Jail conditions ‘so bad inmates are burning themselves to death’

A dozen inmates have set themselves on fire in a desperate bid to expose the deteriorating conditions inside an Illinois prison dedicated to intensive mental health treatment, an investigation has revealed.

The Joliet Treatment Center has been rocked by more than 70 fires in the last three years, including 12 cases in which inmates set themselves ablaze in a last-ditch cry for help.  

So far, two have died and one lost a leg, according to a joint investigation by The Marshall Project, WBEZ and the Chicago-Sun Times.

One inmate, who required surgery to graft new skin onto his badly burned calf, allegedly recalled: ‘I couldn’t really take it. I knew I had to do something extreme to get out.’

The men behind bars described alleged deteriorating medical care, excessive force and the psychological toll of prolonged isolation, despite the facility’s promise to prioritize treatment over punishment after opening in 2017.

‘We try to talk and write to them, but they don’t respect that. But when we act like animals and set things on fire and ourselves on fire, they listen,’ one inmate said, according to the investigation. 

For staff, however, the smoke-filled cells and constant chaos had become the new normal, with one describing it as merely a ‘really busy shift.’

The investigation also uncovered alleged repeated failures to prevent or respond to the fires, with prison guards in some cases allegedly blocking gates and delaying ambulances carrying critically injured inmates to the hospital.

The Joliet Treatment Center in Illinois has had more than 70 fires in the last three years, including 12 cases in which inmates set themselves ablaze in a last-ditch cry for help over deteriorating conditions

Despite declining to answer questions about the blazes, an Illinois Department of Corrections spokesperson told the outlet it is ‘committed to ensuring the safety and security of staff, individuals in custody, and all persons who enter our facilities.’

They added that the department takes its responsibility to uphold facility safety requirements ‘seriously.’ 

The Daily Mail has reached out for a comment.  

The Joliet Treatment Center opened in 2017 promising a new era of prison care, where therapy and psychiatric treatment would replace neglect, following a yearslong legal battle over allegations that Illinois failed to treat mentally ill inmates. 

Patrice Daniels, a former inmate who once called the facility’s opening the most ‘gratifying day of his life,’ said that promise began unraveling within just a few years.

At first, the prison offered a sparkly new vision of life behind bars. 

The building smelled clean, officers played cards with inmates and joined them in sports, while a court-appointed monitor found prisoners received ample time outside their cells and 15 hours of structured therapy each week. 

But Daniels claimed the COVID-19 pandemic gave the prison a reason to keep inmates isolated in their cells with limited treatment, and that conditions never improved. He said the facility continued canceling outdoor time and treatment. 

After a new warden took over in early 2020, Daniels claimed the facility shifted toward what he described as a more ‘punitive approach.’ He said inmates began reporting a rise in the use of pepper spray.

That spring, inmate Alexander Yracheta resorted to setting himself on fire, using a spark from an electrical outlet to ignite a piece of cloth tied to his leg, the investigation found.

Prison investigators said guards dragged him from his cell and placed cuffs on his legs as his shorts continued to burn. He later said that, despite the unbearable pain, it was worth it for the brief moment of relief away from his cell.

On a summer night in 2024, a red glow could be seen through the window of Jason Stephens’ cell as he sat trapped inside while smoke thickened around him, the investigation said.

According to the investigation, security footage showed three correctional officers gather at the cell, grab a fire extinguisher and delay calling for help over the prison radio.

So far, two have died and one lost a leg, according to a joint investigation by The Marshall Project, WBEZ and the Chicago-Sun Times

About 10 minutes after smoke began drifting from the cell, officers entered the hallway, used a fire extinguisher and pepper spray through the cell door, and then walked away.

When corrections officers called 911, they reported the fire was out and requested help clearing the smoke – but prison employees later revealed someone was still trapped inside the charred cell, the investigation said. 

Stephens, who was trapped inside the cell for 30 minutes, was found unconscious on the floor with a charred airway. He was then handcuffed and loaded into an ambulance. 

An argument broke out as the ambulance tried to leave, with guards blocking the vehicle’s path. One guard later reported that a firefighter said: ‘This man can die while y’all pussyfooting around.’

The investigation found that Stephens’ ambulance was delayed for another 28 minutes before the gate opened. Doctors rushed to perform a tracheotomy, but he died two weeks later from his injuries.

Before his death, Stephens continued to complain about the lack of medical treatment in Illinois prisons, even asking employees: ‘What do I need to do to get medical treatment or be sent to the hospital? Cut myself or swallow a bunch of pills?’ 

In early July 2024, an officer at the Joliet Treatment Center noted in a report that Stephens said he was willing to do ‘whatever he needed to do’ to get help, writing: ‘This has been an ongoing issue.’ 

In late November 2024, flames were seen shooting from beneath Latrell Edwards’ cell, according to prison reports obtained during the investigation.

Officers evacuated other inmates from the wing before releasing Edwards, who was rushed to the hospital with labored breathing and soot coating his throat. He died two months later. 

Last year alone, the prison of roughly 200 inmates was plagued by an average of three fires a month. 

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‘These are the kinds of desperate acts that somebody takes when they feel they have no alternative,’ Craig Haney, a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz and an expert on mental health in prisons, said.

But staff reportedly became numb to the constant acts of self-harm, with one mental health worker describing the scenes as something ‘the human brain was not meant to process.’ 

‘In order to do our job every day, we had to expect it and we had to get used to it,’ she said, according to the outlet.

She said that even after two men died, prison employees had grown used to the repeated fires plaguing the facility and made it easier to ignore problems.

‘It’s almost like there’s nothing they can do that will shock us anymore,’ she said, adding, ‘No matter what they do, it’s not enough.’ 

Evidence uncovered during the investigation also revealed that the treatment center was unprepared for the fire that killed Stephens – despite a dozen earlier blazes.

A facility electrician told investigators that the wing where Stephens’ cell was located had no working alarms or sprinklers, with the only safety plan being for ‘correctional staff to be vigilant to watch for fires.’ 

The Illinois State Marshal’s Office uncovered a string of safety failures at the prison, from cellblocks without sprinklers to disabled fire alarms and a missing evacuation plan. 

It also found that guards delayed ambulances responding to emergencies and transporting severely injured men to hospitals, according to the findings.

The prison has declined to provide the full investigative report into the fire, leading to The Marshall Project sue for the records – including reports from other blazes at the facility. The lawsuits are still ongoing.