected to be prioritized with those in the health care field and other first responders. In addition to providing personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies, the department long ago halted in-person visits, imposed a staff mask mandate and restricted prisoners to their cells with few exceptions, such as showering. xWn6+f"E^,"zhzXYE6I~T8B=BSg73tOG##LXEO}n 1mRaIm2%.yM 7{j ! 8zvv|i(8 F+A17qnR=!ZupvWTu]=$n#noOzN"D,?DoW8}'^\ On April 2, 2020, in response to the swiftly spreading coronavirus epidemic in Illinois' prisons, a consortium of the area's leading civil rights attorneys and community advocates filed three cases seeking release of prisoners. The IDOC inmate population has dropped 19% since March to about 30,000, in part because of the nearly 3,000 early releases. Chaney, who was granted a sentence commutation by Gov. His cellmate filed a written grievance seeking an investigation into the staffs handling of the matter. 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