Grundy Reporter

Senator Dale Fowler reacted to a situation at Shawnee Correctional Center, stating, "The safety and well-being of our correctional officers, as well as all individuals within the facility, must remain our highest priority," in a Sept. 21 Facebook post.

"I was recently informed of an incident at Shawnee Correctional Center, where correctional workers were exposed to an unknown substance delivered through the mail," said Fowler, State Senator, according to Facebook. "The safety and well-being of our correctional officers, as well as all individuals within the facility, must remain our highest priority. This serious matter warrants a thorough investigation, and I am committed to working with my fellow lawmakers and labor representatives to explore necessary reforms to prevent this from happening again. We must ensure our prison system has the proper protocols and resources in place to protect those who serve and reside within it."

According to a WSILTV report, the incident occurred on Sept. 20 at Shawnee Correctional Center in Vienna. Five prison personnel were sorting mail in the control room of Building R1 when they experienced medical symptoms. All five were transported to a medical facility for evaluation. An hour later, another individual in Building R4 experienced medical symptoms while sorting mail and was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

Screenshot of Sen. Dale Fowler's Sept. 21 Facebook post | Senator Dale Fowler's Facebook page

Marion Fire Rescue Hazardous Materials Team tested items, as well as affected staff members’ clothing and found that there was no presence of drugs or narcotics, according to the WSILTV report. Those items have been sent to the Illinois State Police crime lab for testing.

This is not the only Illinois Department of Corrections Facility where issues have occurred. According to a Sept. 23 report from KFVS12, the first incident happened at Menard Correctional Center on Aug. 26, and the facility went into Level 1 lockdown from Aug. 28-Sept. 16 for investigation. The lockdown was raised to level 2 on Sept. 19.

Items have been tested and tested positive for synthetic cannabinoids, as well as chemicals found in insecticides. Items are first tested on site, then sent to the Illinois State Police (ISP) lab for further testing.

Similar incidents have been reported at Pinckneyville Correctional Center, Illinois River Correctional Center, and most recently, Shawnee Correctional Center.

Fowler represents constituents from Illinois' 59th Senate District. His official Senate biography states that before joining state senate, he served as mayor of Harrisburg. He is currently a business development officer for People’s National Bank in Harrisburg, a position he took up after retiring from the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice in 2012. His previous political and civic experience includes roles as a city commissioner and as a Saline County Board member. Fowler also chairs the Midland Institute’s Saline County CEO program, which focuses on educating youths about entrepreneurial opportunities.