Niemerg urges quick action on illegal drug flows into state prisons

Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 11:55 AM

By Steve Anderson

102nd District Republican State Representative Adam Niemerg has sent a letter to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzger asking for his immediate action to stem the flow of illegal drugs into state prisons including the Lawrence Correctional facility near Sumner.

The letters was sent after Niemerg toured the prison and also the Robinson Correctional facility recently.

He indicated that there is a growing concern at the prisons as both inmates and staff have been hospitalized and four inmates, including one at the Lawrence County location, have died from exposure to synthetic cannabis. People are lacing letters to inmates with the highly potent drug and mailing them to the prisons. When inmates light up the paper laced with the synthetic drug, they breathe it in and become sick and guards and other prison staff in close proximity also breathe it in and become sick.

The representative says there is a simple solution to the matter-allowing the Department of Corrections (DOC) to purchase copy machines to copy the drug-laced mail onto clean paper and then having it delivered to the inmates and then destroying or returning the originals.

However, so far, nothing has been done and Niemerg added that something must be done to avoid more hospitalizations, deaths and to protect the DOC personnel.