SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WMBD)– State Senator Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City) filed legislation on Wednesday calling for the Illinois Department of Correction (IDOC) to provide a long-term plan for the Pontiac Correctional Facility.
According to a press release, there have been numerous buildings close at the Pontiac Correctional Center, leading to concerns about the facility’s future.
Senate Resolution 215, filed by Bennett, calls on the Illinois Department of Corrections to release a long-term plan for the Pontiac Correctional Center (PCC), including:
- Plans for physical facilities/buildings, including maintenance needs and any planned repair projects, as well as any planned building closures.
- Planned staffing levels.
- Planned population levels for the individuals in custody.
- An analysis of how the PCC fits into the state corrections system
“The Pontiac Correctional Center is an economic anchor for Livingston County and an important part of our state’s corrections system,” said Bennett. “We need to understand what the administration plans for the facility so that the local community can prepare for any potential major changes and the ripples they could cause for the surrounding area. We also want to ensure that the administration is utilizing the facility in the best way to help the overall corrections system.”
In 2008, IDOC officials announced plans to close the entire facility by the end of that year. In early 2009, those plans were canceled.
In early 2022, following the sudden transfer of inmates of PCC, along with a leak of internal planning documents to news media (that included a significant downsizing proposal), IDOC announced plans to close the facility’s medium security unit and reduce capacity from 1,740 beds to 642 beds.
