In today's show we sit down with Jennifer Vollen-Katz who is the Executive Director of the John Howard Association. We discuss issues around the accountability and transparency of the Illinois Department of Corrections. Vollen-Katz was the perfect person to have this conversation with as she leads the only privately run agency that regularly has staff and volunteers monitoring IDOC facilities from inside the facilities.

It is pretty clear from both CJP;s experiences and from the work of Vollen-Katz that IDOC does not really have an interest in being transparent. The Larry Earvin case is a prime example of why IDOC sees the work of Vollen-Katz and CJP as a threat to the agency and its staff. The fact that IDOC facilities were allowed as late as 2018 to have blind spots where cameras were not picking up what was occurring within a specified area of the prison is a perfect example of just how far we have to go before we even get close to having these facilities be remotely safe for inmates and staff.
One of the more important aspects of our conversation with Vollen-Katz is when we discussed the morality of allowing the college students to tour prison facilities. Pre-pandemic her organization regularly sends in trained volunteers to monitor many aspects of the operations of IDOC facilities so she has a unique perspective on the issue. It is clear that transparency around prison conditions and operations are vitally important but that has to be balanced with respecting the rights of those incarcerated.

Also on our show today:

Social media fails - CWB style

Images from today's show

Video's of today's show: