Sangamon Sun

The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is under growing scrutiny amid allegations that it continues to allow biological males who identify as female to serve their time at the state's lone women's prison—despite confirmed sexual assaults of biological females perpetrated by transgender inmates. 

Sangamon Sun inquired about the number of transgender inmates at Logan Correctional Center in an email to the IDOC, which it refused to confirm.  

A source with knowledge of the situation told Sangamon Sun on the condition of anonymity that the facility houses 92 transgender or gender non-conforming inmates, including 13 male-to-female, 62 female-to-male, 19 non-binary individuals and five of unknown gender identity. 

Janiah Monroe, formerly known as Andre Patterson, was accused of raping multiple female inmates at Logan Correctional Center. | Illinois Department of Corrections

Logan Correctional Center, located at 1096 1350th Street in Lincoln, opened in 1978 and became an all-female facility in 2000. 

Though designated a women’s prison, Logan houses transgender biological male and non-binary inmates alongside women—a population mix that raises serious concerns about safety, oversight, and the protection of vulnerable inmates.

Since mid-2023, Illinois residents have been allowed to easily change the gender listed on their birth certificates with a signed statement affirming their gender identity, under the enactment of HB0009. 

However, years before the law changed, Gov. JB Pritzker extended similar considerations to the state’s jail system.

This policy has had serious consequences for biological female inmates at Logan, which has drawn public attention following confirmed reports of sexual assault by biological male inmates.

Advocates argue the IDOC’s housing decisions have placed vulnerable women at risk, particularly in cases involving individuals with violent criminal histories.

Several states, including Illinois, allow biological males who identify as female to serve their time at institutions once reserved for the opposite sex.  

Logan has a documented history of sexual assault allegations, including a series of reported rapes by biological male cross-dressers housed with female inmates.

The most notable case involves Janiah Monroe, a transgender biological male inmate also known as Andre Patterson, who was transferred from the male-only Pontiac Correctional Center and later faced multiple accusations of rape and sexual misconduct from female inmates.

In one instance—which Dr. William Puga, then head of psychiatry for the Department of Corrections, deemed credible—an unidentified female inmate reported that her claims of being raped by Monroe were ignored by jail staff, who then punished her. 

Court documents and interviews indicate Monroe’s time at Logan was marked by safety concerns, confirmed infractions, and a suicide attempt while in segregation. 

A subsequent order to transfer Monroe back to the Pontiac facility was halted, reportedly at the direction of Pritzker and supported later by a federal judge’s injunction.

"(W)hat happened was, (Pritzker’s) office called someone at the Department of Corrections and said, 'Don't let this happen,' and it didn't," Alan Mills, Monroe’s attorney, said according to the Illinois Times.  

Pritzker is known for his transgender policies. 

He and his billionaire cousin Jennifer Pritzker—a transgender biological male formerly known as James Pritzker—have provided over $21 million to Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, where gender transitions were performed on children as young as five years old, until the practice was recently abandoned following President Donald Trump's executive order which threatened federal funding of the facility. 

These latest concerns at Logan Correctional Center follow years of reported issues involving inmate safety.  

A 2020 report by the John Howard Association revealed severe neglect, unsanitary conditions and deteriorating infrastructure at the facility.

Inmates reported sewage backups, mold, pest infestations and delayed maintenance, with only 3% believing repairs are handled promptly. 

The report also highlighted critical staffing shortages, particularly in mental health care, with over 40% of such positions vacant. 

In addition to physical disrepair, inmates described staff as degrading and unprofessional, while staff expressed safety concerns due to insufficient use of segregation and inadequate staffing levels.

A 2016 Department of Justice-funded report also deemed conditions at Logan “untenable,” pointing to systemic issues like overcrowding and inadequate care for mentally ill inmates. 

The report noted that the 2013 consolidation of Illinois' two largest women’s facilities into Logan—a decision reportedly made without sufficient planning— further destabilized the prison.

Since then, the prison has cycled through numerous wardens.  

In 2024, the state legislature approved $900 million in funding to replace Logan Correctional Center. However, details regarding when or if the facility will be shut down have not been finalized.