Lake County jail corrections officer prevented two suicides last year

Lake County jail correctional officer Elvis Fejzic has received statewide recognition after he twice stopped jail inmates from committing suicide last year.

Fejzic was named Correctional Officer of the Year by the Illinois Sheriffs' Association, officials announced this week.

Lt. Christopher Covelli, spokesman for the Lake County sheriff's office, said Fejzic stopped an inmate who was trying to choke himself with a bedsheet in August. Fejzic acted quickly, entered the cell and unwrapped the sheet from the man's neck.

In September, Fejzic saw that an inmate was attempting suicide with a T-shirt in his jail cell. Fejzic and his partner, corrections officer Matthew Outinen, rushed into the cell, cut the shirt off the man's neck and administered first aid.

Sheriff John Idleburg commended Fejzic.

"The dedication and service-oriented mindset of our corrections officers often go unseen by the community, as their heroic actions occur behind closed doors," Idleburg said. "Each and every day, our corrections officers work diligently to make a positive impact on those incarcerated and continually participate in efforts to reduce recidivism."

Normally, Covelli said, the Illinois Sheriffs' Association would have given the award at its winter conference but the event was canceled because of the pandemic.

Covelli said the Lake County sheriff's office would have had a ceremony for Fejzic but the office is being mindful not to gather in large groups.

Covelli said around 220 correctional officers work at the Lake County jail. The current jail population is 491 inmates; the jail has the capacity for 740.