Illinois Department of Corrections Face Record Breaking Population Spike

[Forevermah]

Illinois Department of Corrections Face Record Breaking Population Spike

June 26, 2011 11:45 pm CT


The IDOC is currently experiencing an unprecedented overcrowding problem. Having surpassed the 49,000 inmate capacity, the Illinois Dept. of Corrections have resorted to inmates sleeping in the hospitals and infirmaries. Cells designed for two inmates have turned into four man cells. Staff at various facilities have turned to studying ways to house inmates in prison gyms and other places.

The reason for this rise in population is not due to any crime wave in Illinois. There are two reasons for this recent overcrowding. The first being the laughable “war on drugs”, the mass incarceration of minorities for the pettiest of offenses. Illinois prisons are filled with inmates doing time for “ticketable” offenses.

Secondly, Illinois inmates are spending more time incarcerated due to the suspension and termination of meritorious good time (mgt.) and supplemental meritorious good time (smgt). These programs reduced IDOC inmates sentences by 180 days. The programs were suspended & terminated by Governor Pat Quinn after an Associated Press story was written accusing the governor of secretly releasing violent criminals.


The ramifications of this situation has catastrophic potential. The overcrowding of prisons are not only costly but deadly. Taxpayers in the state of Illinois currently pay for a faulty judicial system. The factors that led to this problem are political in nature, therefore the governor, the general assembly, everyone in the law making process must push politics aside and restructure our state justice system from arrest to release, otherwise the residents of Illinois will continue to finance a broken system.

http://www.examiner.com/prison-policy-in-chicago/illinois-department-of-corrections-face-record-breaking-population-spike

[Jackster]

My man was in a cell with 3 others, he told me.i thought it was crazy, imagine how cramped they are?  Hopefully articles like this keep coming and put some great on the governor and maybe they will reinstate mgt.

[lvanrs2]

The fact that the govenor knows all the downsides to taking away MGT and the fact that he still chooses to do nothing about it only leads me to believe that the financial burden of taking away this progam does not matter to him in any way, shape or form.  Since he is in a position to continually raise our taxes or rob peter to pay paul why do anything else.  Although he may not be re-elected it isn't like we as the citizens of Illinois can go into his office and fire him!!  Although we should be allowed to.  Any other state employee or any employee for that matter who doesn't do their job can be fired but the 1 person who needs to be fired cannot!!  I am sure sitting in his chair is not an easy one but there are many things he could be doing to lower the deficit in Illinois but again he CHOOSES not to!!

[Mcaballero]

The fact that the govenor knows all the downsides to taking away MGT and the fact that he still chooses to do nothing about it only leads me to believe that the financial burden of taking away this progam does not matter to him in any way, shape or form.  Since he is in a position to continually raise our taxes or rob peter to pay paul why do anything else.  Although he may not be re-elected it isn't like we as the citizens of Illinois can go into his office and fire him!!  Although we should be allowed to.  Any other state employee or any employee for that matter who doesn't do their job can be fired but the 1 person who needs to be fired cannot!!  I am sure sitting in his chair is not an easy one but there are many things he could be doing to lower the deficit in Illinois but again he CHOOSES not to!!

Well said!!! 

[Forevermah]

I am hoping progress is being made to this problem, but like we have said before, Quinn will not reinstate anything, until he likes whatever program is going to be initiated.  Don't forget, this MGT thing almost cost him the election.

[CaraZmatyk]

Even though the costs are high to the state, prisons are big business to the small towns where they are located and a source of jobs -- instead of manufacturing and agriculture, a person with a high school education can making a good living warehousing people.

[rottiemama2003]

So true, but there is something that is even scarier. If they privatized the prison system. The warehousing WOULD begin

[lurios2]

Rottie, what do you mean by privatized prison system? Sorry I'm not sure what that is 

[Forevermah]

There are prison systems throughout the USA that are privatized, not run by the state. 

This type of system is then run like any other big business with profit in mind. If anyone thinks IDOC has cut services now in the area of staff, food, medical care and on and on, if they ever went private, the cuts would be much deeper.  Privatization is something we don't want here in Illinois.

[Tonysgirl]

I am hoping progress is being made to this problem, but like we have said before, Quinn will not reinstate anything, until he likes whatever program is going to be initiated.  Don't forget, this MGT thing almost cost him the election.

2 questions Mah... Have they made any changes to the mgt public?... or have they made a new program to be displayed in front of the governor yet that anyone knows about?

[Tonia31]

All this MGT stuff is so fustrating!     



 I have to say I just keep praying something will take place to ensure the safety of our loved ones. I just realloy want him home so I can quit stressing about all of this. I then think well when he is home I still will not forget about all the rest of you that still endure the suffering of having a loved one behind bars. I am wore out and tired if that makes any sense.

 

 Much love and God's Blessings to you all! Thanks for the info. Mah! Your time is much appreciated!!!

[rottiemama2003]

Anything that they can cut they will, and deep. Please let us know if anyone opens their mouths with that word. It is ugly where my oldest sis lives they have private prisons grrrrhhhhhhhhhhhhhh   , Some stress is good stress. We need to be educated on what is going on., did you not see how they tried to keep that the MGT bill did not have sponsorship, if know has told that they could have slipped it in the cellar. and they will do it again if you dont watch those informed people they are dangerous