Inmates write about conditions at CCJ
The following is a letter sent to Dare to Struggle – Chicago from a group of inmates inside Cook County Jail’s Division 11. Inmates have requested the letter be published in full to further expose conditions inside the jail and the problems people inside are facing. We salute them for their bravery, coming together, and publicly speaking out against CCJ.
June 7, 2025
We – individuals here in custody at Cook County Department of Corrections (CCDOC) – are in extreme distress, fear, and in need of outside support to combat and help with the torture we endure on a daily basis.
We must popularize desires for justice and increase people’s receptivity to the testimonies of the oppressed individuals in custody here at CCDOC, by recognizing embodied, unconscious and conscious structures of racial discrimination, violence, widespread fears of retaliation for practicing our Constitutional Rights, intensified forms of punishment, psychological warfare, inhuman treatment, superior oppression strategies, religious discrimination, and so on!!!
There are many issues we (individually and as a collective) undergo here at CCDOC that go underexposed. Within this letter are issues we experience, which are ongoing. First we want to provide a list of some key issues. Just to give a brief synopsis before we get into full detail.
- We forego years of being here at CCDOC still awaiting discovery. There are individuals here in custody 12+ years, discovery still ongoing, and no charges have been verified. CCDOC is also known for holding innocent individuals for years, and IDOC (Illinois Department of Corrections) for 20+ years, only to dismiss their cases on false arrests/charges. We are being held against our will.
- CCDOC is confiscating our mail. They will lie and say our incoming mail is saturated with drug paraphernalia. Now granted, drug paraphernalia does get into Cook County Jail, but it is mainly transported through and by CCDOC’s own employed Correctional Officers, which has been proven. But the problem is they confiscate books shipped directly from Amazon, knowing we all know Amazon doesn’t ship or produce drug paraphernalia products. We’ve even had Correctional Officers inform us their co-workers take our material home and some even sell them. We lose money. And these books aren’t cheap. Some even range $100+.
- We are getting sick from the water and air here at CCDOC!
- We receive in-person visitations where our loved ones – parents, grandparents, children, and spouses – come to visit us, to give support, inspiration, comfort, and hope. But CCDOC staff make them wait 1 hour and more only for them to see us for all of 15 minutes. And on top of that, they (CCDOC staff) disrespect our family and support systems. They speak to them with aggression, use profane language, and become argumentative, etc. And if a Correctional Officer had a conflict with an individual in custody, whether verbal or because of a written grievance against that officer, that same officer will target that individual’s family who came in person, even to the point of ending their visit.
- We don’t get any proper hair products to properly maintain strong and healthy hair. Everyone’s hair is falling out. People with full heads of hair are now bald. We can’t maintain proper self-care here at CCDOC. And most people who are forced to cut their hair have become depressed!
- The food here at Cook County Department of Corrections is very disgraceful, disappointing, and disreputable! People really need to see the food we have to force ourselves to eat to avoid hunger pains. You wouldn’t feed your cat or your dog the food CCDOC provides. It’s that bad. Literally, the rats don’t even bother most of it. And that says a lot! The flipside to that is CCDOC has the funds for better and healthier meals. CCDOC gets paid roughly $52,000 for every individual in custody per year. You do the math. CCDOC holds roughly 5,000 individuals. Then to add to that, to get fruit you have to be on specific religious meal plans. Now why is that? We also receive hair in our food, spoiled milk, cold dinner trays, outdated snacks, and so on.
- CCDOC commissary prices are extremely offensive and shameful. The prices for food here at Cook County Jail are 2x, 3x, even 4x the prices at the prisons. And here at CCDOC we haven’t even been convicted. It doesn’t make any sense! We’ve also attached Cook County Jail commissary pricing list, so you can see for yourself.
Can you PLEASE do what you can to get this noticed. Please! Life at CCDOC is cruel and inhuman. If this doesn’t get exposed it will just continue. The world needs to know. CCDOC is a big business, formed by systemic racism, superior oppression, extortion, punitive punishment, and so much more. WE REALLY NEED HELP!!!
**ISSUE #1: Treatment At Cook County Department of Corrections**
The staff here at Cook County Department of Corrections is discourteous, impolite, rude, and ill-mannered. Now this is not to state that all staff here at CCDOC is unprofessional, because there are staff here who are very respectful, fair, and encouraging. So we are not undermining them. But this is to inform the world about the unnecessary and heartrending treatment that is contrary to the natural standard of human nature and nurture.
