Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) announced in March the state intended to tear down and rebuild two prisons in poor conditions: Stateville Correctional Center for men in Crest Hill outside of Joliet, and the Logan Correctional Center (LLC) for women outside of Lincoln.
The initial announcement did not immediately indicate what would become of LCC, stating only that Stateville would be rebuilt where it was and that plans for LCC were still being determined.
In April, a new IDOC report said the state’s preference is to move the women’s prison from outside of Lincoln to Crest Hill, effectively turning the Stateville prison into a multifunctional campus.
Now, close to 500 workers at Logan Correctional Center fear losing their jobs and a city of 13,000, already facing economic headwinds with both Lincoln Christian University and Lincoln College shutting down in the last two years, is looking at losing another major employer which would devastate the community,
On Have All Voted Who Wish, we talk with State Representative Bill Hauter of Morton, who represents the Lincoln area, and State Representative CD Davidsmeyer of Murrayville, co-chair of Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, about the possibilities and the profound effect such a move will have on the community. Listen to concerns below.