Dwight Bracing for Prison Closure
By: Jacob Long, WMBD/WYZZ-TV
Updated: January 2, 2013
DWIGHT - The end appears to be near for Dwight's prison.
The state is finalizing a timeline for transferring inmates, but said Wednesday the prison will close.
Small business owner Maria Ahmedi reacted by saying, "Of course I'm worried. I've been here 11 years."
Ahmedi runs a restaurant in the small town and is worried about her bottom line, small town and future.
"If it closes, we're definitely going to be devastated," she said.
Talk of the prison closing has been ongoing for nearly a year, but a judge recently lifted an injunction that sought to stop the closure.
That move essentially allows the state to move forward with shutting down several facilities.
"Most of the revenue around here is, you know, part of the prison," Ahmedi said, citing the fact she serves many prison employees and visitors.
"Yes, it's going to hurt the community bad," said Dwight Mayor Bill Wilkey.
Wilkey is holding out hope for a last minute solution in Springfield.
He said, "I really feel they are going to come up with something."
Discussions are also ongoing in Dwight about how the village can absorb the closure. It's a task even Wilkey says won't be easy.
"Getting businesses to come to town where you loose a place like that there, it's hard," he said.
In all, one economic study says the impact will be $40-$50 million in lost revenue and wages. But perhaps the biggest toll is personal, one you can't quantify.
Ahmedi said, "All around, it's not going to be good. Homes will probably go up for sale. People moving out of town."
"It's going to split the families up. It's going to hurt our schools," Wilkey said.
They're people's lives, people who've been fighting endlessly. But now it seems almost certain this is one battle they've lost.
"You're just going to have to deal with it. Like everyone else," Ahmedi said.
One bright spot is the fact the state says almost all prison workers are keeping their jobs. Out of about 900 impacted, only around 100 accepted a layoff.
The 900 female inmates from Dwight will be transferred to a renovated facility in Logan County.
The state contends closing the prison and other facilities will save taxpayers millions, even though it admits there are maintenance costs on maintaining the buildings in the future.
The state is finalizing a timeline for transferring inmates, but said Wednesday the prison will close.
Small business owner Maria Ahmedi reacted by saying, "Of course I'm worried. I've been here 11 years."
Ahmedi runs a restaurant in the small town and is worried about her bottom line, small town and future.
"If it closes, we're definitely going to be devastated," she said.
Talk of the prison closing has been ongoing for nearly a year, but a judge recently lifted an injunction that sought to stop the closure.
That move essentially allows the state to move forward with shutting down several facilities.
"Most of the revenue around here is, you know, part of the prison," Ahmedi said, citing the fact she serves many prison employees and visitors.
"Yes, it's going to hurt the community bad," said Dwight Mayor Bill Wilkey.
Wilkey is holding out hope for a last minute solution in Springfield.
He said, "I really feel they are going to come up with something."
Discussions are also ongoing in Dwight about how the village can absorb the closure. It's a task even Wilkey says won't be easy.
"Getting businesses to come to town where you loose a place like that there, it's hard," he said.
In all, one economic study says the impact will be $40-$50 million in lost revenue and wages. But perhaps the biggest toll is personal, one you can't quantify.
Ahmedi said, "All around, it's not going to be good. Homes will probably go up for sale. People moving out of town."
"It's going to split the families up. It's going to hurt our schools," Wilkey said.
They're people's lives, people who've been fighting endlessly. But now it seems almost certain this is one battle they've lost.
"You're just going to have to deal with it. Like everyone else," Ahmedi said.
One bright spot is the fact the state says almost all prison workers are keeping their jobs. Out of about 900 impacted, only around 100 accepted a layoff.
The 900 female inmates from Dwight will be transferred to a renovated facility in Logan County.
The state contends closing the prison and other facilities will save taxpayers millions, even though it admits there are maintenance costs on maintaining the buildings in the future.
