Prompted by requests from State Rep. John Cavaletto (R-Salem), the Illinois Department of Employment Security checked the list of 253,000 people who collect unemployment benefits against the roster of 70,000 people in state prisons or county jails. So far IDES has turned up 420 people on both lists, or about .1 percent of the Illinoisans who get unemployment.

Still, the figure is arguably troubling, since a key criteria of unemployment collection is proof you're looking for work, almost impossible to do in jail or prison. IDES has yet to determine how many of these 420 people were just temporarily in jail, or are more permanent inmates gaming the system.