The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

The failure to fully open the prison could play a role in two political races this winter.

State Rep. Mike Boland, D-East Moline, and state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, both face challenges in the Feb. 5 Democratic primary election.

Both incumbents have called on the governor and the Illinois Department of Corrections to earmark the $54 million that is needed to operate the prison at full capacity on an annual basis.

Jacobs has angered his colleagues elsewhere in the state by calling on the department to close an existing, older prison such as the maximum-security lock-up in Pontiac in order to free up funds to fully open Thomson.

For now, the governor’s office and the department say they have no plan to open the facility, which was announced in 1998 and completed in 2001.

Paul Rumler of Moline, who is challenging Jacobs in the upcoming primary for the 36th Senate District seat, said he wants to investigate whether the department could be restructured in order to find money to open Thomson.

“I think there must be a way to maximize our resources,” said Rumler, an economic development specialist in the Quad-Cities area.

Rumler said shutting down an existing prison is not the solution.

“That is too much of a political hot potato,” said Rumler.

Rumler said the lack of action on Thomson is an example of the ineffectiveness of state government this year.

“It just frustrates people,” said Rumler.

Jerry Lack of East Moline is challenging Boland in the 71st House District primary race.

As an aide to former U.S. Rep. Lane Evans, Lack worked unsuccessfully to get the federal government interested in using the empty prison. Officials, however, said the facility was located too far from Chicago to be of use, he said.

Lack said he has not ruled out the idea of closing one of the state’s old maximum-security prisons and move the inmates to Thomson.

But, Lack acknowledged that proposal has caused a firestorm in communities with older prisons.

If elected, Lack said he would like to see a review of all current prisons in order to determine if it makes economic sense to the state as a whole to close one of the older facilities.

For example, an older prison may not be as energy efficient as the Thomson prison.

“If it makes sense to close a prison, it should be investigated,” Lack said.

Like Rumler, Lack said people are frustrated with the state’s overall budget problems, which have kept lawmakers in a perpetual legislative session all year.

“The budget is a mess in the state,” said Lack.

Boland says he wants state to slowly begin opening up the maximum-security portion of the prison. The phased-in approach might eventually lead to the closure of one of the state’s older prisons, making it less painful for that community.

In particular, Boland said the Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet might be ripe for closure. Unlike smaller communities that host existing prisons, Boland said Joliet is a growing area where the closing of the prison wouldn’t be as noticeable on the local economy.

“It’d be my hope that we could start getting prisoners shifted from Stateville to Thomson,” said Boland.

But, in keeping with the delays that have kept Thomson from fully opening, Boland said his idea wouldn’t transform the Thomson prison overnight.

“It’s going to take a while,” Boland said.

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http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/12/14/news/doc4763090dc4352274137116.prt