Pontiac Prison Will Remain Open

WMBD/WYZZ - PONTIAC -  Governor Pat Quinn has announced that he will keep Pontiac Correctional Center open.   Below is the press release from the Governor's Office.

SPRINGFIELD – March 12, 2009. Governor Quinn announced that he will keep Pontiac Correctional Center open.  The decision is another step in Governor Quinn’s efforts to ensure greater fiscal responsibility in state government – the prison provides nearly 600 jobs and generates an approximate $54.4 million in revenue for the region.

“Especially in these tough economic times, we must be more fiscally responsible,” said Governor Quinn. “Keeping Pontiac Correctional Center open will ensure nearly 600 people in the region keep their jobs, prevent hundreds of families from being uprooted, and allow Pontiac to maintain one of its largest sources of revenue.”

On May 2, 2008, then Governor Rod R. Blagojevich announced Pontiac Correctional Center would close by the end of 2008.  Under that plan, the nearly 600 employees, more than 1,600 inmates, and the facility’s operating budget were to be transferred to the Thomson Correctional Center, located in Carroll County in northwest Illinois.

However, the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA), which studies and provides recommendations on local and regional economic and fiscal policies, released a memorandum on September 23, 2008 citing its unanimous vote (9-0) against the closure of the Pontiac Correctional Center.

Central Illinois lawmakers, elected officials, and community action groups have been vocal supporters of keeping Pontiac open, citing security of the employees and inmates as an additional reason to maintain the Pontiac facility. 

The Center is the state’s only facility that provides single cells for most maximum-security inmates.  Housing two maximum-security inmates in a single cell significantly increases the risk of violence.

Rutherford statement on Pontiac Correctional Center remaining open

State Senator Dan Rutherford (R-Pontiac) offered the following comments after Gov. Quinn’s announcement to keep Pontiac Correctional Center open.

"I am pleased to share the good news that Pontiac Correctinoal Center will remain open and operational," announced Senator Rutherford.  "For the past few days, I have been working with Governor Quinn's office regarding Pontiac Correctional Center.  I was not authorized to make an announcement until this afternoon."

"I know that it has been a very stressful time for the employees, families, and citizens of Pontiac and central Illinois since former Governor Blagojevich announced his intention to close Pontiac," Rutherford said. "I want to extend my appreciation to Governor Quinn and to all the men and women who have worked so hard in gathering the proof to show that Pontiac Correctional Center is important to our area and the entire public safety network.  It is refreshing to have a Govenor who will work with legislators and do what is best for our great state."

AFSCME STATEMENT ON PONTIAC PRISON

Henry Bayer, executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31, issued the following the statement from Springfield today:

"Governor Quinn is doing the right thing by keeping Pontiac open. The state prison system is dangerously overcrowded, and closing any prison would make a bad situation much worse. The closure of Pontiac would also have forced hundreds of AFSCME members to face the terrible choice of losing their jobs or leaving their homes in the Livingston County area.

"In addition to dropping the closure plan, we urge the governor to move immediately to reverse its harmful ripple effects, including the inappropriate reclassification and transfer of maximum-security inmates from Pontiac and the statewide freeze on hiring in the Department of Corrections.

"In his budget proposal next week, Governor Quinn has an opportunity for swift action to make the entire prison system safer. That means hiring enough staff to curb rising violence against employees, reduce overtime costs and restore education and counseling programs for inmates.

"The last administration grossly mismanaged the Department of Corrections, leaving behind a system with 45,000 inmates jammed into prisons built for just 34,000. At the same time, corrections staff has been slashed by more than 4,000 positions. Too many inmates and not enough staff are a dangerous recipe that puts not only employees but public safety at risk. We hope to see real progress in repairing this damage in the governor's budget proposal next week."