Nov. 10--A former religious services worker at Chicago's federal jail in the Loop pleaded guilty Monday to a host of security violations, including letting inmates use his cellphone to make calls to outsiders.
Tommy Haire, 34, also admitted mailing letters on inmates' behalf without going through the usual screening process. He also let inmates "socialize" in his office at the Metropolitan Correctional Center and surf the Internet on his computer.
Haire, 34, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of conversion of government property. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Mason set sentencing for Feb. 2. Haire faces anything from probation to up to a year in prison.
According to a job description on the U.S. Bureau of Prisons website, a religious services assistant supports "religious programming of all faiths" by assisting in the preparation of educational materials and audio-visual displays inside the facility.
Among the duties listed for the position was "maintaining the security of the institution."
The post gave Haire access to sensitive computer information at the high-rise facility, according to his 17-page plea agreement with prosecutors.
In addition to the other security violations, Haire performed unauthorized searches at the behest of an inmate to find sensitive details about two unnamed prisoners, including their location and details one's psychological and medical records, according to the plea agreement.
The jail has come under fire in recent years for a number of issues, from understaffing and overcrowding to the daring, dead-of-night escape by two inmates who rappelled out of their window on a rope fashioned from bedsheets and dental floss. The 28-story building at 71 W. Van Buren St. houses about 700 inmates.
Two years ago, U.S. District Chief Judge Ruben Castillo issued a scathing opinion awarding $1 million to the family of a 23-year old inmate who died of medical complications while awaiting trial on drug charges. Castillo said lax medical care and sloppy protocols contributed directly to the death.
jmeisner@tribpub.com
