Zach's Strange Corner of Thought
You Made A Wrong Turn Awhile Back!
Several McLean County Republicans, like Sheriff Jon Sandage and District 10 County Board member Chuck Erickson, claim District 7 Board Member Sharon Chung repeatedly, viciously, and with extreme malice attacks the Sheriff every chance she gets. Agitation Rising investigates these claims only to discover the SHOCKING truth!
Video originally posted on District 8 Board Member Shayna Watchinski’s Facebook Page.
The insufferable Sheriff Jon Sandage has announced he will not be seeking re-election for a third term in 2022. Sheriff Sandage was first elected in 2014. He came to the decision after “after extensive thought and discussions with family.
“I have had the honor of serving the citizens of McLean County for 30 years, the last 6 and a half as sheriff, in one of the best departments in the state of Illinois. This decision has not been an easy one as there are still many challenges ahead for our department, and I will face them with the same dedication and vigor as I have throughout my career. I am proud of the progress we have made in my two terms as Sheriff, and this has only been possible because of all the dedicated people I work with.
“I would like to thank my family and friends for their continued support, the citizens for their faith and trust in me and our department, my staff for their hard work and professionals, but most of all, I want to thank my wife and children who have sacrificed in order to allow me to pursue the profession I love.”
Read the full article on Money Bail & the Pretrial Fairness Act
Anyone interested in learning more about the Pretrial Fairness Act or how to join the fight to end money bail, should check out this Virtual Townhall scheduled for Saturday, January 16th, 2021. The virtual town hall will inform our community on the progress being made to end wealth based pretrial detention.
Join us in learning more about pretrial detention, the Pretrial Fairness Act, and what you can do to help end the unjust practice of money bond in Illinois.
REGISTER HERE: https://zoom.us/…/tJMrdO-orD8tEtZVjvyX2WqM0PcHSkofEwoz
Prior registration is required for this event. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/131217402026127
01/02/2020
I recently discovered that additional cases of COVID-19 in the McLean County Jail occurred back in late November. Since the story broke, there has been no announcements from the Sheriff’s office about whether there are any current cases, how often testing is occurring, and what’s being done to mitigate spread.
This isn’t terribly surprising. I’ve reported before about how the Sheriff lacks transparency around COVID-19 (among other things).
For these reasons, I’m making a CALL TO ACTION:
I am calling on the County Board to pass a resolution asking the Sheriff to report all COVID-19 cases in the jail promptly & accurately. This should be the bare minimum, but apparently it needs to be specified.
Because of the Illinois constitution, County Boards have very little actual authority over the Sheriff’s Office. This allows the Sheriff to operate with almost impunity. However, the board members have a duty to the tax-payers to be fiduciary shepherds for the jail; which they can’t do that if they don’t have the proper information. It’s time for them to prove they are concerned about a transparent & accountable government. While they cannot force the Sheriff to cooperate, a resolution requesting that information shows a clear message.
We should all be able to agree that transparency is key to effectively overcoming this pandemic. The people demand accurate and prompt information, especially regarding tax-payer funded liabilities like the jail. It is unfortunate the Sheriff has chosen to conceal & prevaricate on such an important issue.
Contact your county board members & ask them to pass a resolution seeking transparency & accountability at the jail. I encourage you to e-mail the County Administrator for public comments at both the McLean County Health Committee & Justice Committee.
The next Health Committee meeting is Monday, January 4th, 2020 at 4:30 PM.
The next Justice Committee meeting is Tuesday, January 5th, 2020 at 4:30 PM.
Email public comment statements to County Administration at admin@mcleancountyil.gov. E-mailed Statements will be placed in the official minutes, even if the statement reads longer than the individual/group time limit (5 minutes for individuals or group spokesperson). All requests will be taken in the order in which they are received, and the total time allowed for public comment at Committee meetings per County Board rules is 30 minutes.
08/13/2020
I frequently file Freedom of Information Acts (FOIA) with the McLean County Jail for information on population numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic.1 Just last week, Sheriff Jon Sandage announced there were 3 inmates and two staff members who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
According to a FOIA I received yesterday, the number of inmates infected has risen to 5 as of August 6th, 2020.
“As of August 6th, we have… had 5 positive tests on inmates.”
When I first read this, I initially thought of all tests done on inmates five returned back positive. Of course, that is not what I asked for: I specifically requested the number of inmates who had tested positive, not the number of positive tests performed on inmates.
I contacted the jail FOIA officer, Mary Lou Allman, to clarify. She told me this is the information she received from medical staff so it must mean the numbers have risen to 5 inmates. Hopefully, this was a mistake but considering how lax Sheriff deputies and jail staff are about wearing masks, I wouldn’t doubt if the number continues to rise.
Furthermore, it confirms the jail did not start properly testing until the Pritzker administration required it in order to transfer inmates to IDOC.