To be more specific, on the date of December 16, 2024, Correctional Officer Ms. Despenza entered the living unit of Division 11 – Tier CC, with foul and loud outbursts/language. She told us as a collective “y’all act like bitches” when we responded hey that’s uncalled for, unprofessional, and disrespectful; her response was “I can get disrespectful, you haven’t seen nothing yet.” Her next choice of words was very profound. Her reply was “All of y’all bitches, stupid, soft, spoiled, privileged, emotional, little brats and transsexuals!” She said that we “suck more dick than the women, so much that it won’t be any dick left for women to suck – with y’all bitch ass.” Then she ended with “Now that’s disrespectful – do y’all want me to continue? I told y’all I can get disrespectful.” Being that our mentor has been teaching us about emotional intelligence, emotional maturity, and radical acceptance, we tried to calm the situation and atmosphere by responding “Don’t lose your peace, just write a grievance.” She then responded “That’s not going to do shit!” That CCDOC knows how she is and that her mouth is disrespectful, but she still has her job.
On another occasion Ms. Jones, a veteran Correctional Officer who has recently retired, called an individual in custody here at CCDOC a “broke bitch ass nigga!” The individual in custody was a tier worker at the time, and was so disrespected that he quit his job and stepped down from his position. We’ve had Correctional Officers also say things like: Fuck you, you’re a waste of time, dirty, poor, broke, not going home; they have flipped us off, spread rumors about individuals in custody that place them in harm’s way, they have placed gangs against rival gangs in the same place and put bets on individuals who get in fights.
Next there are numerous occasions of individuals in custody here at CCDOC being searched on their person by men who like and are fond of other men. Who have over-searched and touched places that another man shouldn’t put his hands on. Groping individuals in custody’s private areas with zeal! While other Correctional Officers on site just stand and watch in laughter.
Then we have issues with CCDOC cell compliance checks – aka “shake downs”. There are Correctional Officers who leave behind unreasonable and unholy drawings and images of a male penis – with written statements attached to them that say and we quote “I’m gay”. The CCDOC staff behavior is ungodly and abnormal. All of this has been underexposed. This is tremendously diminishing to our self-esteem, our character, and spiritual beliefs. The treatment given by CCDOC staff feels punitive and detrimental: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and financially. We are suffering! Please help!
There are more issues when it comes to CCDOC cell compliance checks. Its initial motive is to check for weapons, drugs, and contraband (illegal goods). The process is they remove each individual in custody (against our will) from each cell living unit; to search about the person and cell. And after we return to the cell; we are faced with all of our property thrown throughout the cell, important legal work torn to shreds, family photographs destroyed, our food thrown away, or taken and given to other individuals in custody on a different living unit. They have taken extra pairs of shoes that we buy off commissary and cost $50 without refunding us. This has occurred on multiple occasions. Literally multiple!
Thomas J. Dart (head sheriff here at CCDOC) came personally and informed us that we can obtain two pairs of shoes, as we explained that two pairs of shoes are needed. We explained to him with one pair of shoes, we use it in everyday living, workout in them, play basketball in them, and attend court; all in one pair of shoes. So he granted us two pairs of shoes. But when he left the building, Sergeant Majoch and other CCDOC staff did another cell compliance check and confiscated the second pair of shoes. Showing no respect to Thomas J. Dart, nor us. They took our bibles, dictionaries, self-development and inspirational books, material we get mailed through Amazon – and so on. Material our loved ones pay for with their hard earned money. Some people’s parents, grandparents, and loved ones have passed since being in custody, so those materials hold sentimental value. Then we were later informed by a current Correctional Officer at CCDOC that when his coworkers come to do a cell compliance check, that if they don’t find any weapons, drugs, and other contraband – they just take the above items. As well as tissue and soap. They take them to make it seem like they are doing their jobs or being spiteful for us going to Thomas J. Dart about issues we have.
