Citizen Week of March 21, 2018
| Vol. 1 | No. 32 | www.thechicagocitizen.com
SOUTH SUBURBAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS UNVEIL NEW MURAL Students at Bloom Trail High School recently unveiled their new mural inside the school. The mural was a collaborative effort between Chicago artist, Sam Kirk, Tiffany Insalaco, art teacher at Bloom Trail High School, and the AP studio art and drawing and painting students at Bloom Trail High School. See more on Page 2
Travel: You’ve Been Thrown Into ‘Cruise Jail’, Can Travel Insurance Help? - Page 2 Community: First Black Female Astronaut, One Of Many Who Inspire Chicago Youth - Page 6 |
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Photo: Tiffany Insalaco
SUBURBAN TIMES WEEKLY
2 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of March 21, 2018
ART SCENE
South Suburban High School Students Unveil New Mural Continued from page 1 BY KATHERINE NEWMAN
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tudents at Bloom Trail High School recently unveiled their new mural inside the school. The mural was a collaborative effort between Chicago artist, Sam Kirk, Tiffany Insalaco, art teacher at Bloom Trail High School, and the AP studio art and drawing and painting students at Bloom Trail High School. The high school has a long history of creating murals inside the building, this years mural theme is Growth Mindset and was suggested by the principal, according to Insalaco. “My principal is very supportive of the arts and she basically pays for the endeavor
to produce the mural. She gave us the idea, the topic Growth Mindset was her request. This mural is about the ability to achieve and overcome despite downfalls or differences,” said Insalaco. In the beginning, students were given the prompt of Growth Mindest, they watched a few Ted Talks about what that meant and then they were asked to create a piece of art that they thought represented Growth Mindset, according to Insalaco. “Every student made their own independent artwork based on the topic. I shared their art with Sam and she came up with a sketch where she took their ideas and combined it into sort of one idea,” said Insalaco. The students reviewed Kirk’s original sketch and gave feedback. They explained what
TRAVEL
their drawings meant and what they wanted to see in the mural, Kirk went back to the drawing board and produced a final design for the mural based on the student’s feedback, according to Insalaco. “My favorite part of working on this project was actually coming up with the idea of it. Us coming together and formulating how the mural should look and what colors and how things should go, I really enjoyed that,” said ShaQira Smith, senior at Bloom Trail High School. Students from Insalaco’s Drawing and Painting and AP Studio Art classes had the opportunity to paint the mural, they were chosen based on their interest in painting and on their painting skills. “At first I didn’t think that I was going to get selected to be part of the painting process
but when I did I was surprised and I had a lot of fun doing it. I feel like future generations that come in after me will see it and they will be inspired by it,” said Caitlyn Nardi, junior at Bloom Trail High School. The mural is at the entrance of the building, so Insalaco lead the students to think about what other students would want to see and what would inspire them. For many students, this is their first time working on a project of this scale. “Being in high school, it’s hard to grasp how professional artists work sometimes. Being able to work with high-quality materials and with a big group on such a big scale was something I’ve never done before and it was definitely the most impressive thing I’ve done so far,” said Dominique Epps, senior at Bloom Trail High School.
COMMUNITY
You’ve Been Thrown Into ‘Cruise Jail’, Can Travel Insurance Help?
