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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Memorial Wall for the fallen heroes of the 
3Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) was first unveiled 
4on May 10, 2001; and
 
5    WHEREAS, IDOC chose to place the Memorial Wall on the 
6grounds of the IDOC Training Academy in Springfield, which is 
7on leased land that the State of Illinois does not own; and
 
8    WHEREAS, IDOC is now in the process of vacating those 
9grounds; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Consequently, the area surrounding the Memorial 
11Wall is boarded up and strewn with broken glass, making it 
12completely unsuitable for public visitation; and
 
13    WHEREAS, IDOC's departure from these grounds requires a 
14reassessment of the location of the Memorial Wall; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Funds are available to contribute towards the 
16movement of the current Memorial Wall or the establishment of 
17a new Corrections Memorial through the contributions of 
18corrections employees to the Illinois Correctional Employees 
19Memorial Association; and
 
 
 
SR0726- 2 -LRB104 21521 LAW 36872 r

1    WHEREAS, The Illinois State Capitol grounds feature two 
2permanent memorial structures to Illinois' firefighters and 
3police officers who have lost their lives on the job; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Correctional officers have an average life 
5expectancy of only 59 years, with rates of suicide 39% higher 
6than the national working-age population and rates of 
7depression significantly higher than the national average; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Across all states and over more than two 
9centuries, Illinois has the third-highest number of 
10correctional officers who have lost their lives in the line of 
11duty; therefore, be it
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL 
13ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Illinois 
14Department of Corrections and the Office of the Architect of 
15the Capitol to establish a Corrections Fallen Heroes Memorial 
16on the State Capitol grounds; and be it further
 
17    RESOLVED, That we recognize the inherent danger and risk 
18that correctional employees confront daily while serving a 
19critical public safety mission, and we affirm that the State's 
20fallen heroes are deserving of a public memorial honoring the 
21sacrifice they made.