Activists want answers to inmates’ deaths in Iroquois County

(Tuesday) marked the 6-month anniversary of the deaths of two inmates while in custody at the Iroquois County Jail. And the Illinois Prisoner Rights Coalition (ILPRC) says it’s still waiting for some authority to say what happened to Andre Maiden and Jason Fancher. The inmates, jailed on separate charges in different cases, were found unresponsive in their cells in late August of 2020. The Illinois State Police are handing the investigation at the request of the Iroquois County Sheriff’s department.

Prisoner Right Activist Mya Hendrix says 6-months is long enough for ISP to provide something about the investigation. And, she says, the inmates’ families believe the jail personnel are responsible for medical negligence ………
 
The inmates family members claim Maiden and Fancher were victims of sexual harassment while in custody. There’s been no valid proof of such. And autopsies have indicated drug overdoses, which the inmates' families dispute. They claim independant autopsies prove otherwise.

The ILPRC presented a petition at a news conference (Tues) calling for change and accountability within the Jail.

94.1 WGFA