A lockdown has been lifted at Cook County Jail after several workers called off Sunday, possibly because of Mother’s Day.
The lockdown was initiated because of low staffing levels Sunday morning, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office.
“We suspect it was Mother’s Day related, and, while we wish all our staff could have spent time with their moms and families, we have to run the jail, which is a 24/7 operation, and keep detainees and staff safe,” according to a statement from sheriff’s spokeswoman Sophia Ansari. The exact number of workers who called off was not immediately available.
The lockdown was for officer safety and only allowed inmates to move for medical reasons, emergencies and visitation, according to the sheriff’s office.
Staff levels returned to normal for Monday’s 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift and the lockdown was lifted.
Another staffing shortage led to a jail lockdown in January.
