SPRINGFIELD - Less than a week after igniting a firestorm by proposing the sale of a mostly vacant state prison near the Quad Cities to the federal government, Gov. Pat Quinn is eyeing the possible closure of yet another maximum-security lockup.

An Illinois Department of Corrections spokeswoman confirmed Friday that the administration is considering the politically volatile closure of a portion of Stateville Correctional Center.

The move mirrors an attempt by Quinn's predecessor, Rod Blagojevich, to close the 94-year-old facility near Joliet - a move that was eventually scrapped amidst opposition by local politicians.

Under a scenario outlined by Corrections officials and detailed by the union representing prison guards, an estimated 1,500 maximum-security prisoners housed at Stateville would be transferred to the downstate Lawrence Correctional Center, which currently operates as a medium-security facility.

Prisoners housed at Lawrence would be dispersed to other prisons, which are being cleared of inmates through an early release program designed to put 1,000 non-violent offenders back on the streets.

"The closure of a portion of Stateville is one of many options the department is considering," Corrections spokeswoman Januari Smith said in a statement issued Friday. "The department, like all other state agencies, is faced with unprecedented budget challenges."

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union panned the proposal, saying it is not feasible for the state to consider shuttering Stateville at the same time it is trying to sell the mostly unused maximum-security lock-up in Thomson to the federal government.

"Before any consideration of turning Thomson over to the federal government, the governor should present a comprehensive plan detailing both the projected number of state prison inmates over the next five years, along with the projected capacity and security level of each facility it operates," noted AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Henry Bayer.

"Without Thomson, there is nowhere in the system for a corresponding number of new maximum-security beds to be opened," Bayer added.

Quinn's plan to sell Thomson to the federal government has drawn vocal criticism because the federal government could use it to house terrorist detainees now housed at the terrorist prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The 1,600-cell facility in Thomson was built in 2001 but never opened because of budget concerns.

Currently, the state's prison system is an estimated 135 percent over its capacity, with overcrowding most prevalent in the maximum-security category. AFSCME says closing a portion of Stateville and eliminating Thomson as an option makes little sense.

"Bottom line, the IDOC plan to eliminate Thomson and Stateville will worsen the state system's overcrowding crisis at the same time that it turns some 2,000 beds over to the federal government," Bayer noted.

Quinn's look at Stateville marks the second time since 2008 the facility has been in the cross-hairs.

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich proposed closing Stateville and moving inmates to Thomson in February 2008, but scrapped that idea when Will County Democrats pledged to dump the plan.

Blagojevich then targeted the maximum-security prison in Pontiac for closure, but was blocked in that effort too.

While the unsuccessful push to close Pontiac Correctional Center was underway, prison officials began spending money to convert Lawrence into a maximum-security facility. That move, too, was put on hold after the Pontiac closure was derailed.

Quinn and the Democratic controlled General Assembly appear to have begun laying the groundwork for easing the financial pain of closing a portion of Stateville.

In legislation recently signed by Quinn, more than $7 million was earmarked to begin planning what could become a new cellblock for inmates, as well as a medical facility for prisoners, on the grounds of Stateville.

That could appease Will County lawmakers who are concerned about losing jobs at the facility.

Smith Friday offered no timetable for a decision to be made regarding Stateville.

"The agency has not made a final determination on what steps we will take to address these issues," she said.