Roll of Honor
Sheila Janelle Rivera
Incident
Correctional Officer Sheila Rivera died after contracting COVID-19 during an outbreak among inmates and correctional staff at the Cook County Jail at 2650 S. California Avenue in Chicago.
Officer Rivera had served with the Cook County Sheriff's Office - Department of Corrections for seven years and had previously served with the Choctaw Nation Police Department in Mississippi.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Correctional Officer Sheila Janelle Rivera died on April 19, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 47.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 4 at Cook County Sheriff's Office - Department of Corrections.
Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.
Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.
Survivors
She is survived by her husband and son.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-63990565- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Correctional Officer Rivera gave the Cook County Sheriff's Office 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Illinois. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Rivera.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Correctional Officer Sheila Janelle Rivera is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In IL, 66 of 1,318 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 5% of this state's fallen. That is 4.1 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Cook County Sheriff's Office - Department of Corrections, 4 of 9 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 44.4% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Sheila Janelle Rivera's cause is highlighted.
How Sheila Janelle Rivera Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Sheila Janelle Rivera is highlighted in Apr.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
8 officers from Cook County Sheriff's Office - Department of Corrections are honored on badge.nw.
