What's Inside - Illinois.gov

Corrections Connections | 1

May/June 2018Illinois Department of Corrections | Monthly Newsletter

What’s Inside23

4

In May, we celebrated and honoredour staff and remembered thosewho have died while performingtheir duties. While NationalCorrectional Officers and EmployeesWeek gives the Department theopportunity to highlight the greatwork that you do, please know yourefforts are noticed and appreciatedeach and every day.

Corrections requires a tremendousamount of courage, resilience andsacrifice. It is a line of work that isoften thankless despite itsimportance. Many of you strive eachday to be the best you can be; your professionalism and commitmentis what makes our Department top-notch.

Not only is IDOC staff committed to their profession, but also toimproving their communities. I am very proud to lead a workforce thatso generously gives of their time and hearts to make a difference inthe lives of others. Many of you volunteer for nonprofit organizations,coach youth sports or are active in the Department’s fundraisingefforts for Special Olympics Illinois. It is truly touching to witness theenthusiasm of staff who participate in events, such as Cops on aRooftop, Polar Plunge, the pistol match and more.

The IDOC is not just a team, we are a family. Together, we are movingcloser to our goal of operating one of the finest correctional systems inthe country. Thank you for your hard work!

John R. Baldwin

Message from the Director

Making Every Minute Matter

Teri Kennedy BecomesPontiac’s First FemaleWarden

Offenders at Lawrence LearnTo Control Their Thinking

Supporting Our Soliders

Shawnee Dog ProgramBenefits Veterans

5 Taylorville Holds Annual ArtShow

Giving the Gift of Life

Beautifying the City ofKewanee

6 Creating an InvitingAtmosphere

AFSCME Illinois PersonalSupport Program

8 Commited To CommunityService

Be Well

9 RAPID RESULTS

10 Calm Your Mind and Bodywith Box Breathing

11 Fallen Heroes and ExemplaryStaff Recognized at MemorialWall Ceremony

Corrections Connections | 2

Most people wake up everymorning, go to work, do what’sexpected out of them, drivehome to relax and enjoy timewith their family, and wake upto do it all over again. But forone man, his work day isn’t justan eight hour shift. Tony Surrattmakes every minute count!

Suratt’s day begins at 6 AMand ends most nights at 10 or11 PM. He wakes up everymorning to get his two kidsready and sent off to school,and then heads off to WesternIllinois Correctional Centerwhere he is a CorrectionalCounselor II. At work, Surratt isthe Programs Counselor,Veterans Affairs Liaison, andPresident of the EmployeeBenefit Committee. Heinstructs writing and life skillsclasses to offenders to helprehabilitate them before theyre-enter society. Surratt knowsthat if he can change the waymany of these inmates thinkabout situations and makedecisions, he can help changethe society they will be living inwhen they are released.

As a U.S. Marine, Surrattunderstands the importance oftaking care of our veterans,and has helped raise over$6,000 for the Honor FlightFoundation. This foundationhelps send former militarypersonnel to Washington D.C.for a day-long trip to observethe military monuments andcemetery.

Surratt also leads a group of13 employees who organize

staff appreciation events,conduct fundraisers, plan theholiday party, and help boostmorale among employees. Hetries to show his appreciationto everyone. He hasn’tforgotten where he came fromas a Correctional Officer I onthe midnight shift. Surrattworked midnights for nineyears not necessarily becausehe wanted to, but because itallowed him the most time tobe a husband, father, andcoach. After nine years insecurity, Surratt promoted toCorrectional Counselor II.

After Surratt’s work day is over,he heads out to coach hisson’s little league baseballteams, youth football teams,and youth basketball teamsdepending on the season. If allthat coaching is not enough,he is also the Bluffs Jr. HighSchool basketball coach andschool bus driver. Tony is thepresident of both the Tri-County Little League and theBluffs Little League. He ralliesand fundraises for thesechildren to get uniforms, sportsequipment, and money forumpires and fieldmaintenance. Surratt isconstantly working to improvethe lives of these children andhelp give them theopportunities that otherchildren may not haveavailable. He realizes that acombination of youth sportsparticipation and strongsupport from coaches andparents are some keycomponents of developing thenecessary team and

leadership skills to besuccessful in life.

