The Interrogation of Susan Prentice

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The incident with frederick walker being accused of throwing urine illustrates something i've heard over and over again from people locked inside, that guards allegedly have an unofficial way of punishing the men behind bars. In this case, prentice offers a defence. Even if she had lied on her reports, said walker threw urine when she thought it was water, it didn't matter throwing liquid at a guard, urine or water, you broke the same rule. You're going to get the same seg time. But there is discretion in what people actually end up getting punished for. And youre in, well, sounds worse, right? More likely something administrators are going to pursue for

Pontiac Correctional Center is a maximum security prison in the small town of Pontiac, Illinois. It’s the oldest in the state - founded in 1871 - and has a reputation for being one of the most violent. There is a guard at Pontiac who some staff praise for being tough and having their backs. But other staff and people in the prison say she is known for abuse. In 2019, she was investigated by the Department of Corrections and State Police. Investigators had obtained 427 of the guard’s emails, revealing the conversations she’d had with other staff when it seemed like no one was looking.

This episode is in collaboration with the podcast Motive, from WBEZ Chicago, hosted by Shannon Heffernan. Season 4 of Motive investigates the hidden world of big prisons in small towns.

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