Finally, whenever we put a grievance on a CCDOC staff member, we become a target. So at most times we fear to speak out for fear of retaliation. Plus we know it’s their word against ours. There’s way more going on underexposed here at CCDOC. WAY MORE! Sometimes they even confiscate individuals in custody’s extra peanut butter, jelly, and bread – to get by. And we who are fortunate come together to supply that individual with supplies to get through hunger pains. So when their food is confiscated and thrown in the trash, and they are left hungry, it becomes a systemic and larger problem. Because the individual without fosters impulsive behaviors and distorted thinking. Which leads them to seek instant gratification and criminal thinking/behaviors. CCDOC, a so-called department of corrections, is not correcting behaviors or thinking patterns; they are actually influencing negative ones. Creating a dog-eat-dog environment! HELP!
**ISSUE #2: Molded Showers / Hygiene Attacks**
Hygiene is the science of maintaining health and cleanliness which is essential and is extremely important to a high degree to all human beings and all living creation. It is scientifically proven in bacteriology that dirt holds bacteria and most, if not all bacteria causes diseases. Yet, the showers in Cook County Department of Corrections are constantly being corroded with mold and bacteria. And as we shower, we are inhaling the fumes from the mold; as well as the fumes from chipped paint. Majority of individuals in custody here have asthma. Asthma is a chronic disorder, characterized by wheezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing! So the mold and chipped paint fumes that we inhale 365 days of each year put strained pressure on our lungs to breathe as we shower. Inhaling the fumes weakens our immune systems and makes us at risk of catching a cold and/or flu, which gets transported and spread throughout the living units. When we request face masks and proper cleaning solutions, we receive false promises or simply just get waved off. CCDOC doesn’t provide any treatments nor solutions for that which allows viruses to spread.
Protocol is to inform everyone of any and all outbreaks so we can be aware and protect ourselves but not one warning or any announcement is provided. We do not receive one memorandum. We have to find out through hearsay or simply by experiencing it first hand; when transported to and from court, program, classes, and living units.
At one point CCDOC staff refrained from giving us soap, that is mandatory for each detainee in custody under CCDOC. All CCDOC staff should be knowledgeable of all rules, procedures, and guiding concepts. Yet, CCDOC stopped supplying us with soap for a period of time. This causes a major issue because when CCDOC staff come to do uniform exchange they never have proper uniforms. The uniforms have torn fabrics, burn marks, graffiti markings/images, and/or are riddled with holes and they never seem to have our exact sizes. So at times we have to wear our uniforms 2-3 weeks at a time. That causes us to use our personal soap to wash our uniforms. They also barely do laundry and sheet exchange so we have to be forced to use our own personal soap to wash our laundry and sheets. The problem in this is that we are only authorized to purchase 2 bars of soap per week and the prices of soap are not cheap, especially good quality soap. The world needs to be informed and aware of the actions and behaviors of CCDOC and its staff. They are unprofessional, untrained, abusive (both physically and verbally), confrontational, and exploitative.
So you can imagine the sight of each living unit with no soap or proper cleaning solution/supplies and to add to that, the air vents in each cell and through each living unit all accumulate and circulate air filled with fumes, dust, gas, and smoke – at minimum 5-days a week, if not the whole 7-days. That’s a health matter within itself! Really try to imagine living under these rigorous conditions in everyday living – day in and day out with no support with little to no say so – whatsoever. This is a complete and obvious health and hygiene violation. CCDOC staff who pick their nostrils, sneeze in their hands, touch door handles, pass out tablets, touch keyboards operate the TV remotes, operate the microwaves, operate handcuffs, hands on search, handle food, and so on – without washing their hands or using disinfectant to destroy and kill germs and bacteria. This facility (CCDOC) is outright malicious, unpleasant, spiteful, disagreeable, and disgusting to see nor touch. But the moment we get any visitors (investors) who do a walk through, that’s when CCDOC wants to give us cleaning solutions, do laundry, do uniform exchange, sheet exchange, blanket exchange, be polite and act as if they truly care about us to make them look good.
