TAMMS Correctional Center

[Dazzler]

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Tamms Correctional Center  
Greg Lambert, Day-to-Day Operations  

Facility Data

Tamms Correctional Center
 Opened: March 1998
 Operational Capacity: 700
 Closed Maximum Security Adult Male
 *Closed Maximum Security Population: 198
 *Tamms Minimum Security Unit Population: 199
 *Total Current Population: 397
 Average Age: 36
 FY2010 Average Annual Cost Per Inmate: $61,522.00  
 
*As of 11/30/2011. Reflects bed space capacity analysis as outlined in the January 1, 2012 Quarterly Report to the Legislature.
  
 Tamms Correctional Center is the parent institution for Tamms Minimum Security Unit

Visiting Hours

  

IDOC Visitation Rules and Information
 
Visitors to any correctional facility will be required to produce photo identification and verification of date of birth. Please be sure to bring 2 forms of identification with you; these would include a current photo ID such as a driver’s license, a state ID card, government ID card, military ID/driver’s license, or acceptable documentation of non-U.S. citizenship including a current Passport, or Visa, documentation must contain the visitor’s date of birth. Expired forms of identification will not be accepted. Visitors will also be required to provide vehicle information and other pertinent data, such as government identification, official credentials, attorney registration, and or law student certification.
 
Maximum Security Unit
 Pre-scheduled visits only
 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Holidays.
 Visits are 4 hours in duration.

Facility Address

Business Mail:
8500 Supermax Road
 Tamms, IL 62988
 
Inmate Mail:
 Inmate Name & IDOC#
 8500 Supermax Road
 Tamms, IL 62988
 
 
Phone: (618) 747-2042
 Fax: (618) 747-2062
 


Facility Information

The mission of the Tamms Closed Maximum (C-Max) Security is to improve the quality of life, safety and day-to-day operation of other Illinois Department of Corrections facilities and to enhance the safety of staff, offenders and the public.
 
Tamms C-Max has been designated and designed to house the Illinois Department of Corrections most disruptive, violent and problematic offenders. Offenders approved for placement at the Tamms C-Max have demonstrated an inability or unwillingness to conform to the requirements of a general population facility.

Tamms Correctional Center consists of a 500-bed C-Max security facility and a 200-bed minimum security unit (MSU).  The facility is situated on 236 acres of land just north of Tamms on Route 127 in Alexander County. Twenty-four acres are occupied by the C-Max physical plant, which is surrounded by a 12-foot high double-barbed wire security fence.
 
Inmate Programs
 
Academic:
•ABE (Adult Basic Education)
•GED (General Education Development)

Eligible offenders are permitted to enroll in either an ABE or GED curriculum.
 
Other:
•Chaplaincy and Religious Services
•Substance Abuse
•Counseling/Case Management Services
•Health Care Services
•Mental Health Services
•Behavioral Incentive Program

 
 
Volunteer Services:
 •Religious Volunteers

http://www2.illinois.gov/idoc/facilities/Pages/tammsworkcamp.aspx

[EMERALD]

I think Tamms is designed to cause depression in the inmates.I think I would go mad in there. The isolation would kill me, I try to put myself in the place of these guys and it makes me soooo mad. Its inhumane!!! >:(

[peanuts]

yes your very right about that!! Thats why its very important that  we as their friends, try help them maintain their sanity. I send letters, cards, pictures, crossword puzzles, funny printouts, I am so glad they are able to receive used books, i have lots of them and you can also send hardback books, they just rip off front cover.

Here are some more important dont do's :

1) never send a letter with a picture taped to the letter, it will be sent back. No tape what so ever is allowed.

2) Make sure not to leave any stains on letter, it wont go through. hats why i make sure I dont drink coffee or anything while writing a letter.

3) Do not use white out!! I t will be returned to you.

4) They are only allowed so may pictures in their cell  sounds crazy huh?) So I just printout on regualr paper some pictures. So he can keep them.

Thats all i can think of for now.

[dancer]

I sent in a card I made using versamark ink and it was not allowed. 
You also cannot mention another inmate even by just first name.  You cannot say "I just visited my son at Robinson".  You cannot ask what gang he was in.  You can't say,  oh,  I write to so and so and he just got out of Tamms. 

[marydream8]

Hm, that surprises me as I often mention his brother (he is at Menard for the same reason) and there was never a problem. He only holds back when it comes to paralegal assistance from other inmates. Then we both keep names secretly. He learned German a little bit and when there is something serious, he sends small messages in German.
But he was forbidden to receive copies of his own original picture. He was allowed to have the original in his cell and when I have sent back the original + copy, all of a sudden they didn't even give back the original picture!!! Do I need to understand this?????

