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| Nothing sounds 'routine' about prisons memo |
| By pantagraph.com |
| Published: 01/20/2010 |
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A memo goes out to 12,000 employees of the Department of Corrections warning them about the penalties for speaking to the press and, a spokeswoman for the department says it is “just something routine.” That claim might be easier to believe if the issue of early release of inmates hadn’t been handled with so much reluctance to disclose information. More than a month after the Associated Press reported on a previously unpublicized “MGT Push” program that awarded “Meritorious Good Time” to inmates before they did anything to earn it, it’s still unclear what Gov. Pat Quinn knew about how the program would be handled and when he knew it. The controversy has become a centerpiece of the Democratic primary race between Quinn and Comptroller Dan Hynes, with each exchanging barbs on the campaign trail and in ads. So when a memo goes around to “remind” people about confidentiality and proper release of information and “remind” them they could be “subject to discipline” for improper disclosure of information, it’s only natural to suspect there’s a connection. Can someone bring back the old Pat Quinn who used to say things like, “State government should do everything possible to protect those with the fortitude to speak out about wrongdoing,” and who championed the cause of state employees feeling free to talk to the press about problems? If a reporter is seeking an “official” policy statement or an “official” response to some incident, it’s understandable that such a request would be routed to a designated spokesman. But if general information is being sought — or a state employee is concerned that the public is being put in danger or tax dollars are being mishandled or wasted — they should be free to share such information. The timing of what Corrections Department spokeswoman Januari Smith called “just a routine reminder” is what makes the memo suspect. Not only was it issued in the wake of the controversy over MGT Push, it also comes as guards or their representatives are raising safety concerns they attribute to cost-cutting maneuvers. Read More. |
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