Legislation (lodge 263)

[HapkidoKa]

SB 2365 Criminal CD Agg Battery: Has been signed into law and is now an effective tool in prosecuting inmates who assault any correctional employee in the performance of their duties.


HB 202 Probation Officer Training: Has been signed into law and will become effective on 1/1/2010. Legislation and discussions are being created to finally bring Correctional officer's into the light as full fledged "Peace Officer's with a course of fire that will be recognized by the ILETSB.
IDOC administration must allow the change in the hiring criteria where Officers can be hired in at 21 years of age instead of 18.


HB 240 Amends Facility Closure Act: Submitted to House of Representatives for reading to ensure that no more than 20% of employee workforce can be removed or laid off from a state facility until a full series of hearings and a comprehensive workforce report has been submitted to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.

Nothing will change unless we fight for it! AFSCME has our contract- the FOP has our backs!

BlackJack- the new course of fire relates to what I PMed you about a few weeks ago.

[neo-luddite]

Good for PA's---but doesn't address the LEOSA issue AT ALL--right?

Makes them good with IDOC---but leaves all other CO's open to deal with exercising their LEOSA Priviledges at the (possible) risk of departmetal discipline/ potential (however unlikely) prosecution--right?

And further, if that is so, muddies the water and adds a new layer to the puppet show that must be performed to explain things in this state.

Still---sure---great for PA's.

[HapkidoKa]

Originally Posted by neo-luddite

Good for PA's---but doesn't address the LEOSA issue AT ALL--right?

Makes them good with IDOC---but leaves all other CO's open to deal with exercising their LEOSA Priviledges at the (possible) risk of departmetal discipline/ potential (however unlikely) prosecution--right?

And further, if that is so, muddies the water and adds a new layer to the puppet show that must be performed to explain things in this state.

Still---sure---great for PA's.

It does the problem we have in IL is that ILETSB regulates LEOSA and will not recognize us until we raise the hiring age to 21 and the Director signs on. With the hiring age raised and full Peace Officer status they will recognize our rights under LEOSA.

[neo-luddite]

Point taken--- or more likely (knowing I'm never an optimist) they will at the least have lost that portion of the argument they might have thrown up to recognition ('recognition' per se not being needed anyway---except by the courts). What they should do is make the pistol qual uniform across the board to start with.

[4_nubbs]

Originally Posted by HapkidoKa

SB 2365 Criminal CD Agg Battery: Has been signed into law and is now an effective tool in prosecuting inmates who assault any correctional employee in the performance of their duties.

Inmate Penalties (SB 2365/PA 95-0748) – Raises the penalty for an aggravated battery committed by a prison inmate or person in custody as a sexually violent person, when the battery involves throwing blood, seminal fluid, urine or feces at a facility employee.

Originally Posted by HapkidoKa

HB 202 Probation Officer Training: Has been signed into law and will become effective on 1/1/2010. Legislation and discussions are being created to finally bring Correctional officer's into the light as full fledged "Peace Officer's with a course of fire that will be recognized by the ILETSB.
IDOC administration must allow the change in the hiring criteria where Officers can be hired in at 21 years of age instead of 18.


HB 240 Amends Facility Closure Act: Submitted to House of Representatives for reading to ensure that no more than 20% of employee workforce can be removed or laid off from a state facility until a full series of hearings and a comprehensive workforce report has been submitted to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.

Nothing will change unless we fight for it! AFSCME has our contract- the FOP has our backs!

BlackJack- the new course of fire relates to what I PMed you about a few weeks ago.

To add:
Contraband (SB 1975/PA 95-0962) – States that if a penal institution employee brings in weapons, firearms, firearm ammunition, explosives, lock tools, cutting tools or electronic contraband it is unauthorized contraband

[HapkidoKa]

Originally Posted by 4_nubbs

Inmate Penalties (SB 2365/PA 95-0748) – Raises the penalty for an aggravated battery committed by a prison inmate or person in custody as a sexually violent person, when the battery involves throwing blood, seminal fluid, urine or feces at a facility employee.



To add:
Contraband (SB 1975/PA 95-0962) – States that if a penal institution employee brings in weapons, firearms, firearm ammunition, explosives, lock tools, cutting tools or electronic contraband it is unauthorized contraband

Thanks Nubbs. They have begun a new trend at the RC- throwing what appears to be water on staff and for the most part it's only gotten them a slap on the wrist.

The Criminal Code of 1961 does end with this
"For a violation of subsection (a) or (b) involving items described in clause (i), (v), (vi), (vii), (ix), (x), or (xi) of paragraph (4) of subsection (d), such items shall not be considered to be in a penal institution when they are secured in an employee's locked, private motor vehicle parked on the grounds of a penal institution. " Meaning anything defind as unauthorized contraband in the Criminal Code of 1961- Interference with a Penal Institution will not be considered inside a penal institution if it remains secured in the employee's vehicle.

[neo-luddite]

or electronic contraband

THIS maybe no so much--does it include that little flashlight most everyone has in her/his pocket? A little am/fm radio in a tower to help stay awake overnight and visually alert?

