Around 25 corrections employees mocked transgender inmates and even disclosed their personal and medical information on social media, it was claimed.
The posts were written on a Facebook page by low-level officers, sergeants, lieutenants, and other staffers working for Illinois Department of Corrections, Buzzfeed reported.
The comments included ones degrading transgender women and outing other LGBTQ prisoners.
The officers openly discussed private information about inmates, including alleged sexual acts and medical treatments they had obtained.
Over 20 corrections employees mocked transgender inmates online and even disclosed their personal and medical information, it was claimed. Pictured above is the headquarters of the Illinois Department of Corrections
Many of the offensive comments referenced Deon “Strawberry” Hampton, a transgender woman who was battling the Illinois Department of Corrections over alleged abuse while she was incarcerated. She was released in July
Transgender women were also called ‘it’ and ‘he’ in two private Facebook groups, both called ‘Behind the walls’ and followed by different spellings of Illinois Department of Corrections, an Injustice Watch review found.
Some of the alleged abuse was directed at a transgender woman who was battling the Illinois Department of Corrections over alleged abuse while she was incarcerated has been released from prison.
Deon “Strawberry” Hampton of Chicago, who was serving a 10-year sentence for burglary, was released from Logan Correctional Center outside Lincoln, Illinois in July.
She is suing Illinois’ Department of Corrections, accusing it of doing too little to protect her from abuse for over 15 years.
Hampton was incarcerated at correctional facilities for men before being transferred last year to Logan, a facility for women. She alleged she was repeatedly the victim of sexual assault, taunting and beatings in male prisons.
‘I’ve seen this mother f****r with a beard,’ one correctional officer wrote, after a Hampton was transferred to a women’s facility last December.
‘The state is stupid I’d chop his pecker off for him than he can be female.’
The discussions in the Facebook group were about Hampton, who has filed two lawsuits against the department over discrimination regarding her gender identity.
Another correctional officer commented on a news article posted about Hampton in March 2018: ‘Know matter way you look at it, it’s a freak’n male inmate,’ he wrote. ‘Transgender’s are a f*****g joke in my view.’
The Facebook groups remain private, which means that access must be given before a user can view or comment on the posts. Both groups have around 4,000 members.
Corrections officers posted offensive comments on two private Facebook groups, both called ‘Behind the walls’ and followed by different spellings of Illinois Department of Corrections
The Facebook material, obtained by Injustice Watch, included posts by 25 employees who made derogatory comments about LGBTQ people
According to Buzzfeed, members were warned that ‘snitches will be permanently banned from the group. No warnings, no second chances: zero tolerance.’
Illinois Department of Corrections Acting Director Rob Jeffreys told Buzzffed that the department is ‘firmly dedicated to fostering a culture of tolerance, inclusion, and respect in our correctional facilities.’
The Facebook material, obtained by Injustice Watch, included posts by 25 employees who made derogatory comments about LGBTQ people.
Jeffreys claimed that the department had implemented mandatory staff training on ‘implicit bias and transgender care.’
Training creator Dr. Shane Reister claimed the two-hour program included education about gender identity, sexual orientation and the effect of discrimination.
Strawberry Hampton is suing Illinois’ Department of Corrections, accusing it of doing too little to protect her from abuse for over 15 years
“Strawberry” Hampton of Chicago, who was serving a 10-year sentence for burglary, was released from Logan Correctional Center outside Lincoln, Illinois in July
The department’s 12,000 employees will receive the training, which began in July and will take about a year to roll out fully.
‘It’s really a process of changing attitudes and culture change,’ Reister said.
Injustice Watch reviewed hundreds of comments in the two groups dating from October 2017 to September 2019.
Many of the members claimed they were correctional officers on Facebook and spoke about their jobs.
Correctional officers also reportedly uploaded medical information about transgender inmates, according to Injustice Watch.
Hampton was incarcerated at correctional facilities for men before being transferred last year to Logan, a facility for women. She alleged she was repeatedly the victim of sexual assault, taunting and beatings in male prisons.
The MacArthur Justice Center and Uptown People’s Law Center fought to force prison officials to transfer Hampton. They filed federal lawsuits arguing she will be less vulnerable.
IDOC transferred Hampton to Logan after a federal court found Hampton had a strong case that her equal-protection rights were violated.