After a jam packed day youwould think Suratt would headhome to eat and relax, right?Nope. After all this, if theweather is permitting, Surrattheads home to work a fewhours on his family’s garagethat he has built with his owntwo hands. If he has any sparetime, Surratt works oncompleting the three cargarage that he and his wifehave dreamt of for years.

If there is any extra time left inthe day, Suratt helps withhomework, dishes, preparingdinner, laundry and all the day-to-day chores that every familyfaces. But at the end of theday, if you asked Surratt if hewould ever change his busylife he would tell you no.

Suratt is just one of manyemployees at Western IllinoisCorrectional Center who givesback to his co-workers,community, and family.

Making Every Minute Matter

Corrections Connections | 3

Teri Kennedy has made historyat Pontiac Correctional Centeras the first female warden ofthe facility. In its 125-yearhistory as a penal institution,the facility has never had awoman at the helm – until now.Kennedy took over the role ofwarden after the retirement of

Michael Melvin in March.She began her IDOC careerin 1995 as a CorrectionalOfficer. Over the years, shepromoted to Leisure TimeServices, CorrectionalCounselor II, CaseworkSupervisor, and AssistantWarden of Operations.

Teri Kennedy Becomes Pontiac’s First Female Warden

“I have served under, andwith, strong andknowledgeable staff at alllevels for the past 25 years.Their tutelage, along with mypassion for corrections, hasproven invaluable and hasultimately afforded me theopportunity to attain mycurrent position. It will now bemy honor and duty to share

my knowledge with the nextgeneration of corrections.Along with the hardworkingcommitted staff of PontiacCorrectional Center, we willwork to keep staff,offenders, and thecommunity safe. I amexcited to serve as Wardenand work with theDepartment as we face our

new challenges andimplement our newinitiatives.”

-Warden Teri Kennedy,Pontiac Correctional Center

On Friday, April 6, 12 offendersgraduated from the first everThinking for a Change cognitivebehavioral program at LawrenceCorrectional Center. These 12offenders worked hard for five-and-a-half months learning aboutsocial skills, cognitive self- change,and problem solving. Offendersare expected to use these skills intheir daily lives by using newthinking that results in positivebehavioral changes. The offenderswill take control of their lives bytaking control of their thinking.

Offenders at Lawrence Learn To Control TheirThinking

Corrections Connections | 4

On Friday, April 13, staff fromthe SWATT (Shawnee WellnessAssistance Therapy Training)dog team at ShawneeCorrectional Center took threedogs to the veterans home inAnna as part of basicobedience dog training. Manyveterans gave a warmwelcome to the training dogswith smiles and generousamounts of affection. This jointeffort between the Departmentof Corrections and theDepartment of Veterans Affairswas a success! The SWATTdog program was able tointroduce the dogs to newexperiences by socializingthem so they can act and reactappropriately with veterans. Inaddition, the experience liftedthe veterans’ spirits.

At the end of the basicobedience dog training, thedogs were made available foradoption by military veteransthrough Project Hope, a no killanimal shelter in Metropolis.

Shawnee Dog Program Benefits Veterans

Chaplain Paul Weber of EastMoline Correctional Centerserves in the U.S. Army andwas deployed overseas inSeptember 2017. While on thisdeployment, his wife Heatherhas been in regular contactwith the facility and providesupdates on Chaplain Weber.Mrs. Weber providedinformation regarding itemsthat were needed by the

troops. In February, the facilitycollected various items forcare packages for the soldiers.Mrs. Weber provided a pictureof the donations and shared amessage from Chaplain Weberthat read, “Thanks from all ofus for the care packagesreceived today, the day afterEaster. Yesterday’s hamdinner and then spring picnicwas pretty good.”

Supporting Our Soldiers

Corrections Connections | 5

On April 13, the TaylorvilleCorrectional Center VeteransGroup hosted its annual art show.The Veterans Group meets once amonth to coordinate various eventsthroughout the year. The art showis an opportunity for offenders toshowcase their artistic talents whileboth offenders and staff spend theday viewing the art. Offenders sitnext to their work throughout theday to explain their thoughtsbehind their creations.

Taylorville HoldsAnnual Art Show

Dixon Correctional Centerhosted the American RedCross for a blood drive onApril 27, 2018. Despiteseveral emergency writsand a Tact call out, thestaff at Dixon had anamazing turn out. Staffworked together taking onextra reliefs or forfeitingtheir own lunch break toparticipate in the blooddrive. The American RedCross was able to collect45 units. Twenty of theunits collected were PowerRed units, which mean 135lives will be saved with the

blood donated by staff atDixon Correctional Center!

