Illinois prisons are facing a rapidly escalating crisis involving PCP, K2, and other synthetic substances. These drugs are flooding facilities, endangering the lives of incarcerated people, correctional staff, and the broader communities connected to them. The situation has reached a point where inaction is no longer an option.

People inside Illinois prisons are experiencing severe medical emergencies, psychosis, long‑term neurological damage, and in some cases death. Staff are overwhelmed, medical units are strained, and families are terrified for the safety of their loved ones. This is not simply a disciplinary issue — it is a public health emergency.

We, the undersigned, call on the Governor and the Illinois Department of Corrections to take immediate action by:

 1 Launching an independent investigation into how PCP, K2, and synthetic drugs are entering facilities.

 2 Implementing evidence‑based harm‑reduction and treatment strategies, including access to mental‑health care and substance‑use support.

 3 Increasing transparency by publicly reporting data on overdoses, medical incidents, and drug‑related emergencies inside Illinois prisons.

 4 Providing staff with proper training and resources to respond safely to drug‑related crises.

 5 Ensuring that incarcerated individuals receive medical care, not punishment, when experiencing drug‑related health emergencies.

Every person in state custody — regardless of their sentence — deserves to be protected from preventable harm. Families deserve to know their loved ones are safe. Staff deserve a workplace that is not in constant crisis.

We urge the Governor to act swiftly and decisively. Lives depend on it.