Mixed news at IDOC today:
First a hazardous materials scare at Pontiac Prison: a suspicious powder was found someplace on the prison grounds shortly after 3pm according to Pontiac news report here, and the Bloomington Pantagraph, here. Although a decontamination tent was set up in the parking lot, no one was reportedly injured and it seems to have been a false scare. Perhaps it was related to this one at the city jail in Philadelphia on December 3, 2010, here :).
Most important News:
The IL House Representatives approved the repeal of the IL Death Penalty. It took two votes rounds to do it but the repeal narrowly passed! (See article here!) This is a historic win for death penalty opponents who have argued years for it’s repeal for many reasons; but most importantly due to the number of wrongly convicted individuals condemned to die by law only to be later exonerated after evidence shows them to have been innocent. This is not a final repeal. The measure now moves to the IL Senate which will also have to vote in support of the repeal and then it goes to Governor Quinn for signing. The IL Senate will hold a hearing on the repeal next Tuesday! The hopes of many in this state have never been higher to put an end to the extremely expensive process of pursuing retribution at any cost.
RichardWanke.Com 