The County Jail Is On Lockdown Because 142 Employees Missed Work
By Mae Rice in News on Jan 12, 2016 4:21PM
Cook County Jail was put on lockdown Tuesday, when 18 percent of the workers for its 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift did not show up for work.
That’s 142 employees, the Tribune reports.
The lockdown is a measure to “ensure officer safety,” according to a tweet from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.
In another tweet, the office explained the nature of the lockdown:
Public visitation will continue as scheduled during the lockdown. The only inmate movement will be for medical and mental health check-ups.
— CCSO (@CCSOPIO) January 12, 2016Employees’ reasons for missing work ranged from weather-related issues to family emergencies, according to the Tribune.
The Cook County Jail, located at 2700 S. California Ave., has 8,300 inmates, as of yesterday's count, who will be affected by the lockdown, said a spokesperson for the Cook County Sheriff’s office.