People honked their horns to show their support as they passed a demonstration in front of the Pontiac Correctional Center. Organizers estimated that more than 100 protesters, including people from around the state and members of AFSCME Local 494, held up signs and shouted demands for increased safety and input on policies and procedures.
The protest is the result of the assault of six officers by five inmates Sunday, but Local 494 Secretary Tim Bowden, who is a Correctional Officer, said that's not the only incident that has happened this year.
"We've had 146 staff assaults since January, and we don't agree with how this place is being run right now," he said.
Spokeswoman Nicole Wilson from the Illinois Department of Corrections said earlier this week that safety procedures were not followed during the incident, but Bowden said that's not true.
"No policy was violated, one," he said. "Two, there's no reason an inmate can ever just start attacking staff, even if policy was violated."
Bowden said the group feels that IDOC administrators don't care about the safety of employees.