**ISSUE #3: Pest Vexation**
On four different occasions there have been live roaches crawling throughout the food trays. Three of the incidents have been documented. One March 23, 2024, Two April 16, 2024, and just recently June 18, 2025. Today is literally June 20, 2025. These events have been enormously detrimental to our mental health. It is very sickening to our minds to expect what CCDOC considers food to eat, only to receive it and witness a cockroach or multiple cockroaches crawling about open food trays. Just the sight of that places strain on our minds. Not to mention the bacteria produced by each cockroach is being transferred throughout the food course itself and the bacteria that is now embedded into the meals. This is abnormal and unlawful. We are not being guaranteed proper food safety and regulations according to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
Now you can see what we have to go through. After individuals placed a grievance on file for the date of April 16, 2024, we received a response form and it read the following: “The allegation of roaches crawling on dinner trays April 16, 2024 cannot be verified, lack of evidence since the suspected tray was not preserved and sent to central kitchen for examination according to protocol.” Now as fake as this might seem, we realized something. On date of March 23, 2024, a sergeant was present being in view or at hand of the problem on the above date. Sergeant Stewart was present and his body camera was on and recording. We showed him the roach still crawling about the dinner tray and he witnessed it firsthand. He had CCDOC staff hand him a small plastic bag as he placed the roach inside and took it away. He had the trays confiscated and promised us new trays. So if they’re saying the protocol is the trays are to be sent to Central Kitchen to be examined, they’re saying even the day when Sergeant Stewart was present, not even the sergeant did according to protocol.
So who is to even say or even speculate with surety that when Sergeant Stewart sent the trays away, that they were switched with new ones, and weren’t transported on the same infested food “carrier-cart.” But this is what we have to suffer in here at Cook County Department of Corrections! Literally on all our incidents there was CCDOC staff present. But CCDOC will act as if it never happened. Every response with every grievance CCDOC has denied all allegations. But good thing we have all dates and times of all incidents.
And it’s known already rodents are one of the major problems here at CCDOC. We have to plug the bottom of our cell doors with our personal clothing to keep the rodents from trespassing into the cells. But the CCDOC staff: CCDOC Correctional Officers and CCDOC Lieutenants will confiscate the clothing taking it from underneath the doors, being spiteful. And they know the clothing is in place as a barricade to stop the rodents. They just laugh and abuse their authority. And once the doors are unplugged we have unwanted guests. Notice guests is written plural, yes that means more than one! This occurs all hours of the day and night. Rodents have been roaming the cells, showers, restrooms, utility closets, the classrooms, gymnasium, and so on. We have even witnessed rodents in guys’ shoes, property bags, food bags, while leaving little droplets. There are no glue traps in place to catch them and minimize the issue, so they just roam free. One individual in custody woke up to a rodent on the bed with him. Now he has presented symptoms of PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
We have also had numerous issues with spiders. There have been multiple occasions where individuals in custody here at CCDOC have awoken to spiders hovering directly over their head and face. We have also witnessed spiders in the showers, in our shoes, on food trays, and have had a few incidents where individuals have been bitten by spiders. One guy was bitten on his face right above his eyelid and we watched as his face began to swell rapidly. After what was a small bump enlarged in the matter of minutes! And we witnessed the discoloration of his skin before our eyes, had not once have they issued or took control. We just have to live with the conditions and fend for ourselves. And when we come together to try to expose these things and more and seek solutions, we get attacked, mocked, targeted, punished, write-ups, denied, and privileges are taken. The patterns and behaviors of CCDOC staff and establishment is causing anguish. It’s unscrupulous, the examples and influence CCDOC is trying to infiltrate and establish is questionable. We don’t know if it’s infidel or just plain sinister. But it needs to stop.
PLEASE HELP US!
**Grievance of Complaint 03-23-24 Time 6:14 pm**
**Grievance of Complaint 04-16-24 Time 5:37 pm**
**Signed**
Tyrone Donald #20201205082
Jabari Edwards #20220723093
Clarence Hebron #20210303002
Deanthony Pearson #20201204138
Jerrold Mason-Woods #20230624025
Juwan Frazier #20210713004
William Hunter #20230728100
Andre Nelson #20221118056
Dason Neely #20250123037
Karl Teddy #2023082852
Herbert Davis #20240201018
Charles Griffin #20220204115
Martin Hill #20240809140
Mark Walker #20231114062
Isaiah Holiday #20220203018
Aubrey Jackson #20230830012
Mandela Matthews #20231012029
Corey White #20250312063
Devontrell D. Turnipseed #20221011009
**P.S.** Some guys are afraid and scared to sign their names, for fear of retaliation from CCDOC staff. Also we wanted to keep it discreet so we can get this out.
Dare to Struggle 