SOUTHWESTERN Correctional Center

[Forevermah]

He probably will get credit for classes/programs that he is going to have to take, maybe this is what he is talking about.  This is the only way he could earn extra time off.

 I believe Scudder5's husband just got out of Southwestern, you might want to PM her and see what she can tell you.  Good Luck to him and you.

[jenplus2]

Thank you again, MAH, I really appreciate you getting back to me.

[scudder5]

Just wanted to post this in case any one needs the info in the future about good time at SWICC, the guys at swicc all attend drug treatment, it is mandatory, if you don't go you get "shipped", you get 45 days of credit for every 90 days of treatment you complete, you can take college courses as well, but you can only earn good time for one program at a time so you only get the good time for the drug treatment.  anyway you can potentially earn up to six months for every year you are there.  It takes them alittle  while to credit the good time after you complete the ninety days though.  One time it took them three weeks to do it for my husband, he will know when he gets it because they will bring him a  paper to sign.  Any questions feel free to message me, I don't have a lot of time to get on here any more but I really enjoy being able to answer your questions.

[jenplus2]

Now it makes since why D was saying it will almost cut his time in half... thank you so much for the post Scudder, it's great news to hear. I'm getting excited now... "Bring on Southwestern!"

[jenplus2]

D recently sent me the pamphlet that Southwestern hands out to the inmates interested in transferring to their facility. It explains exactly what Southwestern is all about. This pamphlet is geared toward the inmate and not the general public, so you can understand what your L/O will be, or is going through. I wanted to share this since there isn't a whole lot of information out there about Southwestern, it's almost like a "secret society", . I hope this helps anyone looking for information.

Southwestern Correctional Center Pamphlet/Information

[Marks_guy]

Thanks for sharing Jen. After reading that, it almost sounds like a specialized camp instead of a prison.

[jenplus2]

You're welcome and that's exactly what I thought when I read it... it doesn't sound AT ALL like a prison. Maybe they are a little more secretive, because so many would want in there? On top of that, the inmates earn 45 days for every 90 they spend there, in the drug program. I wish IDOC would implement more camps geared toward recovery or anything geared toward recovery would be a step in the right direction. It must be a pretty popular camp, because D has been waiting to be transferred since the end of July. His counselor recently told him that if he didn't hear something by 11/11/2010, then he could apply for another transfer to a different camp. I'm not sure WHY that would be or what exactly that means?? I don't know if that's some kind of deadline or cut off date?? Just confused me, but IDOC is great at that. I just hope he gets the transfer before then and we can move forward.

[Ericka]

feuxdejoie,

Can you tell me how long it took your husband to transfer from his parent prison to Southwestern?  My LO is waiting to get transferred and it is taking a long time.

[lukn4famly]

     Thank you all for sharing.  I made my first visit there this past weekend.  I have a son there.  It has been really hard, but it helps knowing that I am not alone.  Bless each and everyone of you...

[pac5401]

My son has applied for a transfer to Southwestern too. He is currently in Vienna and just wants to be closer for visits.  But if he could finish school at Southwestern, that would be great.

[shaela]

My l/o is getting transfered to southwestern this week , can anyone tell me about the program and how it works.

[blah2u]

Shaela - My husband has been there almost a week.  Your l/o will need to sign a contract that is valid for 90 days and if they successfully complete the contract they will receive a 45 day reduction in their sentence.  Your l/o will be required to attend group therapy for a total of 15 hrs a week.  From what my husband has told me the facility is clean and pretty low key.  I am learning about this facility and its program and will be willing to share whatever I can. 

