The working conditions at Illinois prisons burst onto the House floor Wednesday.

State Rep. Gregg Johnson (D-East Moline), a former prison worker, talked about longtime friend Chris James, who fell more than sixty feet to his death Tuesday while trying to remove trees..

“There’s gonna be a lot of questions,” said Johnson. “I’m not going to get into everything that took place here. But I can tell you this: there’s going to be accountability. I don’t want to hear any more about how they value their employees when they try to save money.

“They have bids on these jobs. They refuse to follow the bids. They had warnings. One of the maintenance craftsmen at this facility absolutely refused to do this work; my friend decided to step up and do this work.”

House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) says James was from her hometown. She took the opportunity to urge all lawmakers to visit the state’s prisons and see the conditions for themselves.

James was allegedly not wearing a safety harness.

Wednesday night, the Illinois Department of Corrections provided this response:

“A full investigation into this tragic accident is ongoing. The Department joins his family and loved ones in mourning and will remember and honor his dedication to public service.”