Caged in a cell, Jerad Traylor struggled to breathe and cried out for help, pleading that he felt like he was dying.
Lisa Parrish holds a photo of her son, Jerad Traylor, who died at age 31 while being held in the Tazewell County Jail. At the time of his death on Aug. 16, 2017, Traylor had asked for medical help and told jail staff that he was having trouble breathing.
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Macon County Jail in Decatur has a medical room where inmates receive health care for concerns that can be treated at the jail. In the event of an emergency, inmates can be transferred to a local hospital.
Superintendent Larry Beck give a tour at the Sangamon County Jail in Springfield on Nov. 8, 2023.
23 photos from inside the Macon County Jail through the years
Cell block
1927: cell block
200 block East Wood Street
1938: East side of Macon County Jail. Buildings are being demolished to make way for the new building.
Inspection
1940: Inspecting the new jail's day room are left to right, State's Attorney Ivan J. Hutchens, C.J. Aschauer, architect; J. W. Carnegie, resident engineer with the Public Works Administration; J. H. Samuels, Chicago, traveling engineer for Public Works Administration and Clifford Bell, county recorder.
Jail keys
1971: A special key opens the jail elevator door, and a hand presses a button marked 6. The door closes and seconds later automatically slides open at its destination. Instead of stepping out you wait, confronted by six rows of steel bars.
1971
1971: Prison guard talking to an inmate.
Sheriff showing available space
1971: Sheriff Ray Rex has space available for drunken drivers.
Clean cells
1978: Prisoners are expected to keep their own cells clean; trusties who use this one do pretty well.
Meeting area
1985: Meeting area in cell block for visitors, lawyers and prisoners.
Typewriter
1985: Typewriter has to be used standing up in locker because there is no desk area.
Warden
1985: Lt. John Wrigley, jail warden
Sheriff
1985: Sheriff Stephen Fisher.
Lockers
1985: Lockers are for prisoner's effects and street clothes.
Work area
1985: Lawyers and clients conference and work area
Check in area
1984: office check-in area and television monitors
cooks
1987: Cooks preparing prisoner meals. Patricia Brown is the manager and Alice Crawley is kitchen helper.
Inspection
1989: Robert W. Davis, left, county Board of Supervisors member of the dependent, neglected and delinquent children's committee and Chief Deputy Sheriff Richard Funk ready the new juvenile center which opened in 1969.
Early cooks preparing meal
early Macon County Jail cooks preparing meal.
Team of jail cooks
Macon County jail team of cooks
Demolition of jail and sheriff residence
1938: Macon County jail and sheriff residence which have stood for 70 years, started falling today before workmen of J.L. Simmons Co. cleared the site for the new county building. Beyond the sheriff's residence workmen also may be seen attacking the roof the present courthouse, the southeast corner of which is being removed to make way for the new building.
Macon County sheriff Thrift
1928: Sheriff Thrift.
Jail prisoners
Jail prisoners
Contact Analisa Trofimuk at 219-933-3211. Contact Drew Zimmerman at 309-820-3276. Follow Drew on Twitter: @DZimmermanLee