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ach year, millions of cruisers enjoy unlimited meals, drinks by the pool and onboard entertainment, however, some travelers end up trading vacation bliss for cruise jail. Travelers who land in cruise jail are also at risk of being ordered to disembark their cruise at the next port. Leading travel insurance comparison site, Squaremouth, breaks down how travel insurance may help if a traveler is thrown into cruise jail. Taken into Cruise Jail Custody All travel insurance providers have 24 hour Emergency Assistance, which can include legal assistance. Travelers who find themselves in cruise jail can call their provider’s emergency assistance line to get help with finding a legal advisor. Their travel insurance provider may also be able to provide payment for legal fees. They can also help the traveler arrange a funds transfer from a family member or friend. While Emergency Assistance will provide the traveler with immediate help, it’s important to understand that if the traveler was put in cruise jail because of an unlawful act, their travel insurance will not provide any
coverage. Breaking the law is always excluded from travel insurance coverage. Abandoned in a Foreign Country If a traveler ends up in cruise jail for an offense that’s worse than just having a little too much to drink, they may be ordered to disembark from their cruise at the next port. Being alone in a foreign country, especially if the traveler doesn’t speak the language, can be scary. Travel insurance can help make arrangements for hotel accommodations and transportation home. However, if the traveler is in the situation because they broke the law, they will only receive help making the arrangements and won’t be paid back for any of these expenses. Alcohol and Cruise Jail Don’t Mix If a traveler was intoxicated when they were detained and put in cruise jail, travel insurance will not pay them back for any expenses. Intoxication is always excluded by travel insurance providers. Additionally, a claim will be denied if a traveler needs medical treatment for an injury or illness and their medical documentation indicates that they were drinking past the legal limit.
City Colleges of Chicago and PepsiCo recently announced their new partnership to offer students a pathway to careers as merchandisers, warehouse personnel, commercial truck drivers and machine maintenance technicians and mechanics.
PepsiCo Builds A Pathway To Employment With City Colleges Of Chicago BY KATHERINE NEWMAN
C
ity Colleges of Chicago and PepsiCo recently announced their new partnership to offer students a pathway to careers as merchandisers, warehouse personnel, commercial truck drivers and machine maintenance technicians and mechanics. PepsiCo committed to providing up to 40 jobs annually to students from Olive-Harvey College and Richard J. Daley College www.thechicagocitizen.com
Additionally, PepsiCo will offer scholarships to help eliminate the barrier of cost as students pursue a college education. Olive Harvey College and Daley College will include PepsiCo-specific training in their curriculum to prepare students for job interviews and the company screening process at PepsiCo, according to a press release from City Colleges of Chicago and PepsiCo. Continued on page 4
CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of March 21, 2018
POLITISCOPE
Is the NRA an educational organization? A lobby group? A nonprofit? A media outlet? Yes
BY SAMUEL BRUNSON
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he National Rifle Association has hit more turbulence since 17 people died in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, than the nation’s biggest gun advocacy group is accustomed to after such tragedies. Anti-NRA memes implying that the nonprofit abuses its tax-exempt status went viral. A petition calling on the authorities to audit the group and consider revoking its exemption circulated. At least 10 companies dropped the special deals they used to offer its millions of members amid widespread concern about the NRA’s role in squelching gun control and a growing interest in how the group operates. As a law professor who teaches and writes about tax-exempt organizations, I would like to explain how the NRA retains its nonprofit status despite the vast amount of influence it exerts over politicians. SOCIAL WELFARE The NRA is actually a bundle of organizations. The largest one, in terms of how much it spends, is the National Rifle Association of America. Originally formed in 1871, this NRA branch claims to have about 5 million members, although some investigative reporters question that assertion. It has operated as a social welfare organization since 1944. Like public charities, these groups, are exempt from taxation on the money they take in. Also known as 501(c)(4), based on language in the tax code, they differ from public charities in a few ways.
First, donors to social welfare organizations can’t deduct their gifts from their taxable income. Second, these organizations may support and oppose political candidates. Third, social welfare organizations can engage in unlimited lobbying, as long as that effort to sway lawmakers and policymakers is related to their core mission. Like charities, social welfare groups must spend all their revenue on work tied to their mission or shoring up their endowments. They can’t, in other words, distribute any profits left over after paying their bills to their leaders, their funders or anyone else. The NRA has five main missions: protecting the Second Amendment, promoting public safety, training for marksmanship and gun safety, promoting competitive shooting and improving hunter safety. Among other things, it publishes the American Rifleman, American Hunter, America’s 1st Freedom and Shooting Illustrated magazines and produces NRATV programs. It also has a lobbying arm, created in 1975, called the Institute for Legislative Action. In 2016 this social welfare group raised almost US$337 million in revenue, with about half coming from membership dues. The rest largely came from its media operations, donations and grants. It draws a growing share of its income, reportedly, from gunmakers rather than gunowners. POLITICKING AND LOBBYING The NRA also runs a political action committee, the NRA Political Victory Fund, through which it backs electoral candidates. The NRA’s political spending more than doubled between the 2012 and 2016 electoral cycles, rising to $54.4 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that tracks the money reported to the government in federal elections. About $31 million of that sum supported Trump’s candidacy. The gun group’s lobbying arm,
which is technically a division of its social welfare group, spent more than $5 million in 2017, actively seeking to influence politicians or public officials regarding specific policies or pieces of legislation. It roughly tripled those expenditures in the last decade. CHARITIES The NRA also runs four affiliated charities: the NRA Foundation, Inc., the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund, the NRA Freedom Action Foundation and the NRA Special Contribution Fund. Like thousands of churches, universities, museums and advocacy groups of other stripes, these are 501(c) (3) groups. That means they are excused from paying taxes on most of their income. In addition, their donors may get tax breaks when they deduct the value of their gifts to charities from their taxable income. To maintain that coveted incentive, these nonprofits can’t endorse or oppose political candidates. They also can’t do more than minimal amounts of lobbying. What do the NRA’s charities do? The NRA Foundation does public outreach to promote marksmanship and gun safety through grants to shooting programs run by everyone from the Boy Scouts to local police departments. It also advocates for protecting the constitutional right to bear arms, as does the NRA Freedom Action Foundation. The NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund provides legal and financial aid to people and groups dealing with lawsuits related to the NRA’s goals, and backs legal research on federal and state constitutional provisions that have to with guns. The NRA Special Contribution Fund, focuses on marksmanship and firearm safety, and operates the Whittington Center in New Mexico, a vast shooting range. COMMON BUT WITH A CAVEAT This multilayered structure isn’t unique. For instance, the Sierra
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Club, a social welfare organization that advocates for environmental protection, is affiliated with the Sierra Club Foundation, a charity. The American Civil Liberties Union, a civil rights group partners with the ACLU Foundation and Planned Parenthood Federation of America, a charity that runs reproductive health care clinics, is affiliated with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, a social welfare group that lobbies. This arrangement helps charities preserve donors’ tax breaks without sacrificing the ability of their affiliated membership groups to engage on the day’s issues. Taken to its logical extreme, however, this dynamic can flout restrictions on what the government defines as legitimate charitable gifts. Without such limits, what’s to stop me or anyone else from getting tax breaks for donations that will pay for lobbying? I could give it to the charity of my choice, which in turn could hand my dollars to its related social welfare organization. I’d get my tax deduction, and the group that supports my policy preferences could use the money I donated for lobbying. The IRS prohibits these financial switcheroos. While charities may contribute to their affiliated social welfare organization, both parties must keep records that prove the charitable gifts don’t fund lobbying or political candidacies. The NRA Foundation made a nearly $20 million grant to the National Rifle Association of America, in 2016. But that did not necessarily flout any tax laws. Still, the NRA may sometimes let donations flow too freely between its affiliates, as Yahoo News has reported, in ways that violate federal electoral laws. Running so many different kinds of organizations, each subject to different rules, is an immense and difficult undertaking. It’s worth keeping an eye on the NRA to ensure that it manages to stay within the lines the law has painted. Samuel Brunson is a Professor of Law at Loyola University Chicago.
