Susan Prentice, a Guard in an Illinois Prison

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Federal court records show that susan prentice has been named in more than a hundred lawsuits. Monica stramberg, the state police officer conducting the interview, said she had heard about her from guards who have a different perspective. Some claim prentice destroyed some one's property. Another claimed that she and other guards kept a man from getting medical care. That case settled for 50 thousand dollars.

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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