Data Report
Facility Report

COVID-19 Deaths
Reported within IDOC
from March 2020-2021

Table of Contents
COVID-19 Deaths Reported within IDOC from March 2020-2021 ........................................ 3
COVID-19 Deaths by Prison ..................................................................................................................... 3
Age at Death .............................................................................................................................................. 4
Age Comparison ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Race* ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Race Comparison ...................................................................................................................................... 6
IDOC Population by Race and Age (12/31/2020) ..................................................................................... 7
Age at Death (in decades) by Race .......................................................................................................... 8
Monthly Deaths .......................................................................................................................................... 8
Month w/ COVID Death by Age Group ...................................................................................................... 9
Month w/ COVID Death by Race ............................................................................................................. 10
APPENDIX .......................................................................................................................... 11

COVID-19 DEATHS REPORTED WITHIN IDOC

2

COVID-19 Deaths Reported within
IDOC from March 2020-2021
Pursuant to a legislative committee hearing conducted on April 28, 2021, and at the request of Illinois’
legislators, the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) provided documentation regarding the
demographics and date of death of people who died in custody of COVID-19 from March 2020 to March
2021 (data presented in the Appendix). This was an increase of information than had previously been
provided to JHA by IDOC, as earlier data shared with JHA was limited to number of deaths by facility.
IDOC also reported one staff death in October 2020 at Vienna of a person in their 60s. Below are graphs
that illustrate and contextualize this new information reported about deaths of people in prison due to the
virus.

COVID-19 Deaths by Prison
14

13

12
10

10
8
6

7
6

6
4

4
2
0

6
5

4

4
3

2

I

3

3

I III I I
1

I

2

2
1

2

II I I

I

2
1

1

I

I

I

IDOC reported COVID-19 deaths at 22 prisons, more than two-thirds of Illinois adult prisons. This data
reflects that two of the 88 deaths (2.27%) within IDOC were of women in prison, while women made 4.85%
of the IDOC population as of December 31, 2020. Approximately two-fifths of the deaths, 37 (42.05%), were
reported for people who were incarcerated at medium-security prisons, with 23 (26.14%) at minimumsecurity, 17 (19.32%) at maximum, and 11 (12.50%) at mixed-security prisons (Dixon and Logan).
Information provided by IDOC in response to the request by legislators included the Age and Race of the
deceased, as well as a more detailed timeline of the deaths. This is critical information that draws attention

COVID-19 DEATHS REPORTED WITHIN IDOC

3

to the need for greater contemporaneous transparency. JHA hopes that the public will use this information
to fuel discourse and demand the need for increased public reporting of correctional data.

Age at Death
35
30

30
24

25

21
20
15
10
5
0

7

-

4

2

30’s

40’s

50’s

60’s

70’s

80’s

Below JHA compares the age of the population within IDOC as of December 31, 2020 to the age of people
who were reported to have died while incarcerated in IDOC of COVID-19. As expected, older people were
disproportionality represented in reported COVID-19 deaths relative to their share of the overall IDOC
population. People 50 and over made up more than 20.02% of IDOC’s population but represented
89.77% of the reported COVID-19 deaths. However, it is also notable that 10.23% (9) of the reported deaths
were of people in their 30s and 40s.

COVID-19 DEATHS REPORTED WITHIN IDOC

4

Age Comparison
Pop Total (n=29,111)

Deaths (n=88)
0%

•a 20's

18 & 19

CJ 30's

10%

20%

30%

Deaths (n=88)
0.00%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Pop Total (n=29,111)
0.35%

0.00%

23.12%

2.27%

30.75%

□ 40's

7.95%

23.75%

D 50's

27.27%

14.48%

□ 60's
!J 70's

34.09%

6.05%

23.86%

1.31%

i!I 80's

4.55%

0.18%

•90's

0.00%

0.00%

Similarly, JHA compared the racial composition of IDOC’s overall population as of December 31, 2020 to
the race of people who were reported to have died within IDOC of COVID-19. Non-white people made up
68.28% of IDOC’s population but represented 59.09% of the reported COVID-19 deaths. However, nonwhite people represent a smaller percentage of individuals 50 and over within IDOC relative to people
younger than 50. As the majority of COVID-19 deaths were of older individuals, it follows that White people
were disproportionately represented relative to their share of the overall IDOC population.

COVID-19 DEATHS REPORTED WITHIN IDOC

5

Race*
Asian
1
1.14%

Hispanic
9
10.23%

• Black

□
Black
42
47.73%

□
White
36
40.91%

• White

• Hispanic
• Asian

* Racial categories reflect data reported by IDOC.

