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Legislators continue to evaluate state's prison situation
By Tony Sapochetti
tsapochetti@pantagraph.com
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PONTIAC -- State legislators still are working for a moratorium on prison closures and the creation of an independent review process to assess the current state prison situation, two state senators said Monday.

State Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa, met with state Sen. Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, Monday to discuss the efforts to block Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s plan to close Pontiac Correctional Center. Earlier in the day, Rutherford met with area political leaders about the prison issue.

The senators said the efforts are intended to head off abrupt changes in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

In February, a plan to close a portion of Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet emerged following the unveiling of Blagojevich’s proposed budget. By early May, the plan shifted from the Stateville closure to shutting the 1,650-inmate Pontiac Correctional Center and move inmates to a facility in Thomson.

Radogno, who represents a district where numerous people are employed by Stateville, said such sudden decisions cannot continue, especially because prisons are economic assets to their communities.

The DOC took her and other lawmakers on a tour of the Stateville, Pontiac and Thomson prisons and laid out a case for closing Stateville she said. Then everything changed.

“Low and behold, over the weekend there was a complete and utter reversal, so all the logic they laid out was immediately out the window,” she said.

New legislation, an amendment to House Bill 1235, would create a Correctional Facilities Panel and put a hold on all prison closures until the panel completes its review, scheduled for September 2009. Rodogno said the bill itself was currently in committee.

“Clearly there needs to be some independent oversight in the process, and that is what we are calling for,” Radogno said.

Rutherford called on residents to write the governor himself and express disapproval of the plan.

“People want to do something, and the most constructive thing to do right now is to write the governor,” he said.

Rutherford also met behind closed doors Monday morning with local leaders to discuss the prison situation.

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Reader comments on this story - 1 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

4_nubbs wrote on May 13, 2008 9:46 AM:

" Tell me why they seem to play around the truth? Truth being that the abrupt reversal and sudden logic tossed out the window over the weekend was actually patronage and punishment. Politics! Blagojevich spending up his political capital! IDOT's move because of Sen. Bomke's yes for recall vote and Sen. Forby's no show! Statesville's abrupt stop for partial closure, Pontiac's threatened closure because of Rutherfords Yes vote to recall, news of filling up Thompson cc thanks to sen Mike Jacobs's (East Moline) no vote and State Sen. A.J. Wilhelmi (D-Crest Hill) voting present etc.. Let's not forget the releasing of Millions in funds for Agriculture and Health Research curiously right after the recall's failure!
Do they really think that we can't read between the lines? Are they that ignorant or naive to see it themselves, or are they that scared of Blagojevich to state the obvious?
What a waste of time and resources putting forth a "fact finding" committee when they aren't even openly stating what is obvious! That it isn't about Economics, it's about Politics!
Start playing the game and act like the opposition party instead of playing the helpless victims. "
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