SPRINGFIELD - Gov. Rod Blagojevich's plan to shutter Pontiac Correctional Center will be the focus of a public hearing Aug. 12.

The meeting, part of a state-mandated process the governor must follow when attempting to close or move state workers, is scheduled to get underway at 5 p.m. A location for the event hasn't been determined.

Up to 600 people are expected to attend, said Dan Long, executive director of the General Assembly's Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.

Blagojevich wants to close the maximum-security lock-up and move 1,600 prisoners to a newer, nearly unused prison in Thomson, located north of the Quad-Cities.

It's not the first time the governor has attempted to close the 130-year-old prison.

In 2004, his closure plan was thwarted. Lawmakers have again ignored his wishes and included funding for Pontiac in the state budget.

However, the governor still hasn't signed the budget, leaving the prison and its workers in limbo.

The hearing will likely start with testimony from the Illinois Department of Corrections about why they want to close the prison.

Local business and government officials will likely outline the economic losses that would occur in Livingston County if the facility were closed.

Others expected to testify are some of the 600 employees who work at the prison.

"It will be opened up to everyone," Long said.

Corrections officials say prisons shouldn't be kept open just because they are important to the local economy.

"While prison facilities are often a great economic benefit to the communities they are located near, that should not be the primary reason to continue to operate a facility," said DOC spokeswoman Januari Smith.

Following the hearing, a panel of lawmakers will vote on whether to support or oppose the plan. However, that decision is not binding on the governor, meaning he could move forward with the closing if he wants to.

Meanwhile, Republican state Sens. Dan Rutherford of Chenoa and Christine Radogno of Lemont are touring prisons across the state to lobby support for their plan to create a special commission that would study prison closures.

They say an independent review panel could be a better way to address prison closings, rather than allowing the decision to lie solely in the hands of the governor.