In the fall of 1980, the Director of the Illinois Department of Corrections agreed to allow the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty to visit Death Row after Coalition representatives met with him to protest death row conditions. Prior to the visits, the Coalition communicated with the men, then housed Stateville Correctional Center, through letters, collect phone calls, and individual visits, but the not give the Coalition permission to visit the death row unit.

When the condemned unit was moved to Menard Correctional Center, in downstate Illinois, complaints about the conditions and the treatment the men were receiving increased greatly. Additionally, the men complained that their families, friends, and attorneys could not visit as often as they could when death row was located in Northern Illinois. It was at this time the Director granted the Coalition permission to visit death row. He said if there were going to be executions in Illinois, he did not want people to think they were being kept in the dark about death row and the conditions existing there.

Visiting death row is not a right; the Coalition is one of the few groups allowed to go onto the galleries where the women and men live. Visiting the galleries is an opportunity therefore, that few groups have, so we have to work to
safeguard our visits.

ICADP is organized to work toward abolition of capital punishment; however, Coalition members are also concerned about the conditions under which the men and women on death row are living. We believe if we are concerned about life, we must be concerned about the quality of life. The purposes of the Coalition death row visits are to monitor death row conditions, provide the women and men with moral support, and increase public awareness, as well as our own awareness, of the harsh conditions on death row.

Our contact with the men and women also includes our readiness to help their family members in any way we can to cope with their involvement in the system. Too often people under sentence of death are forgotten, and the conditions of their imprisonment on death row prevent any reasonable or effective contact with the outside world. These men are kept in almost total isolation: away from other inmates, away from prison personnel except those specifically assigned to the unit, and away from families and friends.

Menard Correctional Center is over 7 hours from Chicago, and Pontiac Correctional center is two hours from Chicago. Many people living in Chicago do not own cars, so death row inmates receive few visits. Even attorneys have difficulty visiting their clients in Menard it is time consuming and expensive and the town cannot be reached by plane or train. These women and men rarely see anyone except death row employees, most of whom come from Southern Illinois, which is largely white and rural, and who do not easily identify with the death row inmates who are mainly minorities from large urban areas. Finally, while one purpose of our visiting program is to monitor the conditions on death row, we are also concerned with the value of life and our belief in the humanness of the women and men under sentence of death. When an outside group is able to monitor conditions inside a prison, improvements in living conditions and services are often made, and at the very least are (sometimes) moved to comply with the rules and regulations set by the legislature and the courts.

The 4 death rows in Illinois need many improvements, and by visiting the units we believe we do have an effect on the environment of those under sentence of death. The Coalition's reports on death row conditions have been used by the ACLU in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Illinois row conditions. Additionally, we act as a sounding board for the men. They can feel free to discuss anything or to make complaints, without repercussions from correctional employees, administration, and/or other inmates. We are also able to help them with some of their minor problems and concerns, such as contacting families and attorneys, finding them pen pals, providing them with paper and other legal supplies, and getting them donated typewriters.

The Coalition sends groups of up to eight people from our list of approved visitors to Menard or Pontiac every month -- one month a group goes to Pontiac and the next month to Menard. Most of the visitors are Coalition members, although a few of the visitors are people who have been recommended by members. The Coalition staff screens all potential visitors, and will not accept anyone who works in the area of news media, or the State's Attorney's office, friends or relatives of the men on death row, or other people who may have conflicts of interest. After the Coalition screens the individuals, the names, addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, and birth dates are sent to the director of the where a background check is conducted. The director sends back the list of the approved visitors. The visiting team consists of people from various occupations: lawyers, members of different religious denominations, and Coalition board members to name a few. We try to include as many minorities as possible, and we have people of all ages. We also try to have some continuity to the visitors we send to each death row, but it is impossible to send the same 8 people every time. Th ability to listen and relate to the women and men as equals, and not feeling nervous about going into a prison and onto death row are a few of the qualities a visitor should have. It is absolutely essential that the visitors honest with the men and women and not create false hopes by making promises they cannot keep. It is also important not to show pity; a genuine concern for them as individuals is enough.

The visitors arrive at the institutions early enough to allow time for everyone to be seen by a visitor. Most of the men and women are usually eager to talk, but we do not force ourselves on anyone who chooses not to talk with us. We are able to bring pens and paper so we can take notes. The men are not bothered by note–taking, but at times they do ask that we do not use tier names in the report or the meeting with prison staff following the visit. We are given quite a bit of freedom while we are on the tiers, and officers to not follow us around or try to eavesdrop on the conversations. Some of the death row personnel are willing to talk to us about their work and the problems they encounter working on death row. Normal movement such as yard and showers takes place during the visit, and we make sure we do not interrupt any out-of-cell time while we are there. The visits usually last about six hours.

After the visit is completed, the visitors meet with members of the administration, usually those directly responsible for the day-to-day management of the units, although other personnel are present at some of the sessions. During the meeting the Coalition visitors discuss complaints and questions raised by the inmates, individual problems or requests, and anything else observed during the visit. We suggest changes or offer solutions to some of the problems, but all too often the answer to many of the complaints is that "such and such" is for security purposes; however, some of our suggestions are implemented, at times problems are brought to the attention of the administrations that they have no prior knowledge of.

A report of the visit and debriefing session is written and sent to the Warden of the institution visited, the persons debriefed with, and the director of. They are given a week to issue a rebuttal if they wish, and after that the Coalition sends the reports to death row inmates on all condemned units, members of the visiting team, and the Coalition board members.

To sum up, our visits have several purposes: to monitor conditions, to listen, to help in any way we can, short of breaking the institution's and/or the Coalition's rules, and convey concerns to the administrations. Knowing the procedures, the rules, and what to look for will help us to achieve our goals in an efficient way. The following pages are an attempt to break things down in a logical manner as to what to look for, what is expected of you by the institution and the Coalition, and some suggestions to help you be more responsible and successful visitors.

This is first because the rules and procedures of the institutions we visit must be kept uppermost in our minds. Breaking the rules means we lose our opportunity to visit. Be sure to bring your driver's license or other picture identification with you Ñ without it you won't get in. You may wear comfortable, casual clothing, but the institutions frown on blue jeans, shorts, sandals, and "provocative" clothing. You will be searched going into the institutions, and will be allowed to carry in only a notebook and a pen. Anything else will not be allowed in, however lockers are provided for our use for $0.50. Cars are subject to search when they are on state property, so be very careful what you leave in them. Liquor, drugs of any kind, anything that can even remotely construed as a weapon, cameras, etc. are all contraband. You are not to give to or take anything from an inmate without proper approval from the officer in charge. Mailing a letter for example, may seem like an innocent request, but is strictly forbidden to intervene in any incidents. If you are asked to do anything by the guard or staff, do it. If asked to leave, do so immediately to do something by an inmate, and you are not sure if it falls within the institution's or the Coalition's rules, ask the Coalition staff person if it's appropriate to do anything you aren't sure about. It's better to go back to that person later, or to say no rather than risk a mistake.

We do have certain goals to achieve on each visit. The following guidelines came about through many years of visiting and represent a great deal of experience. We must insist on adherence in order to keep our credibility intact both with the inmates and the administrations.

The visits are very important both to the Coalition and the inmates, and we take them seriously. When you are scheduled to visit, and find that you cannot do so, please let the office know as soon as possible. Only a certain number of visitors are permitted, and last minute cancellations mean a smaller visiting group and therefore an inefficient visit. Of course emergencies come up and last minute cancellations are sometimes unavoidable, but advance note of cancellation, when possible, allows staff to try to obtain a replacement. Please call as soon as you realize you cannot visit.

Tell the inmates you are with the Coalition. We try to talk with every inmate, but if someone does not want to talk to us, we do not force ourselves on her or him. A specific area will be assigned to you. Be sure to see everyone in that area before going to other areas, even if it means going back a few times because someone was in the rec room, or in the showers, when you passed their cell the first time.

If there is a new inmate on the unit, s/he should be told exactly who the Coalition is and what we can and cannot do. We will also need her or his number and birth date. (We send birthday cards.) We want people to make several visits a year. Continuity is important in the eyes of the inmates and the administration. It may take several visits before certain inmates will begin to trust a new visitor; do not feel like you have failed if inmates do not instantly open up to you. It takes time to make friendships, and this is no different. In fact, these women and men have good reason not to trust new people who come onto the unit -- so do not force yourself on anyone. Just act natural. We expect conversations with the inmates to be kept private.

Do not speak to another inmate or a guard about what was said to you, and do not pass on gossip. If an inmate has a complaint, be sure to get his permission to use his name when the complaint is brought to the administration's attention; otherwise do not mention his name when discussing the complaint. Use discretion when speaking to outsiders about conversations with inmates. Never refer to anyone by name without permission. Everyone is under appeal, and it is surprising what seemingly unimportant information said to the wrong person can do to someone's case. Outside people will be interested in your visits, be careful what you tell them. Do not make promises you and/or the Coalition cannot keep. If you do make a promise to someone, to write to him, for example, follow up.

The debriefing sessions are designed not only to bring up complaints, but also to make the administrations comfortable with us. A confrontational demeanor is counterproductive. Use discretion when judging accuracy of complaints. Don't bring up frivolous or unimportant things, but everyone should try to contribute something to the debriefing.

Bring up the biggest complaints first-- the ones heard most often. When raising individual concerns, only use the person's name if you've been given permission to do so. Personal questions and concerns do not go into the written report, but it is important that we know, so we can get back to the inmate with the administration's response. You are responsible for taking notes about any complaints, questions, or requests made to you while visiting. In order to keep our roster up to date, you are also expected to keep track of whom you see, who has been moved, and any new people in your assigned section. One person should be delegated to take notes for the report. If the Coalition staff is present, he or she will do so; if not, pleas be sure someone does, and that person collects everyone's notes and supply request forms, for forwarding to the office along with the names of the people who attended the debriefing session.

We have a set time when we must leave the units: 2:00 at Menard; 3:45 at Pontiac. Please watch the time. On occasion we are asked to leave earlier. Please cooperate. Note: Please remember that you represent the Coalition, and as such should conduct yourself in a manner that will not harm our credibility, the trust we've built up with some of the inmates and administrations, as well as the pledge of confidentiality.

Illinois Coalition to Abolish The Death Penalty
Executive Director Jane Bohman
332 S. Michigan Ave., Ste. 500
Chicago, IL 60604

Phone: 312-673-3816
Fax: 312-427-6130
email: info@icadp.org