[peanuts]

I received a letter from R  that they still do not have access to any library books, as they have no librarian)  this has been going on for a couple months now. This is a big concern because these guys are on lockdown 23/7 . Not all are so priviledged to have tv & radios. You wonder how do some cope and stay sane. I wonder why they do not have a  librarian by now?

Im going to a book fair later today, and hopefully I can get a box together to send to R and he can share with others.


This just makes me soo mad!!!

[dancer]

HI Peanuts
They cannot share with each other.   They cannot pass the books and the officers get in trouble if they try to do that.  They can only read them and then donate them to the library.  I have asked many of them about this.  I did call down there.  They said the inmate can put in a request slip for books ( how do they know what is available? ) and the part time,  interim librarian will get to it when she can.  He said it isn't two months though.  I wonder how many books they get at a time?  If it is 5 or less it won't take a man two months to read them,  when he has nothing else to do. 
I guess they are pressing to go to TV sets without speakers in them.  They can only be heard using head phones then. This means that the other inmates cannot hear someone else's TV or radio.  This makes it quieter,  but awful for the man without tv or radio. 
Why don't you call down there?   I would love it if other members also called,  and said these guys need to have library access at least!!
I bought some books on black history and other frequently requested topics and the librarian at the time told me to send them in care of their school library.  I bet they are just sitting there!   

[EMERALD]

Best Western, Cheekwood Inn. Ullin. 10 minutes from Tamms. Phone 618-845-3700.  10% off for those of us ladies over 55!!  $49 per night.  Ill let you know how it was when I come back in June. ..)

[EMERALD]

Dancer, yes they can only have 5 books at one time. (>(

[dancer]

I'm not sure about that.  When I send in packages to them I have sent in 10 at a time,  the limit the staff told me, and they got all 10. 

[EMERALD]

Oh right, that was what my guy told me a while ago, has it changed? --)

[Dazzler]

Here's a link to an article written in 2000 concerning the conditions and secrecy at Tamms CC.  I know it's an older article but I though it was interesting reading about the hunger strike at Tamms...http://macarthur.uchicago.edu/pdf/UNOpEd.pdf#search='Illinois%20prison%20talk'

[EMERALD]

Thanks for that Dazzler. 6 years ago and still things havent changed. Its unbelievable!!

[dancer]

William told me that they do get books once a month and have a libarian.  They have to request them and then in 2 to 3 weeks they get them. That isn't much turn around time though when they have so much time to read.  I don't know why others said they went two months and couldn't get books.  maybe they hired another librarian? 

[dancer]

Books to Tamms
I called today to check whether there were changes about what and how you can send books to Tamms.  You can send them from home in bubble wrap envelopes,  padded envelopes or boxes.  They do not care.  Make sure there are no stains on the books.  They will cut off the covers of hardcover books.  They do not allow nudity in the books and evidently this includes art books!  No gang books she said ( I've never seen any of those). 

[MIWESO]