Giving the Gift of Life

Offenders at Kewanee LifeSkills Re-Entry Center recentlyhad the chance to give back toour local community byproviding a valuable servicetowards meeting the city’s goalof beautification. Offenderswere on site to assist withKewanee’s “Clean Up Day”where community membershad the opportunity to bringlarge items they did not needanymore to a centralizedlocation for appropriatedisposal. Kewanee LSRCoffenders were on site at two

locations -- one that wascollecting junk items and onethat was specifically collectingold/used tires for properdisposal. The men assistedcommunity members withunloading their trucks andtrailers. Overall, the event wentso well that the city plans ondoing it again in the fall usingthe assistance of KLSRCoffenders.

Beautifying the City of Kewanee

In recent months, HillCorrectional Center has beenworking to improve theatmosphere of its visiting room.Murals have been painted onwalls both inside and outsideof the visiting room andcheckerboards have beenpainted on the tables. The

kids’ corner of the visiting roomfeatures puzzles, games, andcoloring books as well as wallmurals of popular characters.The corner serves to enrich thevisiting experience and helpassist in fostering quality timebetween offenders and theirchildren.

Creating an Inviting Atmosphere

Corrections Connections | 6

Officer Darryn Hayes hasworked for the IllinoisDepartment of Corrections for19 years. Mr. Hayes createdLife Choices, a non-profitorganization in which heserves as an avid mentor andmotivational speaker. For thepast 14 years, Life Choiceshas primarily concentrated onyouth services and charitabledonations, such as food,clothing, school supply drives,and volunteer work athomeless shelters. Mr. Hayeshas worked with local highschools to guide young peopleon a road to success byoffering tutoring services andresume writing tips. Mr. Hayesalso works with Habitat for

Humanity to build homes forfamilies in need. Mr. DarrynHayes’ efforts have beendiligent resulting in shiningsuccess!

Commited To Community Service

Corrections Connections | 7

Corrections Connections | 8

Be Well

The professional staff of theAFSCME Personal SupportProgram (PSP) is ready to helpyou or a member of your familywith personal concerns orproblems, whether they occurat home or at work. The PSPoffers services statewidethrough a network of licensed

professionals who arespecially trained to provideconfidential assistance on awide variety of concerns andproblems, including stress,marital/partner problems,parenting, grief, and elder careconcerns.

You can reach the PSP from8:30 Am through 4:30 PM,Monday through Friday, at 1-800-647-8776.

AFSCME Illinois Personal Support Program

Research reports a rate ofdepression for corrections staff,and corrections officers inparticular, that is much higherthan that of the generalpopulation. The following workconditions can increase the riskof developing depressivesymptoms: high psychologicaljob demands, low socialsupport, and low decision-making authority. Signs ofdepression include:

• Tearfulness

• Crying

• Sleeping too little or toomuch

• Difficulty concentrating

• Difficulty remembering

• Lack of energy

• Loss of appetite orovereating

• Feelings of hopelessness,worthlessness, and/orhelplessness

• Self-blame

• Irritability

• Anger Outbursts

• Social Withdrawal

• Loss of interest in what waspreviously enjoyed

• Thoughts of death anddying

If you are experiencingsymptoms of depression,please seek expert help

immediately. Do not ignorethem, thinking that they will goaway, and definitely, do not tryto escape them throughsubstance use or otheraddictive behaviors.

Source: “Depression.” Staying Well,Strategies for Corrections Staff, byCaterina G. Spinaris, 2nd ed.

Corrections Connections | 9

Breathe/Exercise/Repeat toReduce Stress and ToneBody

If you haven’t worked out in awhile, have never tried anyspecific exercise routine, orjust want to switch up yourtraining, thisBreathe/Exercise/Repeat(BER) workout is for you! TheBER workout is designed tobe schedule friendly andeasy to accomplish withabsolutely no equipmentnecessary. The exercises willhelp you to reshape andredefine your body!

For this exercise routine, around timer app on your phonecan be helpful. There aremany available for free forAndroid and iPhone users.Just set your round timers to50 second intervals with eightsecond rest periods.

