Illinois correctional officials’ proposal to close four downstate facilities received pushback Wednesday during a public hearing in Du Quoin. The Illinois Department of Corrections has projected $35.9 million in avoided capital costs and $6.5 million in yearly operating savings under the plan.
Public hearing examines closure proposal
The Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability convened the hearing at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds. About 40 residents and other members of the public attended to discuss the department’s plan, which IDOC announced in August.
The proposed closures include impact incarceration facilities in Du Quoin and Dixon Springs, as well as work camps in Clayton and Greene County. IDOC has said the changes are intended to reduce costs associated with aging facilities and combine services.
IDOC Director Latoya Hughes said affected employees would be moved to other assignments and that the department would comply with collective bargaining agreements. She said the change does not eliminate programming, stating, “This closure is a consolidation of services, not a reduction.”
Hughes said shuttering the Du Quoin facility would make permanent the current placement of offenders at the Murphysboro Life Skills Re-Entry Center. The Du Quoin site has held no offenders since 2024.
Speakers question future of impact program
Several attendees raised concerns about the department’s continued support for its impact incarceration program. The program offers eligible younger offenders and those convicted of lower-level offenses access to work assignments, schooling and training in exchange for reduced incarceration periods.
The Du Quoin Impact Program began in 1994. Ty Petersen said the program had moved away from the approach developed decades ago, saying, “We have watered down this program that we built in the late ’80s.”
Jennifer Parrack said offenders serving six-, seven- and eight-year sentences could be appropriate candidates for impact incarceration programming. Du Quoin Mayor Josh Downs also questioned what would become of the property once IDOC ends operations there.
Further meetings planned
The commission is scheduled to hold additional sessions in Greene County and Clayton. A final hearing is planned during the Illinois General Assembly’s veto session next month.
After that hearing, commission members will vote on a final recommendation regarding the four facilities. The recommendation will not be binding on IDOC.