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FOOD
Delicious Ideas For Adding Healthy Sweet Potatoes To Your Daily Cooking Repertoire (NAPSI)—Sweet potatoes are trending and are all the rage—as they should be! One medium California sweet potato has only 105 calories and 0g of fat, yet this versatile veggie contains more than 80 nutrients including protein, manganese, carotene, potassium, calcium, vitamin C and more than an entire day’s worth of vitamin A. Plus, California sweet potatoes are rich with antioxidants and loaded with dietary fiber—nearly twice as much as a white potato. Not just for Thanksgiving, thankfully, California sweet potatoes are available yearround. Chefs and home cooks are coming up with fun and creative ways (beyond Grandma’s holiday casserole) to incorporate this tasty tuber into everyday meals—winter, spring, summer and fall. Here are some delicious ways to cook with California sweet potatoes: • For a quick snack, add a cooked California sweet potato (or two) to your favorite hummus recipe, garnish with a good glug of olive oil and a generous squirt of lemon. Serve with crudités and pita triangles. • Make a beta-carotene-rich soup by adding uniformly chopped California sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and carrots to a homemade or store-bought chicken stock. Throw in a can of white beans, a handful or two of kale and garnish with chopped flat-leaf parsley. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan. • What’s better than home fries for breakfast? California sweet potato home fries! Switch out white potatoes for California sweet potatoes, throw in some chopped onions, bell pepper and a sprinkle of cayenne or paprika and you’ve got sweet potatoes O’Brien to go with your bacon and eggs. • Mashed California sweet potatoes make a delicious accompaniment to a store-bought or homemade roasted chicken. Steam the sweet potatoes until tender, mash, and stir in warmed butter and milk. For garlic mashed, simply throw a few cloves of garlic into the steamer and mash them with the sweet
cut into ¾-inch dice (about 3¼ cups) • 12 ounces loose breakfast sausage or breakfast sausage patties • One 7-ounce can chopped green chiles • Nonstick cooking spray • 10 ounces crusty Italian or French bread, with crusts cut or torn into ¾-inch pieces (about 10 cups) • 4 ounces chèvre (spreadable goat cheese), crumbled (about 1 cup) • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage • 8 large eggs • 2 cups milk • ¾ teaspoon salt • ½ teaspoon pepper
This breakfast strata made with tasty, wholesome sweet potatoes can be a great way to punch up a brunch buffet.
INSTRUCTIONS:
potatoes. Brunch is always a great way to entertain family and friends. Whether it’s Easter, Mother’s Day or a regular old Sunday, why not wow your guests with a delicious spread? Coffee, mimosas, Danish, croissants, fruit salad and of course something with eggs. This breakfast strata will more than satisfy:
CALIFORNIA BREAKFAST STRATA WITH SWEET POTATOES, CHILES AND GOAT CHEESE • Serves 10 to 12 INGREDIENTS: • 1 tablespoon cooking oil • 1 pound orange-fleshed sweet potatoes,
In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up and stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are lightly browned and tender and the sausage is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir in the chiles and set the skillet aside. Coat a 2½- to 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Arrange ⅓ of the bread in the dish. Top with ⅓ of the sweet potato mixture, ⅓ of the cheese and ⅓ of the sage. Repeat 2 times. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the casserole and set aside for 20 minutes, pressing on the bread occasionally to help it absorb the liquid. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350° F. Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is browned and the center is set, about 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving. For more information about California sweet potatoes and for delicious recipes, visit www.casweetpotatoes.com.
PepsiCo Builds A Pathway To Employment With City Colleges of Chicago Continued from page 2 “Our focus at City Colleges is transforming our students’ lives through education, connectingthemto four-year universities or immediate employment,and putting them on the path to upward mobility,” said City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor, Juan Salgado. “The PepsiCo partnership perfectlyaligns with ourmission byoffering our students a pathway tofamily-sustaining careers in high-demand fields.” PepsiCo is one of the nations
largest food and beverage companies. They own product brands like Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay, and Pepsi-Cola. Their interest in collaborating with City Colleges of Chicago comes from a long-time presence in Chicago operating a manufacturing facility on 51st St. in Bridgeview, having a large distribution center on 35th St., and management offices in West Loop and Schaumburg, according to a press release from City Colleges of Chicago and PepsiCo. PepsiCo wanted to listen to the needs of the community they are
occupying and help where they could, according to a representative from PepsiCo. “At the core of who we are is our fundamental belief of ‘Performance with Purpose’ which says that our success is intrinsically tied to our ability to be responsive to the needs of our society. Training Chicago students is simply our commitment to invest in the community where we do business and where our employees live,” said a representative from PepsiCo. After talking with community leaders and learning that there was a www.thechicagocitizen.com
challenge with unemployment in the area, PepsiCo turned to City Colleges of Chicago to build a pathway to employment, according to PepsiCo. “Realizing PepsiCo regularly requires the unique skill-set of persons trained in the areas of Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics along with Advanced Manufacturing Maintenance within the Chicagoland area, we turned to the City Colleges of Chicago, specifically Olive-Harvey College and Richard J. Daley College, to create a pathway for students in the these disciplines,” said a
representative from PepsiCo. “In fact, we have hired 10 of their students, and because of the positive interaction with them, we explored further with Chancellor Salgado and the interim presidents Felicia Davis & Eduardo Garza on how we could expand our efforts into a formal program.” The partnership with PepsiCo will provide students from Olive Harvey College and Daley College with a peace of mind knowing a major employer is waiting to hire them after graduation, according to Salgado.
CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of March 21, 2018
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NEWS
Photos: NASA
In 1987 Mae Jemison (pictured) was selected for the NASA astronaut program. Jemison grew up on the South Side of Chicago and on Sept. 12, 1992, she became the first African American woman in the world to enter outer space.
First Black Female Astronaut, One Of Many Who Inspire Chicago Youth BY KATHERINE NEWMAN
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n 1987, Mae Jemison was selected for the NASA astronaut program. Jemison grew up on the South Side of Chicago and had a background in engineering and medical research, she had also just returned from a two-year tour in the Peace Corps where she worked as a Medical Officer in Sierra Leone and Liberia, according to her biography from NASA. On Sept. 12, 1992, Jemison became the first African American woman in the world to enter outer space. On an eight-day mission on the Endeavor Jemison served as the science mission specialist and logged 190 hours, 30 minutes, and 23 seconds in space, according to NASA “My favorite memory I have is of the shuttle launching. It shakes and rattles until the solid rocket boosters come out, I remember having this huge grin on my face. About two hours after we got in orbit I looked out the window and no kidding, the first thing I saw from space was Chicago. I thought about that girl who grew up in Chicago who would have been just real cheesed up. The perspective that stuck with me is that I am as much a part of this universe as any speck of stardust,”
said Jemison in a documentary created by MAKERS, a feminist media brand. Jemison is not the only notable women in a space science that inspires girls in Chicago. For fifteen years, The Adler Planetarium has hosted an annual Women in Space Science event to recognize trailblazing women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and inspiring young women to
pursue careers in these disciplines, according to the Adler Planetarium. “We invite approximately 250 middle school students, primarily from Chicago public schools, to come and spend the afternoon with us. They come to the planetarium and during their two hours here they hear the honoree speak about her job, and her background, and why she chose to
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pursue a STEM career and why it’s an option for everyone,” said Kelly Borden, Director of Teen Programs at the Adler Planetarium. It is important to highlight women in STEM careers because it is a field with little female representation. If young girls who enjoy science can’t find any female professionals to look up to, their passions could be lost, according to Borden. “Something that we hear over and over again is that representation matters and it’s incredibly true. We want our young people at the Adler to see themselves in the STEM professionals that they interact with,” said Borden. This is something that Jemison provided for the world that had never existed before, a black female astronaut the little girls could look up to. “If you are a young girl in Chicago interested in a STEM career you are very fortunate because there is a wealth of programs that you can access and opportunities that you could have never dreamed possible,” said Borden. To view the documentary about Mae Jemison visit www.makers.com. For information about the upcoming Women in Space Science event visit www. adlerplanetarium.org.
CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of March 21, 2018
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NEWS
Blue Island City Council Votes Down Proposed Appropriations BY KATHERINE NEWMAN
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he City of Blue Island recently held a City Council meeting to discuss the details of the city’s proposed appropriation of funds for the year. The appropriations as proposed were denied when eight City Council members voted against the budget plan and only five voted to approve it. Michael Marzal, director of finance and administration for the city of Blue island presented the appropriations that proposed an overall city spending plan of up to $33,597,409 with estimated revenues at $30,086,440, according to Marzal. “Please keep in mind this is an appropriation and gives the city authority to spend up to an amount. This does not mean the city will spend up to any amount for any specific line item. The city continuously monitors our revenue and expenses and adjusts spending based on a number of factors,” said Marzal. On Feb. 20 the city held a workshop to discuss the budget and proposed revenue enhancements. The appropriation presented at the recent City Council meeting does not include any of the proposed revenue enhancements, according to Marzal. He went on to say that any changes will have to be reviewed by the appropriate committees before they are
brought to the city for approval. During the time allowed for public comment, many community members spoke out about the need for big business to return to the area and contribute to tax revenue rather than increasing the taxes of private citizens. There were also concerns about the amount of money being spent on maintaining the Meadows Golf Club which is owned by the city. Two areas that Blue Island Aldermen pointed out and discussed about the golf course spending were, a proposed $30,000 for improvements in grounds and $40,000 for golf
course parking lot maintenance. The Aldermen stated in their discussions that these are two areas where no money was spent in last years budget. “There are shingles falling off the roof at the golf course, there is a hole in the golf cart shed that needs to be repaired, there is a fence that needs to be replaced. There are various repairs needed at the golf course,” said Marzal. Ultimately, the appropriation was voted down 8 to 5 by the City Council. Going forward, City Council has until the last day in March to pass an appropriation and have it on file in the office of the county clerk to be in compliance with the law, according to the Mayor of Blue Island, Domingo F. Vargas. “We have time to make this happen by the next City Council meeting. Our next City Council is March 27 so I think there is ample time for all of us to continue reviewing it and making this happen,” said Blue Island Alderman for the 6th Ward, Jairo Frausto. Blue Island City Council will reconvene on March 27 to once again attempt to pass an appropriation for the city. To view a calendar of upcoming meetings and meeting agendas visit www.blueisland.org.
Lawyers file two lawsuits after prisoner commits suicide in jail BY LISETTE GUSHINIERE
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ttorneys Alan Mills and Nicole Schult of Uptown People’s Law Center, Emmanuel Andre of the Northside Transformative Law Center, and Steve Weil and Ali Chardon of Weil & Chardon LLC. recently filed two lawsuits on behalf of 27 year-old Tiffany Rusher who committed suicide while in her Sangamon County jail cell. The lawsuits have been filed on behalf of Rusher’s mother and according to Megan Groves, director of development and communications for Uptown People’s Law Center (UPLC), lawyers are currently waiting for the lawsuit to be approved by the court. “Tiffany was a beautiful soul with hopes for her future,” said Rusher’s mother, Kelli Andrews, the plaintiff in the two lawsuits. “She was looking forward to coming home to be with her family. We miss her every day.” In one case, Sangamon County jail is named as a defendant, while a second lawsuit has been filed against the Illinois Department of Corrections, Governor Bruce Rauner, and the State of Illinois. According to Groves, Rusher’s troubles began when she had inappropriate sexual contact with a minor. Groves said Rusher, “was doing sex work and was hired for a party. At that party, one of the people she had sex with was not legally an adult, so she went to prison for statutory rape.” According to a press release, Rusher began a five-year sentence at Logan Correctional Center in 2013. After she was put in solitary confinement, her mental health deteriorated to the point where she began engaging in serious self-mutilation. Eventually, Rusher attempted suicide, and was put on “crisis watch.” Crisis watch entails stripping a patient of all clothing and belongings, and putting them in a completely bare cell with only a “suicide smock” (a single
piece of thick woven nylon, too stiff to fold, with holes for head and arms). Through a Plexiglas wall, a guard watched Rusher, with the lights on, 24 hours a day. But according to the press release, the only appropriate use of crisis watch is to protect a patient from self-harm while professionals determine what treatment the patient needs. Crisis watch should only be kept to a few hours since it can worsen a prisoner’s situation due to the isolation they experience. Even a mentally healthy person in solitary confinement for more than 15 days is considered torture by the United Nations, and is known among mental health experts to cause serious damage to the
“Tiffany was a beautiful soul with hopes for her future. She was looking forward to coming home to be with her family. We miss her every day.” Tiffany Rusher’s mother, Kelli Andrews brain, the press release continued. Yet Rusher was kept in crisis watch for eight months, but the UPLC argues that prison officials could have sent her to a state mental health hospital at any time, but they did not. After several months of successful treatment, Rusher was accused of fighting at the hospital where she was arrested and sent to Sangamon County jail. Officials at the jail knew Rusher was severely mentally ill, the UPLC alleges and had a high risk of suicide, and that she needed intensive mental health treatment. They also knew that keeping a mentally ill person in solitary confinement would worsen her condition, cause severe psychological trauma, and increase her risk of suicide, the UPLC press release states.
