The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

“Keeping Pontiac open will ensure nearly 600 people in the region keep their jobs, prevent hundreds of families from being uprooted, and allow Pontiac to maintain one of its largest sources of revenue,” said Quinn in a released statement.
The prison was slated to close by Dec. 31, 2008, by order of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The closure did not occur as scheduled because of court injunctions that prevented the movement of officers and inmates from the facility.
State Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa, released comments on PCC shortly after Quinn’s announcement.
“I am pleased to share the good news that Pontiac Correctional Center will remain open and operational," said Rutherford in his release. "For the past few days, I have been working with Gov. Quinn's office regarding Pontiac Correctional Center. I was not authorized to make an announcement until this afternoon.”
Rutherford said earlier that he felt the announcement by Quinn would come sometime next week when he announces the state’s budget for the coming year.
The current budget holds money for the operations of PCC through the end of this fiscal year on June 30.
Pontiac Mayor Scott McCoy said his first reaction to the announcement was “excuse me while I do my happy dance.”
“Gov. Quinn did his due diligence and came to the conclusion that Pontiac Prison is an important part of the Illinois Department of Corrections, and closing it is not in the best interest of the state of Illinois.”
“I thank the governor for his hard work on this situation,” said McCoy. “It’s a very good day for Pontiac and Livingston County.”
Former PCC officer and current Dwight Correctional Center Maj. Kevin DeLong said shortly after noon today that he is very thankful to Quinn.
“PCC is full of great staff and people have worked very hard there and it is wonderful it is staying open,” he said.
”It is finally a sigh of relief after constantly checking the news and Internet everyday we are now ready to get back to normal,” said DeLong’s wife, Stephanie. “I hope we never have to go through this again.”
Blagojevich announced last May that he would be closing PCC after he had first announced he would close the Roundhouse at Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet.
Apparent political pressure forced Blagojevich to reconsider closing the oldest cell house at Stateville and decide to close the entire Pontiac facility instead.
PCC is the only institution in the state to currently house condemned inmates. It also has the largest segregation unit in which many of the state’s “worst of the worst” inmates are housed.
Pontiac is the state’s only facility that provides single cells for most maximum-security inmates.
Central Illinois lawmakers, elected officials and community action groups have been vocal supporters of keeping Pontiac open, citing security of the employees and inmates as an additional reason to maintain the prison here.
Henry Bayer, executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31, issued a statement from Springfield.
"Gov. Quinn is doing the right thing by keeping Pontiac open. The state prison system is dangerously overcrowded, and closing any prison would make a bad situation much worse. The closure of Pontiac would also have forced hundreds of AFSCME members to face the terrible choice of losing their jobs or leaving their homes in the Livingston County area.”
http://www.pontiacdailyleader.com/news/x1331524721