The head of the Illinois Department of Corrections is making changes at the toughest prison in Illinois.
Related: Michael Randle’s report on the Tamms Supermax prison
Unfiltered:Listen to full Randle speech
Michael Randle, the new acting director of the department of corrections is releasing a report on the harshest and most controversial prison in the state.
RANDLE: Based on my review, there is and will continue to be a need for Tamms to be operated by IDOC.
Inmates at the Supermaximum security prison in Southern Illinois are isolated 23 hours a day but Randall says keeping the worst of the worst at Tamms protects the safety of guards and inmates at all the other prisons.
His report found the supermax prison has also cut the number of times other prisons are on lockdown by half. But Randle wants to offer hearings to incoming prisoners.
RANDLE: Inmates will be given an opportunity to refute, rebut, or offer any information that may impact their transfer to Tamms.
Randle says he’s also undertaken a review of about half the 250 prisoners currently at Tamms and he says about 45 could probably be transferred back to less secure facilities.