I just got back from visiting my Wes today at Tamms! It took me only 5 hours to get there, I must have done 100 all the way there! I drove down there last night. I visited with him this morning for 4 hours. The visit was great, we laughed a lot, cried a little and smiled a bunch! (*%# 
I asked him so many questions about Tamms. even though I visited with him in the past I never asked him so many questions. OK this is what I asked...
... I asked him  about the price of medication in there. He said they don't charge for pain medication like Tylenol but if they do need ex-rays there is a $2.00 charge and to have his teeth checked cleaned and fixed it was $2.00 'Not bad for all the work done' He said they have a real good dentist in there, he had a lot of work done and did not feel to much pain because the dentist made sure to numb his mouth real good before doing any work and explained every step he took. He did say the regular doctor there does suck!My Wes has been trying to get his sugar checked for the past to 3 months because he is always having hot flashes, but the doctor refuses to give him a check up.As for the Television he said they do get the basic channels which is about 6 or 7 channels he wishes they had more channels but he is happy just to have a TV. I ordered him a subscription of the chicago newspaper but he asked me to cancel it, because they don't give him the paper until a week later and by then he has already seen most of the news on TV. The guards so far have treated him with total respect and none treat him bad  THANK GOD! he now gets 3 showers a week and does get to shave on those days. He was finally able to buy some new gym shoes. He can only spend $20.00 a month at the store and most of it goes on envelopes because he does write home a lot. He was told by his counselor to just get comfortable there because he will have to stay there through his entire time ( the jerk could have been a bit nicer about it)
As I waited to be escorted to and from the visiting room I talked to a few of the guards,I asked why was there so many guards that treated inmates wrong. I was told something that made a lot of sense to me,  They said they are not all bad they just have a job to do But that like in every job there is always that one person (should I say guard) that lets his/her job get to their head and that, that is the guard that makes them all look bad. But that most do know that respect has to be earned and if they don't respect the inmates those inmates will in return disrespect the guards, and that because of that no good guard messing things up the inmate will never act right. Making it hard for them to get along with the other guards because they will believe that all the guards are the same.The guards I spoked to seemed real and I found no reason not to believe them.they could have been jerks to me but treated me OK.As for pictures I was told that a guard can get in trouble if he dares make any stupid remarks about what he sees in the mail room, and that it is all normal for those pictures to come in on a daily bases, just like every one said it was( I had to ask! ^%$#)
I asked about the diffrent color jumpers the inmate wears
Green : High security
Blue: lowest level security those are the ones most privileged short timers (work camp)
Tan: almost every one else wears tan that is the normal color for the inmates doing time.
I don't know when I will see him again,not any time soon I know that! But I am glad that I had this visit because I feel better knowing my Wes is doing good and that he is not being treated like shit. I know he will one day run into that one jerk that will treat him like dirt but I pray that day never comes. He hates it in there and he knows that he has to walk on a thin line and he worries that one day he will get disrespected but I pray he is strong enough to hold on to his temper. He is a good person he would never disrespect any one but will dish out what is given to him in terms of respect.He hates the way the mail gets messed around with and that he can't call home.but he knows there is nothing we can do to change any of it.all he can do is hope he gets his mail on time. He was so happy today I am so glad I saw him, I missed that laugh of his so much! it hurts to leave him there at the end of our visit, I pray these 4 yrs move on quickly I need him home.I miss him soooooo much!  I told him all about every one here and how much you guys have helped me cope, he wishes he had a system like this he thinks it's great we have IPT. Thanks every one for being here allowing me to spill all this out. I have a great family, but they don't want to hear any of it. they wish I would just walk away from him but I love this man so much I can't see my future with out him. he is my best friend and they can't understand  why I do so much for him. Well every one have a happy and safe Easter! easter

[shawnssweetcheeks]

Congrats I'm glad you got there and home safe also had a good visit...

[jewels]

Well done and congrats for making it there on your own. I knew you could do it in time.
I am glad he is doing okay and you had such a good visit! --)

[EMERALD]

Miweso, I was so glad your visit went well. Im going next month to see my man in Tamms,by the way, he wears green!  One question I would like to ask you is, how easy was it to converse through the glass? Was it a strain to hear, and how close are you,?  Thanks for any more info. ?>

[MIWESO]

 _)+&*
Emerald,
 The visit is behind a glass but the rooms are some what private.well all glass doors and walls but one on one rooms and you can hear each other clearly through a speaker that is on the glass,you can sit on a plastic chair they will have in the room but he will have to sit on a hard peace of cement for 4 hours, his ass will be numbed! the speaker on the glass is small but very,very clear but please know it is also were the conversations are being recorded so you must be carefull with what you say. I was told that every thing is being monitored and then reviewed again later and if any thing wrong is said he will get a ticket for it later sometimes weeks later.so be carefull! but I am sure they are only looking for like gang crap so don't worry this won't apply to you Iam sure.  when you first get there in your car don't get out stay in your car, they DO see you but sometimes take for ever to come to you, I guess it depends on what is going on in there, yesterday when I got there they came to me right away but the last time it took them sometime to walk up to me. A guard will come to you with a clip board to get your ID information then he/she will have you drive up to the visiting parking space to have the car checked. Do your self a favor leave every thing in the motel because this way they can let you go inside as soon as possible.if they see your trunk is empty they will check the engine and under the seats but this way it will be easy for them to check it all. Get there early because one thing the guard did tell me is that your visit can be rejected if you are late, That if the assistant working that day wants to refuse the visit because you are late they will turn you away and that it has happend in the past the distance you travel doesn't matter so please get there early at least 1/2 hour early.Just Kill them with kindness I found that even if I see someone with a ugly face I still thank them for their help and it helps releave some of the stress and the ugly face does turn into a smile( well so far so good)  I hope your visit will be as pleasent if there is any thing I can let you know just ask I am glad I can help!