By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Despite a myriad of ongoing issues at the Illinois Department of Corrections, state senators approved the nomination of Acting Director Latoya Hughes to stay in charge with a six-figure salary.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker appointed Hughes as IDOC’s acting director in April 2023. During the second-to-last day of the General Assembly’s fall veto session this week, state Sen. Laura Murphy, D-Des Plaines, moved that the Senate consent to Hughes’ nomination as director of the Illinois Department of Corrections.

No senators spoke in support of Hughes after Murphy finished her one-sentence statement, but several Republicans voiced fierce opposition.

State Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, said it took a Freedom of Information Act request and an order from the Illinois Attorney General’s office for her to receive documents showing nine fentanyl-related deaths of DOC inmates in 2024 and one month of 2025.

“Those nine deaths were fentanyl of offenders. We’re not even talking about the staff that gets exposed. The buck has to stop somewhere, and the buck stops with the director of the Department of Corrections on all of these issues,” Bryant said.

Bryant said she has over 200 internal documents showing fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and other drugs involved in IDOC incidents.

“In the 20 years that I worked there and the 12 years since I retired, no one has seen the amount of drugs, the amount of cell phone usage, the amount of shanks that are being found in the Department of Corrections,” Bryant said.

Bryant worked at IDOC from 1994 to 2014.

State Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, said recommendations by local wardens are routinely overruled by Springfield. He described instances of inmates who died in IDOC custody and one case of an inmate stabbing three prison staff members.

“I’ve never seen anything like the Department of Corrections,” Rose said.

State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, said record numbers of inmates and guards are being attacked in prison, a record number of weapons are being sneaked in, and a record number of drugs are being found in prison.

“So why is there a record number of people being released for good behavior?” McClure asked.

State Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, said a lot of people come before the Senate’s Executive Appointments Committee.

“There are few people that come before the executive appointments whose incompetence leads to deaths, whose incompetence leads to danger and who lies to members of this body,” Plummer said.

Last May, after the committee voted 4-2 to advance Hughes’ appointment to the full Senate, Bryant and Plummer held a news conference to call for Hughes’ removal.

“I think the fact that she’s been the acting director for as long as she has been and they’re not moving her to the floor says a lot about what the Democrats really think about this nomination,” Plummer said at the time.

On the Senate floor, Plummer said Hughes could not tell the committee how many IDOC inmates died in the last year or even the last month.

“Those numbers are directly reported to the director. You would think if you’re in a position of that magnitude, you could tell us how many people have died in your care and your custody. It’s embarrassing, tragic and immoral the number of people who are serving their sentences at the state of Illinois that are being harmed and being killed,” Plummer said.

The Edwardsville Republican said Hughes provided false and misleading information to senators numerous times.

Plummer also noted that Illinois still doesn’t have statewide functional mail scan “like almost every other state has.”

Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, and Sen. Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet, joined Republicans in voting against Hughes’ nomination.

According to Pritzker’s appointment message, Hughes will receive a state taxpayer-funded salary of $220,500 per year after receiving $200,000 annually as IDOC’s acting director.

Greg Bishop and Catrina Barker contributed to this story.