Otherwise, good additions.

[BlackJack]

Originally Posted by HapkidoKa

SB 2365 Criminal CD Agg Battery: Has been signed into law and is now an effective tool in prosecuting inmates who assault any correctional employee in the performance of their duties.


HB 202 Probation Officer Training: Has been signed into law and will become effective on 1/1/2010. Legislation and discussions are being created to finally bring Correctional officer's into the light as full fledged "Peace Officer's with a course of fire that will be recognized by the ILETSB.
IDOC administration must allow the change in the hiring criteria where Officers can be hired in at 21 years of age instead of 18.


HB 240 Amends Facility Closure Act: Submitted to House of Representatives for reading to ensure that no more than 20% of employee workforce can be removed or laid off from a state facility until a full series of hearings and a comprehensive workforce report has been submitted to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.

Nothing will change unless we fight for it! AFSCME has our contract- the FOP has our backs!

BlackJack- the new course of fire relates to what I PMed you about a few weeks ago.

That's good news in light of all the spitting incidents within the last couple of weeks. Does it cover bodily fluids of inmates with contagious diseases such as Hepatitis?

I'll keep my fingers crossed on the weapons issue. We have way too many anti-gun supporters around the Chicagoland area that have too much influence on the rest of the state and how it handles gun issues. I wonder what the IDOC has in store for us?

[HapkidoKa]

Originally Posted by BlackJack

That's good news in light of all the spitting incidents within the last couple of weeks. Does it cover bodily fluids of inmates with contagious diseases such as Hepatitis?

I'll keep my fingers crossed on the weapons issue. We have way too many anti-gun supporters around the Chicagoland area that have too much influence on the rest of the state and how it handles gun issues. I wonder what the IDOC has in store for us?

Here's the deal the Criminal Code of 1961- UUW affords "Keepers of Jails" (which is us) the right to carry to and from work. That is what the county CO's who aren't Peace Officers carry under. We were prevented from utilizing that law due to the CC of 1961- Interference with a Penal Institution until 1/1/09 when the above mentioned section was added in as law. On the date it was added a few of us spoke with staff in IA who confirmed it's passage and that it basically does gives us the right to carry to and from now. I also spoke with someone I trust at the local and someone from the FOP who also confirmed that. Several LT's have also confirmed it and at one point there was a copy of the law all over the island and catwalk.

As far as Chicago goes- screw them. It's either we force the change in the course of fire and raise the hiring age to 21 or gather and sue for denying our rights under HR 218. I'd rather see the change in the course of fire and have the ILETSB officially recognize us as Peace Officers (which they will do) because that will eventually force a change in the hiring procees and maybe bring in people worthy of oxygen. Also with Chicago desperate for LE (allowing security guards to write traffic citations and pull people over) granting us full Peace Officer authority will actually help them.

[GurgleGutz]

Originally Posted by HapkidoKa

Here's the deal the Criminal Code of 1961- UUW affords "Keepers of Jails" (which is us) the right to carry to and from work. That is what the county CO's who aren't Peace Officers carry under. We were prevented from utilizing that law due to the CC of 1961- Interference with a Penal Institution until 1/1/09 when the above mentioned section was added in as law. On the date it was added a few of us spoke with staff in IA who confirmed it's passage and that it basically does gives us the right to carry to and from now. I also spoke with someone I trust at the local and someone from the FOP who also confirmed that. Several LT's have also confirmed it and at one point there was a copy of the law all over the island and catwalk.

As far as Chicago goes- screw them. It's either we force the change in the course of fire and raise the hiring age to 21 or gather and sue for denying our rights under HR 218. I'd rather see the change in the course of fire and have the ILETSB officially recognize us as Peace Officers (which they will do) because that will eventually force a change in the hiring procees and maybe bring in people worthy of oxygen. Also with Chicago desperate for LE (allowing security guards to write traffic citations and pull people over) granting us full Peace Officer authority will actually help them.

Sadly enough, our wonderful union will try to kill concealed carry for us if it requires changing the course of fire to something more "difficult". My union prez himself told me that too many of the old-timers (and even some of the younger guys) already have too much trouble passing the current course of fire and that AFSCME would never support changing the current course of fire to something more difficult.

I would personally rather see the new course of fire be an option to those of us that would like to carry concealed while off-duty. That way those officers that can't shoot to save their own asses can still "protect" the public while out on writs and furloughs, and the people like me that get erections from the smell of burnt gunpowder can go for the ILETSB training and qualify for HR218.

They could give those of us that qualify under the new course of fire an ID that states that we are HR218 compliant.

I would like to see the minimum hiring age be at least 21 years of age, and preferably a little older still. Nearly all of the younger people I've seen hired by IDOC since Ryan was governor have been way too immature to do the job well and need a good 4 or 5 years of experience before they start handling situations that arise with maturity and professionalism. Part of the problem is that, unlike cop shops, there really isn't much in the way of a Field Training Officer program for these new hires so they have to figure out nearly everything on their own with no guidance except after-the-fact.