By Blake Haas
PONTIAC – The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) informed lawmakers about their plans to downsize the Pontiac and Vandalia Correctional Centers.
State Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) and other state lawmakers recently held a call with Rob Jeffreys, the Director of the IDOC, about the Correctional Centers.
In the call, Barickman said Jeffreys informed lawmakers of their plans.
“They’ve reclassified some of the maximum-security inmates to medium-security; that’s a change in kind of the paperwork behind the inmates. And then, as a result, they’re moving some new medium-security inmates to another facility which creates less of a need for the facility in Pontiac, they’d maintain the maximum piece.”
Earlier this year, State Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) and several other Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Gov. Pritzker and the Director of the DOC after both facilities transferred a significant number of inmates to other facilities.
Barickman, who spoke with WJBC’s Scott Miller, said he offered Director Jeffreys to explain his position at a town hall, which he accepted. However, the Bloomington Republican said the Director quickly changed his mind.
“Just this week, unfortunately, the Director did a 180, says he’s unwilling to come and talk to the community. That’s very unfortunate.”
According to Barickman, a town hall with State Rep. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City) is still on for April.
LISTEN: State Sen. Jason Barickman spoke with WJBC’s Scott Miller.
The lawmakers have not set a time or date.
Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].
