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Rauner to close Stateville’s roundhouse

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Illinois

* From a Sun-Times op-ed by Gov. Rauner…

Today, Illinois is taking another step to reform our criminal justice system.

First, our administration will be closing Stateville Correctional Center’s F House, one of the state’s oldest and most costly prison housing units. Built in 1922, F House is the only remaining “roundhouse” in use in the United States. It’s Panopticon layout is antiquated and creates safety and operational hazards for both staff and offenders. The structure itself is labor-intensive for staff and promotes a loud, chaotic environment for offenders.

When also taking into account the $10.3 million in deferred maintenance costs for F House, Illinois is better served by investing its limited resources into housing units and community-based programs that meet current national best practices and help reduce recidivism.

Second, in the coming months, we will reopen and repurpose the Illinois Youth Center at Murphysboro, which was built in 1993 and opened in 1997. A critical piece of our reform efforts is to help offenders gain valuable skills that will enable them to re-enter society as productive citizens. With that goal in mind, the Department of Corrections will reopen Murphysboro as a Life Skills and Re-Entry Facility, which is a minimum security facility with a focus on preparing offenders for a successful transition back into society through educational, vocational and life skills training.

By closing F House and repurposing Murphysboro, Illinois is taking another important step to reform our criminal justice system. Our administration will continue working with members of the legislature, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority and other stakeholders so that we can continue to make meaningful progress on these reforms to accomplish our goal of improving outcomes and dramatically reducing Illinois’ prison population.

Discuss.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 9:51 am

Comments

Toured that place once and wow was it scary. Obviously this is an inhumane thing to say, but being in the middle at the bottom of that roundhouse was like being in a zoo. It was terrifying. The inmates were all banging on the bars and shouting gross obscenities at the girls in our group. 4 or 5 or however many stories of inmates on all sides encircling you and all the way up to the ceiling

Comment by JohnnyPyleDriver Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 9:53 am
Announcing the re-opening of IYC Murphysboro in Terri Bryant’s hometown three weeks before election day…

As the kids say, SMH.

Comment by Old Shepherd Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 9:59 am
Good Government is Good Politics. Good Politics is Good Government.

Comment by Saluki Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 10:06 am
I saw a National Geographic documentary recently on the roundhouse. The prison was on lockdown when they were filming, so it wasn’t an accurate portrayal of what it’s like every day.

I don’t agree with much that Rauner does, but his effort to reform the criminal justice program in Illinois is outstanding.

Next, how about some changes at Pontiac?

Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 10:06 am
Governor this is called leading and governing. You can do it if you try.

Comment by Give Me A Break Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 10:10 am
These are both great steps forward. The last Roundhouse should have been closed long ago. Bringing back educational and vocational programs that have been cut in order to decrease costs is also needed. VCC was at one time a model for the rest of the country as a minimum security facility focused on such programs. Hopefully Illinois will get back to that status again.

Now one concern I have with Murphysboro. With the expansion of home monitoring and early release programs, you have fewer inmates that qaulify to fill the beds in that type of institution. If you look at past history, when you reclassify inmates just to fill minimum security beds and programs you get many that should not be there and have a sharp increase in violent incidents. Not that I am saying that repurposing Murphysboro is a bad idea, just be cautious of how it us filled. Look back at the fallout that occured throughout DOC when Pontiac was emptied out and inmates were reclassified and transfered to places they should not have been. It will work if DOC does not repeat mistakes from years ago.

Comment by SOIL M Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 10:10 am
Good news is good news. This is good news.

(It feels strange to say nice things about the Gov, but he deserves praise in this instance)

Comment by jerry 101 Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 10:10 am
Divide and conquer AFSCME while at the same time continuing his work on criminal justice reform. Maybe Rauner has finally learned how to play Governor of the fifth largest state in the country.

Comment by Almost the Weekend Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 10:17 am
A mininum security facility working on re-entry is good correctional policy. The fact that it is a long way from Cook County where many of the inmates come from makes it difficult to maintain family relationships. Building family support can be a factor in success outside of prison.

Comment by Johnnie C Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 10:36 am
They might also consider this option for those in DHS treatment and detention facilities. Some of those people have been for years and could use re-entry programs like this.

Comment by Sarcastic One Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 10:54 am
Johnnie C—-That is a two edged sword. Many, not all, of those same inmates benefit by moving them as far as possible from the enviroment that helped put them there. That includes their gang and family relationships which for too many of them are intertwined.

Comment by SOIL M Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 11:00 am
Isnt the roundhouse on the historic register? i don’t think he can demolish it. I know he didn’t say he was, but if it must stick around, matbe they can rent it out for movies?

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 11:06 am
I’ve toured it myself. It’s an intimidating place.

Comment by Stones Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 11:42 am
Thank goodness BigBrain closed the adult work camp in Hardin County so he could “repurpose” the kiddie prison in Murphsboro. And next “Early Release”

Comment by Annonin' Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 12:19 pm
People tend to go back to where they came from. Successful rehabilitation and re-entry is a complex process. Jobs, stronger communities, and a safe environment go hand and hand with prison re-entry programs. If the program is not comprehensive we cannot expect those released to succeed.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 12:35 pm
Somehow I get direct press releases from the governor’s office. I like the idea or repurposing a former prison so that young offenders are able to get back out in the work. They get a head start especially if they are non-violent offenders. As far as the roundhouse, never been and I can only imagine the feeling being in one of those units. Yikes.

Comment by Levois Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 2:56 pm
- Anonymous - Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 12:35 pm: -

You are spot on. A big problem is the lack of jobs for convicts.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 3:17 pm
From one who worked in Unit F, I understand the idea of closing it, but not sure where all the “one of the worst to work in” comes from…most staff working in it (at least in the late 80’s, when it was rehabbed to the early 2000’s) thought it was one of the easiest to control because everyone could see everything. It is intimidating, remember the one time I worked the tower. As I walked across the floor to the tower the catcalls were rock concert loud…I got up to the tower, turned the baseball cap backwards, checked the weapons, kept the mini 14..It quieted down.
But since Unit F is in a maximum security prison and Murphysboro was built as medium security, how’s that going to work? It’s not like the same people who worked Murphysboro would have the correct skill set to work male max…completely different incarcerated populace.

Comment by Union Thug Gramma Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 3:18 pm