Progress Illinois

Gov. Blagojevich knows how far $100 million could go in the state budget. So it's no surprise that last month, he announced his intention to close the maximum-security wing at Joliet's Stateville Correctional Center instead of spending approximately that amount to make needed improvements to the aging facility. But his plan has spurred controversy among various constituencies, and at the moment, it's unclear who makes the most convincing case.

On one side, you have the Governor's administration, who would rather not spend a boatload of cash to revamp an outdated prison when others are willing to house additional inmates. Opened in 1925, Stateville boasts America's only remaining roundhouse-style cellblock, a design officials say is well behind the times. And like almost all of the state's prisons, it is running well over capacity (pdf). Roger Walker, director of the Illinois Department of Corrections, told the Tribune that "it makes more sense to move the inmates to Thomson Correctional Center, a $140 million facility whose maximum-security wing has been sitting empty since construction was completed in 2001."

Then you have Will County legislators blasting the economic impact Stateville's closing will have on the region. "I look at Stateville as the flagship of the state's prison system, and it's in good condition," said state Rep. Jack McGuire (D-Joliet). "We need those jobs." Although various studies have demonstrated that prisons add few economic benefits to the communities where they are located, it's been a successful political play for years and one Joliet legislators are certain to push. Understandably, the prison guards don't want their 400 jobs shipped off either. While the guards' complicity in the prison-industrial complex is often blurry, blue collar, union-wage jobs are tough to come by these days.

Finally, you have the families of those incarcerated at Stateville, who would be forced to travel even further to visit their loved ones if the Governor's plan passes.

(More after the jump ...)

Fernando Diaz at the Chicago Reporter just published a valuable piece on this topic that included some fascinating research:

For some families of the incarcerated, visiting their loved ones is an expensive, time-consuming and rare trip. The Chicago Reporter’s analysis of data provided by the Illinois Department of Corrections shows that inmates at prisons within two hours driving distance of Chicago were nearly two-anda- half times as likely to receive visits as inmates in prisons more than five hours away.

In addition, the Reporter found that:

* On average, inmates at the five prisons within two hours of Chicago received about 11.4 visitors each in 2007, compared with 4.4 visitors for inmates at prisons more than five hours from Chicago.

* Sixty percent of Illinois prisons, 17 of 28 facilities, are more than a 3-hour drive from Chicago.

Why are visits so important?

Studies by the Washington, D.C.-based Vera Institute of Justice and elsewhere have shown inmates who had regular contact with family and friends while incarcerated were less likely to commit crimes once they were released. While family involvement does not guarantee a prisoner will stay on the right side of the law upon re-entering society, experts say there is perhaps no greater indicator of future success.

Obviously, a lot is riding on the decision, so be sure to check back here for news on future developments.

Image courtesy of The Chicago Reporter.