Blagojevich Administration’s State Prison Closure, Prisoner Transition Process Needs Overhaul

(Chicago, IL) — The recent reversal by Governor Rod Blagojevich to close the main portion of Stateville prison in Joliet in order to save $31 million ended fierce criticism from Joliet area-legislators, but the snap decision to close the Pontiac prison instead has unleashed equal angst from local lawmakers, reducing the state prison closure process to an apparent lottery.

Keeping Stateville open will ease job and family visitation issues, but the Pontiac-area legislators are weighing in with their concerns about jobs, too. In another few months, we might see another prison closure lottery.

The debate about closing Stateville and Pontiac, however, is overlooking a critical issue: whether Illinois has the leeway in which to close any of its three existing maximum-security prisons, even when unused Thomson maximum security prison opens.

The Illinois Department of Corrections has operated virtually every one of its 28 prisons well over their capacity for decades, but this situation is most problematic for the old and enormous maximum-security prisons.

If Pontiac’s most violent prisoners are transferred to the Thomson prison, that move could be considered a good decision. But Thomson may be ill-suited for other prisoners.

While our maximum-security prisons are now relatively safe and secure, this has come at the cost of turning them into sterile, unproductive warehouses, where most inmates spend 20 or more hours daily in their cells, regardless of their behavior, age, or health status.

If Thompson is to house well-behaved inmates, adapted, and ready for educational and other rehabilitative programs, then Thomson will be wrong. And it should remain empty.

Illinois needs to close antiquated prisons, like Stateville, Pontiac, and Vandalia. But the selection, closure, and prisoner transition process must be more thoughtful than the lottery approach of the last few months.