A 27-year-old Joliet police officer is bringing a rage room to downtown Joliet.

Tyrell Hundley, who opened Joliet Kreamers in downtown Joliet in 2021 and now operates that sneaker store online only, plans to open the Rage Cage at 173 N. Chicago St. in March or April, the same space as his former store.

Hundley said the Rage Cage is a controlled space of four rooms in a 2,000-square-foot space for relieving stress.

“You break TVs, you break display glass – anything and everything,” Hundley said. “We teamed up with a few junk companies who give us everything we need.”

Hundley said that as word about the Rage Cage spread throughout the community, others have donated items, too.

“Someone donated 50, 60 TVs,” Hundley said.

As a police officer, Hundley said he’s “seen firsthand how stress affects people emotionally and mentally,” even when they don’t realize they’re stressed.

The focus of the Rage Cage is not on anger.

“It’s more about release – supervised, safe and intentional,” Hundley said.

The Rage Cage will give people permission to reset themselves and walk out “feeling lighter” without directing that anger on personal property or another person, he said.

“Sometimes you just need positive outlets to release anger,” Hundley said. “You can take a sledgehammer and hit a TV or throw a piece of glass. … Life is heavy; people are stressed and overwhelmed. They just need a healthy way to let go.”

But does that work?

Unfortunately, scientific evidence on rage rooms’ benefits are scant, according to Michigan State University, which also cited a small study that “most activities that increase our heart rate don’t make us less angry.”

However, rage rooms may still help people feel empowered while giving them a safe space to release strong emotions, according to MSU.

Who cleans up the mess?

Hundley said he has a team that cleans up the mess. He’s also thankful for the support and is excited to bring this resource to the area.

“What better place than Joliet?” Hundley said. “I live here. I work here. I’m from here. It’s Joliet’s first rage room in the surrounding area, and I’m excited to be in downtown Joliet.”

Rage Room prices will start at $45 for 25 minutes for one person and increase from there depending on the party size that rents the room and the time spent there, Hundley said.

People can rent the space in pairs or as a group – up to four people.

Hundley said he’s spoken to other downtown Joliet businesses about offering packages, too.

To donate, email hundleyinvestmentsllc@gmail.com.