Remember, it is recommendedyou check with your physicianbefore beginning any exerciseprogram. Just remember tobreathe, exercise, and repeat.Let’s do this!

BODY WEIGHT SQUATS –(50 seconds with 8 secondrest period)

Feet should be shoulder widthapart. Reach your arms andhands straight out from yourchest; maintain arms this waythroughout the squat. Bendingyour knees, drop your bottomfirst as if you are sitting in a

chair. Inhale whiledescending. Try not to leanforward. Squat until thighs areparallel to the floor (invisiblechair position). Exhale as youbegin standing. Stop just shortof locking yours knees in thestanding position and descendback into a squat. Rememberto inhale while squatting andexhale when returning to theupright standing position.Repeat for 50 seconds.

COBRA PUSH UPS – (50Seconds with 8 Second restperiod)Lie flat on the floor chin slightlyabove floor, eyes forward.Bring hands next to your chestwith your thumbs touching youand keep your elbows close toyour body. Relax pelvic area,from the waist down, and letthe pelvis, knees, and feet reston the floor. Now pushyourself upward, inhale to topposition. Locking your elbows,flex your triceps, squeeze yourchest, and descend back tothe floor while exhaling whileyou descend. Repeat for 50seconds.

LEG RAISES –(50 secondswith 8 second rest period)Lie flat on your back, placehands under lower backstraighten legs, inhale, andraise both legssimultaneously. Legs shouldbe perpendicular to thefloor, creating an L Shape.Exhale, lower feet 6” abovethe floor and do not let yourfeet touch the floor. Inhale;raise legs so that your body

is in an L formation. Repeat for50 seconds.

CARDIO HORSE STANCE 4PUNCH SQUAT JUMP – (50Seconds with 8 second rest)Spread feet laterally about 6”wider than shoulder width.Point toes and drop yourbottom as low as possible. Putyour hands up towards yourcheekbones in a relaxed fistposition. Throw four alternatepunches-- right, left, right, leftand repeat. Return fist tocheeks after both sets ofpunches, then explode into ajump from the horse stancesquatting style position.

Repeat cycle three times or asmany times as possible.

By Robert Miller, Supply Supervisor I, Vandalia Correctional CenterChico’s Fitness Corner

Corrections Connections | 10

Box breathing is a simpletechnique to relieve stress andsharpen your focus. Try itbefore and after a workout. Ina seated position, breathe infor a count of four and hold forfour seconds. Exhale for fourseconds and then rest for acount of four.

Calm Your Mind andBody with BoxBreathing

About six months ago, IllinoisRiver Correctional FoodServices Supervisor III JeffShults was in the dietary officeand noticed some of the emptyrice bags that were set aside.He thought, “How can thosebe used?” Soon after, he hadan "ah ha" moment! Shultshad seen one of the offenderdietary workers wearing amake-shift apron and itdawned on him that maybe therice bags could be used asaprons! He tossed the ideaaround a bit with a few staffand then took some of thebags over to clothing to see ifit was something they coulddo. Luckily for us, we havesome pretty good tailors! Oneof them came up with thedesign and whipped up anapron pretty quickly. We havebeen using them ever since!

It takes three rice bags tomake one apron and

convertingthese fivepound ricebags intoaprons doesn'tcost the facilityanything. Thebags are madeof a tarp-likematerial, so theaprons are stainand water resistant. Thedietary workers love thembecause they keep them dry,are easy to clean, and arebetter than the duck materialaprons previously used. Theaprons have been used mainlyin the pot and pan area wherethe dishwashing is done, butwill be used in the future forother areas of dietary. Doingso may also improve wear andtear on our dietary uniformtops. If these aprons doublethe life of the uniform, wewould save approximately 50%or $630.00 (or more) per year.

Not to mention the savings wealready have from the cost ofthe aprons themselves.Current pricing for the apronswe use is $11.00 each.

Illinois River dietary workershave been using the rice bagaprons since around Januaryof this year. They seem to likethe aprons, which can beeasily replaced. Rice is adietary staple so we alwayshave bags and it's an easyproject for our tailors to sew.