After being kept in solitary confinement at Sangamon County jail for three months, Rusher was found unresponsive in her cell with a ripped piece of towel around her neck. She died 12 days later when the hospital removed life support. Alan Mills, executive director of Uptown People’s Law Center said, “In prison, Tiffany was tortured—kept in solitary for months on end, and denied the mental health treatment she needed. In Sangamon County jail, they put her right back in solitary, again without providing the treatment she needed. First they tortured her, then they killed her.” “It’s important to get justice for what happened to Tiffany. She was ill and she desperately needed help. But instead of care, she got cruelty,” said Ali Chardon, of Weil & Chardon LLC. The UPLC has seven pending class action lawsuits against the Illinois Department of Corrections described as follows: Rasho v. Baldwin, a class action case filed on behalf of all Illinois prisoners with mental health issues. According to the lawsuit, which was recently settled, Illinois punishes mental illness instead of treating it. The lawsuit also claimed what treatment Illinois does provide is grossly inadequate. According to UPLC, because Rasho was recently settled, sweeping changes in the Illinois Department of Corrections will be made as a result. Lippert v. Baldwin, a putative class action that relates to the alleged inadequate medical treatment provided to all Illinois prisoners. Last summer, a court-appointed expert issued a 400-page report detailing the many failings of the medical care provided to prisoners. Boyd v. Baldwin, a class action case about the overcrowded living conditions in Vienna Correctional Center, where the lawsuit alleges that men have literally been stuffed in every corner a bed can fit in according to uplcchicago.org.
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Douglas v. Baldwin, a class action lawsuit challenging Illinois’ excessive use of solitary. The lawsuit alleges that Illinois locks up too many people in solitary, many for petty offenses, keeps them in solitary far too long, in conditions amounting to torture. Holmes v. Baldwin, a class action case brought on behalf of deaf and hard of hearing prisoners in Illinois. The lawsuit alleges that Illinois fails to provide interpreters for medical appointments, religious services, disciplinary hearings, and many other vital interactions with staff. It further alleges that Illinois fails to provide hearing aids or other assistive devices to those who are hard of hearing. Ross v. Gossett, a putative class action brought on behalf of prisoners at Menard, Illinois River, Big Muddy River, and Lawrence Correctional Centers alleging that the Orange Crush tactical team used excessive force, including physical and sexual abuse, when it conducted mass shakedowns in the spring of 2014. Morales v. Finley, a putative class action case alleging that adults facing revocation of their parole are denied due process. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that they are not provided with a lawyer, even though they are facing imprisonment, they are left to languish for months without any hearing at all, and they are sent back to prison without the state proving that they violated their parole. MH v. Finley, a class action case in which UPLC established that children facing incarceration because they allegedly violated the terms of their parole were denied due process. As of January, 2015, children are now provided with lawyers at the state’s expense. Chancy v. Illinois Prisoner Review Board, a putative class action alleging that Illinois has not implemented an evidence-based risk assessment to be used in deciding whether to parole older “C Number” prisoners, in direct violation of Illinois law, according to UPLC.
8 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of March 21, 2018
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