Race Comparison
I

I

I

I

Pop Total (n=29,111)

Deaths (n=88)

0%

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

■ Black

Deaths (n=88)
47.73%

■ White

40.91%

31.72%

■ Hispanic

10.23%

13.06%

■ Asian

1.14%

0.35%

■ Other

0.00%

0.51%

COVID-19 DEATHS REPORTED WITHIN IDOC

100%

Pop Total (n=29,111)
54.36%

6

The following graph illustrates IDOC population data from December 31, 2020 pertaining to the racial
composition of the population by age.

IDOC Population by Race and Age (12/31/2020)
Hi. p ni

n• 802)

0%

10

6 %

70

JO%

Black (n
■ 181

2.1

2.5 lo 29
DJO t

'

12.21

. ,o9'

Both men who were reported to have died in their 30s were identified as Hispanic. Five of the seven men
who died in their 40s were Black and two were White. The woman who was incarcerated at Logan who died
was Black and in her 60s, and the woman who was incarcerated at Decatur was White and in her 70s.

COVID-19 DEATHS REPORTED WITHIN IDOC

7

Age at Death (in decades) by Race
Total (n=88)
80’s (n=4)
70’s (n=21)
60’s (n=30)
50’s (n=24)
40’s (n=7)
30’s (n=2)
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

30’s (n=2)
0.0%

40’s (n=7)
71.4%

50’s (n=24)
50.0%

60’s (n=30)
53.3%

70’s (n=21)
38.1%

80’s (n=4)
25.0%

Total (n=88)
47.7%

C White

0.0%

28.6%

45.8%

33.3%

52.4%

50.0%

40.9%

•Asian
•

100.0%

0.0%

0.0%

13.3%

9.5%

25.0%

10.2%

0.0%

0.0%

4.2%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

1.1%

■ Black

Hispanic

IDOC also provided a breakdown of COVID-19 deaths by month (March 2020 to March 2021). The earliest
COVID deaths in IDOC occurred at Stateville. There was a later surge throughout the state’s prisons
reflected from fall 2020 through early winter 2021, prior to vaccine availability in February 2021.

Monthly Deaths
25

23

20
16

17

15
10

10
5

7

1

0

2

■

0

0

8

-II
1

COVID-19 DEATHS REPORTED WITHIN IDOC

2

■

1

8

Month w/ COVID Death by Age Group
25

20

;1/,
;1/,

15

,;;

10

5

0

D

March20 April20

May20

June20

Fl

; ....

July20 August20 Sept20

Oct20

Nov20

Dec20

Jan21

rf1

Fl

Feb21

March21

Iii 80’s

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

1

0

ti 70’s

0

2

1

0

0

0

4

1

3

6

4

0

0

a 60’s

0

4

0

0

0

1

0

5

5

8

5

1

1

C 50’s

1

2

1

0

0

0

2

2

5

6

5

0

0

C:J 40’s

0

1

0

0

0

0

1

0

2

1

2

0

0

Cl 30’s

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

0

0

0

COVID-19 DEATHS REPORTED WITHIN IDOC

9

Month w/ COVID Death by Race
25

20

15

10

5

0

n
March20 April20

■ Asian

•■ Hispanic
C White

.

■ Black

May20

June20

July20

August2
0

Sept20

n -

Oct20

Nov20

Dec20

Jan21

Feb21

March21

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

3

3

2

0

0

1

3

0

0

0

0

7

1

5

11

6

2

0

0

6

2

0

0

1

0

6

8

9

9

0

1

COVID-19 DEATHS REPORTED WITHIN IDOC

10

APPENDIX
The COVID-19 death information provided by IDOC that informed this report is below.