[sbiggs65]

Hi! My son is at SWICC.  He has been there more than a year now.  They allow contact visits and there are vending machines available.  You are only able to take your picture ID and up to $30 cash per person in with you.  They have just recently went to an ATM-type card.  You put your card in a machine and then put your money in and it credits your card.  It costs and initial $5 to purchase the card.  Make sure it is a five dollar bill.  He signs a new "contract" every 90 days and receives an additional 45 days off his release date.  In the year he has been there, he has earned 28 college credits.  He gets 1 visit after the first 30 or 60 days (phase 1).  When he got to Phase 2, he got 2 visits per month.  He is now at Phase 3 and is allowed 4 visits per month.  They only do visits on the weekends and holidays.  My son calls me all the time but we had to set up a prepaid phone account through Consolidated Communications.  After your LO makes his first call to you through this service, you will be allowed to call them and set up your account.  I have never seen a commissary list but I guess the guys get one to fill out every week.  I have sent as much as $200 through J-Pay for his commissary privileges.  He purchases food, personal hygiene items, walkman, TV, fan, socks, t-shirts, etc. 

I have never had a problem getting in to visit.  Visiting hours are on weekends and holidays (call on holidays to verify) from 9 to 5 but they won't take anyone after 4.  They usually allow 4 hour visits.  If they start getting crowded, the COs go around to the ones that have been visiting the longest and tell them to wrap it up.  I've only seen them do it a couple of times though.  Since you are so far away, try to plan your arrival before 11:30 a.m. or after 12:30 p.m.  That's when they do afternoon count and there is no movement of inmates during that time.  The first time I went to see my son, it was an hour and a half wait for me because I arrived just prior to the beginning of count.  It was painful for me to sit and wait for that long.

The SWICC facility is neat, clean, and everyone is friendly.  I have never had an unpleasant visit except for that very first one.  The counsellors teach the inmates to respect everyone and call them by Mr. (last name).  I think that's a good thing.

Keep watching the IDOC website for your husband's release date to change shortly after he signs the contracts.  He will sign every 3 months and it will shorten his time by 3 months and 45 days every time he
signs. 

[shaela]

Thanks for your help.

[Tonysgirl]

I was wondering if there is anything I can do to try and get my fiancée sent to this prison among other prisons that are like this one... He has (2 cases) of driving while licence revoked felonies and received a 2 year sentence which he will have to do a year of it. Just wanting to know. Thanks

[Forevermah]

I was wondering if there is anything I can do to try and get my fiancée sent to this prison among other prisons that are like this one... He has (2 cases) of driving while licence revoked felonies and received a 2 year sentence which he will have to do a year of it. Just wanting to know. Thanks

There is nothing you can do, it's all up to the IDOC as to where they send him after he is questioned in R&C.   

[lovinhim11]

So ypu arre saying when my husband gets there he will go through the program and get 3 months off of every contract he follows through with. his projected parole date is aug 26 2013. so he will get time of that to where he will be home sooner. i thought they did away with all the good time?

[bmonska]

He can't get three months off for every contract he completes. He can get UP TO 90 days of school credit/drug program credit etc. off his sentence upon successful completion. The good time that was cancelled is MGT (Meritorious Good Time) that involved the IDOC giving inmates an extra 6 months off their sentences almost automatically though it was never a right, always a privilege. His counselor can explain the program credit info with him directly if he has questions about how that works. It's a process of filling out the paperwork/signing up/qualifying for the program to begin with then waiting until a spot in that particular program opens up. 

[lovinhim11]

In the post below it says different than what you had said. so now im really confused  hearing to different things. i guess once my husband gets there or when i get to talk to him i will find out for sure.

[bmonska]

In the post below it says different than what you had said. so now im really confused  hearing to different things. i guess once my husband gets there or when i get to talk to him i will find out for sure.

He can sign a new contract every 90 days but he doesn't get 90 days off his sentence for every contract he signs, if that make sense. For example, if he is in long enough to sign 3 contracts (one every 90 days) it doesn't mean he will get 180 days off his sentence. It means that he can get up to 90 days total off his sentence from the days accumulated through signing the contracts. Just for example again, if he got into a drug program and successfully completes it, he may get X numbers of days awarded to him cut off his sentence. Then he signs a second contract, 90 or more days from the first contract he signed depending on how long the first program took to complete, say for school. Once he successfully completes that second contract, IDOC may decide to give him Y number of days off his sentence. The X and Y days won't total more than 90 all together.

I hope that makes sense. If I'm wrong, someone else will correct me.