Quinn urged to use Thomson for overcrowding – Chicago Sun-Times


SPRINGFIELD-Gov. Quinn should avoid selling a mothballed state prison once targeted for Guantanamo Bay terrorism suspects and instead use it to ease overcrowding in other Illinois prisons, state government’s largest public-employee union urged Thursday.

AFSCME Council 31 called the plan to relinquish control of the Thomson Correctional Center in northwestern Illinois to the federal government a “mistake” at a time when the state’s prisons are severely crunched for space.

In an October report to the General Assembly, the Illinois Department of Corrections indicated it was housing 47,970 inmates in space designed for 33,906 inmates, meaning the system is operating at 148 percent of its designed capacity.

“That kind of overcrowding greatly increases inmate tensions and the potential for violence,” said Henry Bayer, AFSCME’s executive director, in a prepared statement. “The beds at Thomson are urgently needed to reduce the dangerous overcrowding in other IDOC facilities.”

The union also said the prison population has surged by 3,000 inmates in recent months with the suspension by the Quinn administration of good-time credits that enabled prisoners to cut short their prison sentences with good behavior.

via Quinn urged to use Thomson for overcrowding – Chicago Sun-Times.

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2 responses

  1. Shannon Meagher Avatar
    Shannon Meagher

    Governor Quinn should realize that he has painted himself into a corner. I have lived in the state of Illinois my entire life and throughout these years our financial slums and political dishonesty have shown to outshine the good decisions that our leaders have been making. Meritorious Good Time was misused, yes; however, Gov. Quinn has revised the procedures in addition to fixing things that corrupted this excellent program in the first place. It is clearly shown throughout the rising number in inmates and their violence. Simply put, with MGT prisoners have incentives to have better behavior; clearly, without it there is no incentive hence violent and angry prisoners. Furthermore, there is no steady flow of in and out throught the prisoners; just in. This is creating overcrowding and more problems. Whilst Thomson Correctional Center may seem like the perfect solution; that will just be one more area to overcrowd and it will be full before any problems will be solved. Conclusively, bringing back MGT is one of the best possible options; and in my eyes the only smart decision, that Governor Quinn could make.

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  2. Tabitha Avatar
    Tabitha

    I AGREE WITH YOU! IF THOMAS CAN HOLD ONLY 3,000 PEOPLE THEN WHAT GOOD WILL IT DO FOR PEOPLE BE THERE WHEN IDOC IS OVER ITS CAPACITY BY 14,000. DO WE EVEN HAVE A GOVERNOR IN OFFICE WITH A BRAIN? I VOTED FOR QUINN AND HE IS ALREADY DISAPPOINTING ME, SERIOUSLY, I HAD EVERYONE AT MY JOB VOTE FOR HIM. I MISS MY HUSBAND SO BAD AND THIS IS THE LONGEST WE HAVE BEEN APART IF THE GOOD TIME WAS BACK HE WOULD OF BEEN HOME IN NOVEMBER BUT SADLY ITS MAY. I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY ANYMORE ABOUT MGT REINSTATEMENT. I DON’T SEE HOW THEY CAN SUSPEND SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN THE LAW FOR YEARS. QUINN NEED TO GET IT TOGETHER BEFORE HE HAVE EVERYONE IN ILLINOIS AGAINST HIM. I BET IF EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO VOTE AGAIN IT WOILDN’T BE FOR QUINN BECAUSE HE ISN’T DOING ANYTHING THAT WE THOUGHT HE WOULD. I JUST KNEW MY HUSBAND WAS GOING TO BE HOME BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS AND NOW EVERYTHING IS RUINED. THANKS QUINN!

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