CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A prison watchdog group said the death of an inmate at the Western Illinois Correctional Center, allegedly at the hands of guards, highlights the need for outside oversight of prisons.
When 65-year-old Larry Earvin was alleged to have been beaten to death in 2018 by prison guards, it happened in what was called a notorious “blind spot" out of sight of surveillance cameras.
His son Larry Pippion spoke with CBS 2 about the incident.
"A 65-year-old … he wasn't able to defend himself handcuffed,” Pippion said of his father’s death.
The prison has since eliminated the blind spot, upgrading the camera system.
“The question is who's monitoring the footage and what are they doing with that information?,” asked Jennifer Vollen-Katz of the prison watchdog group, the john Howard Association. “I think that this case highlights the need for increased transparency and oversight. How people are treated in prison is something we should all be concerned about. You know, these are human beings.”
She told CBS 2 the Department of Corrections denied her organization’s request to randomly screen security camera videos. The DOC said it hired a chief inspector but the watchdog group doesn't see that as a solution.
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