RAPID RESULTS

Corrections Connections | 11

Illinois Department ofCorrections, IllinoisDepartment of Juvenile Justiceand the CorrectionalEmployees’ MemorialAssociation recognized theDepartment’s past and presentheroes at a Memorial WallCeremony on May 9. The eventwas held during NationalCorrectional Officers andEmployees Week, which isdesignated annually to honorall of the men and women incorrections. “During NationalCorrectional Officers andEmployees Week, it is very

important that we rememberthe past as we look to ourfuture, said IDOC DirectorJohn Baldwin.” “The IDOC’sfuture includes fewer staffassaults, a healthyenvironment, and increasedrecognition of the difficult jobthat staff do each and everyday.”The first half of the MemorialWall Ceremony paid tribute toemployees who have died inthe line of duty. GovernorBruce Rauner providedremarks and also laid the

wreath in honor of the 36employees who paid theultimate price.The second half of the servicehonored current employees ofIDOC and IDJJ. 65 employeeswere nominated by theircolleagues and supervisors toreceive the highest honor ofCorrectional Officer of theYear, Parole Agent of the Year,and Corrections Employee ofthe Year. These awardsrecognize those who haveshown outstanding leadershipand professionalism.

Fallen Heroes and Exemplary Staff Recognized atMemorial Wall Ceremony

Employee of theYear Nominees

Big Muddy River Sgt. Tony StonerCentralia Administrative Assistant I Melissa RuckerDanville Records Office Supervisor Melissa RobbinsDecatur Account Technician I Carol CulpDixon Corrections Counselor II Dana ThompsonEast Moline Sgt. Alonzo BoardmanGraham Electrician Paul MagruderHill ` Administrative Assistant I Aimee Bequette-CheneyIllinois River Field Services Representative Penni HarrisJacksonville Food Services Supervisor I Deb HeckJoliet Treatment Center Electrician Bruce Van DuyneKewanee Chaplain Justin YorkLawrence Administrative Assistant II Kelly RichardsonLincoln Health Care Unit Administrator Lisa HoppLogan Office Coordinator Abigail Ingram Menard Corrections Maintenance Supervisor Corey Phoenix

Corrections Connections | 12

Pinckneyville Food Services Program Manager William HarrisPontiac Electrician Timothy FitzsimmonsRobinson Account Technician I Jenna HankinsShawnee Office Associate Angela GalbraithSheridan Corrections Supply Supervisor II James ShankleSouthwestern Ill. Food Services Program Manager John KlutzStateville B of I Technician Sheena ThomasTaylorville Record Office Supervisor Janis JokischVandalia Sgt. Charlie RoseVienna Executive Secretary I Teresa RallsWestern Illinois Office Associate Amanda Lewis Fox Valley ATC Correctional Counselor II Petrice FosterPeoria ATC Corrections Residence Counselor I Melinda McCallisterGeneral Office Method and Procedure Advisor I Brittney LamsargisParole Office Associate Geri Arsenault

Employee of the Year: Brittney Lamsargis

Big Muddy River Christopher McCabeCentralia Ashley SearsDanville Steve HallDecatur Chadd MathiasDixon Arthur ManzanoEast Moline Susan ScottGraham Tony CastilloHill Brian LedbetterIllinois River Norman SmithJacksonville Roger HanlinJoliet Treatment Center John LeonardKewanee Hollie LesterLawrence Jeff MolenhourLincoln James ElmoreLogan Anthony RissMenard Janell StanleyPinckneyville Stacey GibsonPontiac Andrew Smith

Correctional Officer of the Year Nominees

Corrections Connections | 13

Story ideas, feedback and comments can be submitted to Lindsey Hess at [email protected]

Follow the IDOC on Facebook!

State of IllinoisIllinois Department of Corrections

Printed by the Authority of the State of Illinois IOCI 18-0664 6-18 Web/Digital

Robinson Dustin YorkShawnee Jonathan WintersSheridan Jason StahlSouthwestern Illinois Anthony CastellanoStateville Rontisa IveryTaylorville Michael McNaryVandalia Josh SmithVienna Larry BusbyWestern Illinois Jennifer HortonFox Valley ATC Counselor I Sherise ThatchPeoria ATC Correctional Residence Counselor I Jay Wilhelm

Correctional Officer of the Year: Chadd Mathias

Parole District 1 Lynette FaulknerParole District 2 Candice LarsonParole District 3 Eli BetancourtParole District 4 Matthew RoadmanParole District 5 Sarah Snyder

Parole Agent of the Year: Matthew Roadman

Parole Agent ofthe Year Nominees