>>> 99 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CHICAGO SITS THE PONTIAC CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, ONE OF THREE NATIONAL MAXIMUM-SECURITY PRISONS IN ILLINOIS.

FELONIES RANGE FROM SEXUAL ASSAULT TO ARMED ROBBERY AND MANY OTHERS SERVING TIME FOR LESSER OFFENSES.

IT HAS BECOME KNOWN AS ONE OF THE WORST PRISONS IN THE STATE.

JUST LAST FALL A CORRECTIONS OFFICER WAS STAMPED BY AN INMATE.

INMATES HAVE ACCUSED GUARDS OF ABUSE AND INHUMANE TREATMENT.

CRITICS SAY THE PROBLEMS ARE NOT JUST BETWEEN THE GUARDS AND THE INMATES, BUT WITH THE PRISON ITSELF.

THE CLIMATE INSIDE PONTIAC IS FRAUGHT.

LETTERS PAINTING THE PICTURE BEHIND THESE WALLS TELL PART OF THE STORY.

28-YEAR-OLD JERMAINE YOUNG SAYS, QUOTE, LIEUTENANT BOWDEN HAD ASSAULTED ME BY KICKING ME IN MY CHEST AND HITTING ME IN THE HEAD AND NICK , WHICH WAS ON CAMERA.

I WAS IN RESTRAINTS EXCEPT FOR MY HANDS AND FEET, SO THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO EVEN IF I WANTED TO.

ANOTHER INMATE, PAUL SMITH, WRITES ABOUT THE POOR LIVING CONDITIONS THAT INMATES ARE SUBJECTED TO, SAYING, WE NEED MORE HEALTHCARE.

WE ARE LIVING IN CELLS WITH BLACK MOLD EVERYWHERE.

IN A FOUR-PAGE LETTER, HE WRITES, THERE IS AN INFESTATION OF ROACHES AND BUGS.

PONTIAC PRISON IS ONE OF THE OLDEST IN THE STATE, OPENED IN 1871.

IN ADDITION TO WHAT COMES WITH ITS AGE, THERE ARE ALSO THE REASONS WHY INMATES AND ADVOCATES SAY THE CLIMATE INSIDE.

ABBY ADVOCATES FOR THE INCARCERATED IN ILLINOIS.

>> WE HAVE STAFF WHO TALK ABOUT THE HIGH LEVELS OF VIOLENCE THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM.

>> ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS RECORDS SAY THAT THE INMATE STRUCK YOUNG IN THE CHEST WHILE HE WAS RESTRAINED.

HE TOLD INVESTIGATORS THAT HE WAS GOING TO SEE WHAT HE WOULD DO AND THAT HE MIGHT ASSAULT STAFF.

WTTW NEWS HAS GONE TO COURT TO OBTAIN ACCESS TO THE INTERNAL VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT , SOMETHING THE STATE HAS SO FAR DENIED.

THERE IS NO WAY OF KNOWING HOW OR EVEN IF OFFICER BOWDEN WAS DISCIPLINED.

>> WE JUST KEPT SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK INSIDE THE PRISONS, WHY THEY ARE DISCIPLINED, WHAT THE OUTCOME OF THAT IS.

NONE OF THAT INFORMATION IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.

>> ANOTHER PONTIAC PROBLEM IS THE NUMBER OF INCARCERATED PEOPLE DESIGNATED AS SERIOUSLY MENTALLY ILL. 26%, ACCORDING TO STATE DATA.

>> PONTIAC WAS SHORT STAFFED BY 43%.

>> ROBERT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE STATE HAS BEEN HIT WITH CONSENT DECREES OVER PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS.

>> CORRECTIONS HAS BECOME THE DEFAULT FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH.

SO UNFORTUNATELY 42% OF OUR POPULATION.

>> HE CLAIMS THE STATE HAS BEEN WORKING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.

>> SO THIS IS IN PLACE.

WE HAVE AN INCREASE IN OUR STAFFING LEVELS.

WE CAN PROVIDE THOSE TYPES OF MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENTS FOR OUR POPULATION.

>> DOCUMENTS SHOW THAT IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, PONTIAC HAD THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF INCIDENTS ACROSS ALL 45 FACILITIES.

THE PRISON ALSO POSTED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON SUICIDE WATCH BETWEEN 2020 AND 2023, THE LOWEST FOR ANY GIVEN MONTH BEING 44 PEOPLE ON SUICIDE WATCH, PEAKING AT 99 FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE 2020.

THE FACILITY AVERAGED 10 SUICIDE ATTEMPTS PER YEAR BETWEEN 2022 AND 2023.

PONTIAC IS ALSO SHORT ON CORRECTIONS OFFICERS.

IT IS THE BIGGEST DEFICIT OF ANY FACILITY.

>> WE HAVE MOSTLY OFFICERS THAT HAVE RESIGNED IN 2022.

WE ARE NOT IN KEEPING UP WITH RETIREMENT.

>> THE UNION REPRESENTING PRISON GUARDS SAYS THAT NEARLY HALF OF THE 53% OF STAFF HAVE LOST OVER TIME AND BURNOUT.

THEY SAY THAT IS WHY THEY ARE CLOSING THE MEDIUM SECURITY UNITS AND SHUFFLING INMATES INTO MAXIMUM-SECURITY.

>> WHAT PROPERTY DO THEY GET AND WHAT PROPERTY DO THEY NOT GET?

JIM SCHEDULED, ALL THESE LITTLE THINGS, THEY ARE NOT GETTING IT.

>> FOR THOSE IMPRISONED HERE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM SECURITY IS CLEAR.

>> YOU HAVE A KEY TO YOUR DOOR TO GET IN AND OUT.

YOU HAVE ONLY ONE SET OF GUARDS.

ON THE MAX SIDE WHERE WE ARE AT NOW, NONE OF THOSE THINGS.

YOU SIT ON A CONCRETE BUNK.

>> TONY DAMRON TALKS ABOUT THE FIVE VENTURES.

WHEN WE VISITED THE PRISON, THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF THE HOPE THAT THESE MEN HAVE.

>> IN ORDER TO GET THERE, THEY SAY YOU HAVE LITTLE TO NO REDEEMABLE VALUE.

>> NOW SERVING LIFE IN PRISON, DAMRON AND HIS CLASSMATES WILL GRADUATE.

SOME OF THEM HAVE THEIR FIRST TIME GRADUATING IN ANYTHING.

BUT AS SOME OF THEM SAY, I D.O.C.

ISN'T DOING ENOUGH.

>> WE ARE UNDER CAPACITY FOR POPULATION IN TERMS OF WHAT THE PRISON CAN HOLD.

IT IS TIME FOR ILLINOIS TO SHUT DOWN SOME PRISONS.

>> THE LATEST NUMBERS SHOW THAT OF THE 775 INMATES AT THE PRISON, 537 ARE ON A MENTAL HEALTH CASELOAD AT PONTIAC.

ALSO, THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS SAYS IT IS WORKING TO HIRE MORE STAFF BY INCREASING RECRUITERS AND HAVING SCREENING ON WEEKENDS.

IT HAS ALSO IMPLEMENTED A