INCARCERATED PEOPLE PASSED AWAY
Facility

Age

Race

Date of Death

Stateville

50’s

White

3/29/2020

Stateville

60’s

White

4/3/2020

Stateville

60’s

White

4/5/2020

Stateville

60’s

Black

4/7/2020

Stateville

70’s

Black

4/9/2020

Stateville

40’s

Black

4/13/2020

Stateville

50’s

White

4/15/2020

Stateville

80’s

Black

4/18/2020

Stateville

50’s

Black

4/20/2020

Stateville

70’s

Hispanic

4/21/2020

Stateville

60’s

Black

4/30/2020

Stateville

50’s

Black

5/3/2020

Pontiac

70’s

Black

5/20/2020

Stateville

60’s

Black

8/16/2020

Robinson

70’s

White

9/18/2020

Jacksonville

50’s

White

9/20/2020

Robinson

50’s

White

9/23/2020

Robinson

70’s

White

9/24/2020

Taylorville

40’s

White

9/26/2020

Robinson

70’s

White

9/27/2020

Menard

70’s

White

9/27/2020

Taylorville

60’s

White

10/1/2020

East Moline

60’s

Black

10/11/2020

East Moline

70’s

Black

10/14/2020

East Moline

60’s

Black

10/15/2020

Robinson

60’s

Black

10/16/2020

Pontiac

50’s

Asian

10/20/2020

COVID-19 DEATHS REPORTED WITHIN IDOC

11

East Moline

50’s

Black

10/26/2020

Centralia

60’s

Black

10/26/2020

Jacksonville

30’s

Hispanic

11/2/2020

Jacksonville

50’s

Black

11/2/2020

Dixon

70’s

White

11/6/2020

Menard

60’s

White

11/7/2020

Centralia

60’s

White

11/10/2020

Vienna

40’s

Black

11/13/2020

Dixon

60’s

Hispanic

11/18/2020

Dixon

70’s

Hispanic

11/20/2020

Dixon

50’s

Black

11/21/2020

Dixon

50’s

Black

11/22/2020

Lincoln

60’s

Black

11/23/2020

Dixon

60’s

Black

11/23/2020

Shawnee

50’s

White

11/27/2020

Jacksonville

50’s

Black

11/29/2020

Vienna

40’s

Black

11/29/2020

Lincoln

70’s

White

11/30/2020

Vandalia

50’s

White

12/3/2020

BMRCC

70’s

White

12/5/2020

BMRCC

60’s

White

12/6/2020

Lawrence

50’s

White

12/6/2020

Hill

70’s

Black

12/6/2020

Dixon

60’s

White

12/8/2020

Dixon

60’s

Hispanic

12/8/2020

BMRCC

50’s

White

12/9/2020

Pinckneyville

70’s

Black

12/10/2020

Dixon

70’s

Black

12/12/2020

Dixon

70’s

White

12/14/2020

Taylorville

80’s

Hispanic

12/16/2020

Lawrence

60’s

White

12/18/2020

Logan

60’s

Black

12/19/2020

COVID-19 DEATHS REPORTED WITHIN IDOC

12

Illinois River

30’s

Hispanic

12/22/2020

Taylorville

50’s

White

12/23/2020

Taylorville

60’s

White

12/24/2020

Danville

40’s

Black

12/26/2020

Taylorville

50’s

Black

12/27/2020

Illinois River

60’s

Black

12/28/2020

Illinois River

60’s

Black

12/29/2020

Pinckneyville

50’s

Black

12/31/2020

Pinckneyville

70’s

White

12/31/2020

Pinckneyville

50’s

White

1/1/2021

Hill

80’s

White

1/1/2021

Pinckneyville

60’s

Black

1/2/2021

Pinckneyville

50’s

BLK

1/7/2021

Lawrence

60’s

Black

1/9/2021

Graham

70’s

Black

1/10/2021

Graham

40’s

Black

1/12/2021

Lawrence

70’s

White

1/12/2021

BMRCC

70’s

Black

1/14/2021

Danville

60’s

Hispanic

1/14/2021

BMRCC

50’s

White

1/17/2021

Danville

60’s

Hispanic

1/18/2021

Danville

40’s

White

1/20/2021

Pinckneyville

50’s

Black

1/21/2021

Decatur

70’s

White

1/21/2021

Lawrence

60’s

Black

1/23/2021

Graham

50’s

Black

1/27/2021

Hill

80’s

White

2/6/2021

BMRCC

60’s

White

2/16/2021

Lawrence

60’s

Blk

3/28/2021

TOTAL

COVID-19 DEATHS REPORTED WITHIN IDOC

I

88

13

This report was written by JHA staff. Media inquiries should be
directed to JHA’s Executive Director Jennifer Vollen-Katz
at (312) 291-9555 x205 or jvollen@thejha.org

Incarcerated individuals can send privileged mail to report concerns and issues to the John Howard
Association, P.O. Box 10042, Chicago, IL 60610-0042. JHA staff are reading every letter and tracking this
information to monitor what is occurring behind prison walls and to advocate for humane policies and
practices. Family and friends can contact JHA via our website www.thejha.org
or by leaving a message at 312.291.9183 x208.
Since 1901, JHA has provided public oversight of Illinois’ juvenile and adult correctional facilities. Every
year, JHA staff and trained volunteers inspect prisons, jails, and detention centers throughout the state.
Based on these inspections, JHA regularly issues reports that are instrumental in improving prison
conditions. JHA humbly thanks all the persons who agreed to be interviewed for this report and who
graciously shared their experiences and insights with us.

~

Johnd
Howar
Association
The John Howard Association was the proud recipient of the 2015 MacArthur Award
for Creative and Effective Institutions

COVID-19 DEATHS REPORTED WITHIN IDOC

14