5/5/2022
Woman alleges her son was infected with MRSA while in McLean County jail, but the jail denied it refusing to test him.
She started out by apologizing.
“I’m sorry to say my son was recently in jail,” Sharon Baize.
At Tuesday’s McLean County Justice Committee meeting Baize gave a public comment describing her and her son’s experience while he was briefly incarcerated in McLean County. Her son, Jason Roof, pled guilty to one charge of unlawful use of a firearm by a felon and was sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison. Roof had previously been out on bond, but after his conviction was remanded into the custody of the county jail pending transportation to an Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) facility on March 28, 2022.
During his stay, both Roof and Baize allege he contracted MRSA, a highly contagious & antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Baize says their family has a history of contracting MRSA. Her husband survived a very serious case which required hospitalization, so they are familiar with the symptoms.
Like all new arrivals, Roof was quarantined for 14-days. This has been jail policy since the COVID-19 pandemic began. On April 11th, Roof woke up with sore on his elbow, a red pustule. Roof requested to see a nurse but was refused for several days all the while the sore was getting bigger on his arm. It wasn’t until April 16th that Roof started receiving some form of treatment. He was placed on two different antibiotics.
However, Roof began to have severe bowl and stomach pain. Baize finally reached out to the head of jail medical, Suzanne Scott, on April 21st. She was concerned for her son’s worsening health. Baize asked Scott if she had seen Roof. Scott said she had only seen him walking the hallway, and he looked fine. However, Scott admitted she had never examined Roof directly. Baize explained to Scott the severity of MRSA and how it was very contagious. Baize finally asked if any culture or laboratory test was done to confirm or falsify the diagnoses of MRSA. Scott said no. No test was ever performed according to Baize.
Later that day, Scott changed Roof’s medicine. In a few days, Roof was reporting to his mother that his gastrointestinal pain was gone; but his sore was growing, and his arm hurt worse. Roof again attempted to see the nurse again. He was refused because he was transferring out of the jail soon.
Roof was transferred to Statesville on Thursday, April 28th. No test was ever performed according to Baize.
“I truly hope I am wrong, that this wasn’t a case of MRSA,” Baize said during her public comment. “I hope he didn’t get sent to IDOC with it. But all of this concern could have been alleviated had they merely had performed a test.”
Prior to her son being transferred, a Sheriff’s Detective Henkly, stopped at Baize’s house while she was working. She says it was an intense moment because she was worried something had happened to her son. However, the detective was asking her to come to the police station to talk to her about some type of recording. She told the detective she was busy but could come later. After he left, Baize contacted the detective informing him she wouldn’t be coming down, and she had done nothing wrong.
Baize told me she felt the detective was attempting to intimidate her, but she doesn’t know what for. She said she doesn’t intimidate so easy.
“I know people do things that are wrong.” Baize told me. “And, I know punishment is warranted; people have to learn. But, I don’t believe the people in the jail need to be treated like sewer rats. They are people. They have made mistakes–some worse than others. It’s not just my children that I’m worried about. I’m also worried about the workers.”
Baize says she also reported her fears to the McLean County Department of Health, but the Department of Health has no authority over the jail.
To be clear, neither Sharon Baize or Jason Roof are medical experts. Both Sheriff Jon Sandage and Suzanne Scott deny there is any MRSA infection inside the jail. Because no test has been performed yet, it is simply unknown whether Roof actually has MRSA or not.
It will take some time before Roof is able to report back from Statesville on any diagnoses. IDOC typically tests for everything because they know Sheriff’s will often lie or not test people they transfer just to get the person out of their jail.
There is a McLean County Health Committee meeting today at 4:30. Suzanne Scott normally reports to that committee.
