NCJ Number
140228
Date Published
1992
Length
138 pages
Annotation
After identifying the critical issues that face the Illinois Department of Corrections, this report specifies goals and their implementation designed to address theses issues.
Abstract
The most pressing problem for the Illinois Department of Corrections is overcrowding in the State prison system. The State is fast approaching a period in which inmates cannot be housed in a safe or constitutional manner. The Department of Corrections currently projects that after December 1994, the State correctional system will reach the limit of its capacity to house safely the growing inmate population. The issues in the plan presented in this report bear upon the current situation and possible alternatives for the future. One goal stated in the plan is to implement policies and strategies that will enhance workplace safety for State employees. Issues discussed with respect to this goal are staffing concerns, prison population growth, inmate management, and Juvenile Division safety concerns. Another goal is to continue to meet constitutional and statutory mandates that govern the custody of convicted felons. Issues discussed with respect to this goal are medical care, housing, and food-service funding; medical programs for infectious diseases, and compliance with Americans With Disabilities Act. A third goal is to modify public policy to expand the range of sanctions available to manage convicted felons consistent with public policy and practical fiscal considerations. Alternative sanctions and sentencing are considered in the implementation of this goal. The final goal in the plan is to establish programs that will give offenders the opportunity for habilitation and the development of law-abiding lifestyles. The discussion of the implementation of this goal focuses on education programs, treatment programs, juvenile programs, and the implementation of Pre Start. A data overview addresses aggregate data for the Department of Corrections, adult institutions and community correctional centers, the Juvenile Division, and PreStart. Public review, comments, and amendments related to the plan are presented. 30 tables and 7 figures