Pubdate: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 Source: The Rock River Times (IL) Phone: 815 964-9767 FAX: 815 964-9825 Author: Gary Bosi PRISON GUARDS IN HELL Dear Editor: I heard a week ago that the polititians would like to bring a women's prison to your community. The Illinois Department of Corrections selling point to your town is that more than 250 skilled laborers will be hired along with your 900 permanent guards and support personel. This is nothing but smoke and mirrors. The good people of Rockford beware, because once the smoke clears and the mirrors are taken away, you'll find a Pandora Box. Whatever you do, don't open it. I know because my family was a victim of the Illinois Department of Corrections. Thirteen years ago, my wife and two of her women friends heard that Sheridan Correctional Facility was short on their quota of women guards, so they stated the process to seek employment. One of the requirements was to fill out a Republican application and be interviewed by their local Republican comittee person and the Republican chairperson for LaSalle County. They were told that the only way to get a job at the prison was to kiss their asses, so they did. They were all hired as guards. Before the women could start, they needed six weeks of training at Springfield. On my wife's return home, she was excited because they had all passed the course and proceeded to tell me all about her training. After 13 years, all I can remember of her training is that they told her it is a high stress job, a high risk of becoming an alcoholic or drug abuser, a high risk for domestic abuse, and a 90% divorce rate. At that time, we didn't think it would happen to us. Two years later, one of the women got divorced. The other woman wasn't married at the time of employment, but married soon after that. Both women had children. When I married my wife, she was a caring, compassionate person and mother. I started to see a change in her. She started to become irritable, argumentative, hard and cold. One and a half years later, I couldn't take it anymore, so we divorced. She wasn't the same person I married. You want to know what happened? She had to go to work everyday and babysit the worst people Illinois had to offer.The people behind bars are sick and need help. They throw urine and feces on guards and threaten them with rape or murder daily. In order for a guard to survive, they had to turn hard and as cold as the prisoners themselves. I've been a single parent since our divorce. The loving mother my son once knew is nowhere to be found. Before her prison job, she would have given her life for her son; now she doesn't even send him a birthday or Christmas present, not even a card or phone call. There were so many tears shed by my son that I lost count. Good people of Rockford, please do not let this happen to your family, friends, or neighbors. Do the right thing and send that prison elsewhere. The most valuable asset Rockford has is the people of Rockford. The only people that should be fighting for this prison are the taverns, liquor store owners, divorce lawyers, and funeral parlors. If the polititians really do care for you they will vote it down just like Genoa, Ill. did on July 14, 1999. If the polititians vote for it, vote them out because over the years, the prison will destroy thousands of lives. Gary Bosi DeKalb, Illinois - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea