Illinois Prison Officials Ordered to Relocate Inmates from Stateville Correctional Center
- A federal judge orders the transfer of prisoners from Stateville.
- Civil rights lawyers argued that the living conditions at Stateville were too hazardous.
- The judge's decision aimed to address the dangerous conditions at the prison.
CHICAGO (CBS) – A federal judge has mandated that Illinois prison officials relocate the majority of inmates from Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill by the end of September. This ruling follows concerns raised by civil rights attorneys regarding the hazardous living conditions within the facility. The decision is part of a broader initiative to eventually demolish the aging prison and construct a new facility on the same site. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31, which represents Stateville workers, has expressed strong opposition to the closure, citing potential disruptions to the state’s prison system. The union plans to contest the judge's ruling, emphasizing the impact on both staff and inmates. In March, Governor JB Pritzker unveiled a $900 million plan aimed at replacing Stateville and Logan Correctional Center in central Illinois. The governor's office projects that these renovations could yield annual savings of $34 million in operational costs, alongside significant reductions in deferred maintenance expenses that have accumulated over decades of neglect. Stateville, a maximum-security facility that opened in 1925, housed 568 inmates as of June 30, a significant decrease from nearly 2,000 the previous year. Meanwhile, Logan Correctional Center, which opened in 1978, maintained a population of just over 1,000 inmates, remaining stable compared to the previous year. The future of both facilities remains uncertain as the state navigates these changes.