Local elected officials and LEAD organization share concerns on the closure of Logan Correctional Center

 

[May 16, 2024] 

State Senator Sally Turner (R-Beason), State Representative Bill Hauter (R-Morton), Logan County Board Chairman Emily Davenport, Lincoln Economic Advancement and Development Chief Executive Officer Andrea Runge and Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch held a meeting live on Facebook on May 15th, 2024 to discuss the Pritzker Administration’s decision to close the Logan Correctional Center. The meeting consisted of different segments in which each person participant had the opportunity to speak their concerns about the proposed movement that is already creating turmoil.

Illinois Governor, J.B. Pritzker, is looking to close the local Logan County Correctional Center and rebuild the Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill, IL near Chicago. The proposal includes moving Logan inmates into the new Stateville Correctional Center. Reasons for this include the need for a women’s facility in the northern part of the state, programming opportunities, and alleged available “talent pool” in the Will County area. This will propose a lot of issues for the inmates, the families of the inmates, and the workers. Statistics say that 54% of the women that are imprisoned at Logan are from down state. If this change does happen, that means that inmates will be significantly further away from their family members and the community. This in turn raises concern for the families of the inmates, the current workers of the Logan County Correctional Center, and potential business opportunities in the future.

Since 2002, Lincoln has had many businesses close their doors. These businesses include the Lincoln Development Center, Lincoln College, and Lincoln Christian University. If this decision is finalized, it will trigger a loss of about 57 jobs in Logan County, primarily in the retail sector according to a study commissioned by Runge from the University of Illinois. The same research indicated the lost revenues for the county could be 61 million. Further financial decline would result in reduced tax revenue and missed opportunities for future businesses of the town. If a handful of families decide to move closer to Will County, that will result in a decline of education quality since children will be removed from our school system. Potential site seekers/businessmen mainly look to education when they’re choosing a site for their business and will most likely turn their heads away from the town of Lincoln.

For the workers specifically, records at IDOC indicate that there are just over 540 employees at the Logan County Correctional Center. People that have already established their roots in this community will have a hard time transferring to available positions at other facilities and making the move to start over again. The speakers noted that they don’t think this will be a good idea not only for economic growth, but economic stability as well.

If you would like to voice your opinion, you can do so now during CGFA’s comment period. A public hearing will be held between the tentative dates of May 28th - May 31st or the first week of June. Updates will be announced on Facebook.

Protocols are as follows:

- If you’d like to submit a video, keep it to two minutes maximum.

- If you’d like to submit written material, do so in the form of a PDF file or Word document.

In total the facebook live event lasted approximately 45 minutes with more than 600 people in the community watching it live. The video of the meeting is still available on the facebook page of Senator Sally Turner. To view the full video click this link: https://www.
facebook.com/SenatorSallyTurner/
videos/722808273140013 

At the 33 minute mark is information on how to submit comments or video to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (CGFA), and at the 34 minute mark is contact information for each of the four elected officials that participated in the discussion.

[Shelbi Fisher]