Adams County Inmate Ervin Shaw Dies During Transport in Morgan County

An inmate from Adams County died after suffering a medical emergency while being transported through Morgan County, law enforcement officials said. The incident occurred during a transfer to the Illinois Department of Corrections when the inmate, Ervin L. Shaw, 49, of Liberty, became unresponsive in the transport vehicle near the Jacksonville exit on Interstate 72.

Correctional officers were transporting seven sentenced inmates to the Department of Corrections when, at approximately 7 a.m., Shaw experienced a medical emergency and lost consciousness inside the vehicle. Emergency responders from Morgan County and the South Jacksonville Police Department responded and transported Shaw to Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office provided details of the transport. Shaw had pleaded guilty on January 12 in Adams County Circuit Court to felony possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and possession of methamphetamine less than 5 grams, and was due to begin an 8 1/2 year term in the Illinois Department of Corrections. No further information about the cause of death has been released.

The Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation and the Morgan County Coroner’s Office are conducting inquiries into the circumstances of Shaw’s death. Investigators will determine medical cause, timeline and whether standard transport and medical screening procedures were followed. The outcome of those inquiries will shape any subsequent administrative or legal actions.

For Morgan County residents, the episode touches on several local concerns. Interstate 72 is a critical artery for residents and for law enforcement transfers between county jails and state facilities, so any on-road emergency raises questions about safety and emergency response protocols. In smaller communities, where county jails, local police and correctional transports are familiar parts of public life, an in-transit death draws attention to prisoner medical care, training of correctional staff, and interagency communication during emergencies.

Officials have said no additional information is available at this time; further details will depend on the ongoing investigations by state police and the coroner’s office. Residents can expect updates from those agencies and from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office as findings are released. The investigation’s results will be important for local leaders and residents concerned with oversight of transport procedures and public safety on regional roadways.