The Fayette County Board on Tuesday night approved a resolution showing support of the Vandalia Correctional Center and opposing any possible or suggested reduction of “staffing levels and prison population within the Vandalia Correctional Center.” A motion to approve the resolution was listed under the consent agenda for the meeting but was pulled out for a separate vote. After the consent agenda was approved, Board Chairwoman Jenny Waggoner asked County Clerk Jessica Barker to read the resolution out loud with a roll call vote being taken afterwards. The measure passed by a unanimous 13-0 vote with one board member not present for the meeting.
Full text of the resolution:
A RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE PARTIAL CLOSURE OF THE VANDALIA CORRECTIONAL CENTER
WHEREAS, the Vandalia Correctional Center in its current form has been in operation in Fayette County 1linois since 1921 and has an operational capacity of 1,300; and
WHEREAS, it has provided many well-paying jobs to the people of Fayette County and surrounding areas, has become the biggest employer in Fayette County; and
WHEREAS, the State of Illinois has through reductions in staffing levels and funding in the past, manufactured a crisis by not completing proper facility maintenance, has shuttered the long-time cattle farm that once was used to feed the State of Illinois Prison population, has shut down the dairy farm which once provided milk and other dairy products to the State’s Prison Population; and
WHEREAS, within the past two years money has been spent to upgrade the inmate living units, these upgrades include the installation of ice machines in each housing unit, an incorrectly installed video camera system, repairs to an obsolete air conditioning system, repairs to concrete sidewalks, offender internet systems, which gives the offender access to email, video visitation, movies, and other programming. The installation of institutional wide cable television system along with electric circuits which allows for each offender to have their own television on their bed opposed to a single television for the whole living unit, and
WHEREAS, within the last ten years every roof on the living units at the Vandalia Correctional Center’s Main Facility has had new standing seam roofing system installed and came with a warranty; and
WHEREAS, there has been a recent drop in prison population levels in part, due to the early release of thousands from discretionary good time awards and due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the court closures across the State of Illinois; and
WHEREAS, crime is at an all-time according to some estimates the highest level since the 1960’s; and
WHEREAS, there is a backlog of 33,600 felony cases in Cook County, including 23,600 of those cases which require state prison terms; and
WHEREAS, Circuit Courts across this state continue to see a backlog of felony cases; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Corrections has struggled with overcrowding in the past and with the prosecution of the backlogged felony cases throughout the State of Illinois will cause a future overcrowding situation, opening the State of Illinois for liability cases for violations of Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Sheriff’s association has sued and won against the Illinois Department of Corrections for its failure to uphold its statutory duty in accepting sentenced criminals, effectively thwarting the normal, outlined process and causing undue burden on local governments effectively passing the cost of incarceration onto local county jails and denying access to much needed programming to the convicted; and
WHEREAS, programs for the incarcerated have shown effectiveness in reducing recidivism to include the programs at the Vandalia Correctional Center such as, behavioral programs, the horse racing rehabilitation program, and numerous other vocational programs that are provided by both Departmental specialized programming staff and Lake Land College; and
WHEREAS, the reduction in staff due to a partial closure of the Vandalia Main Facility would in no doubt, limit the prison population’s access to much needed job skills that aid in successful society re-entry, and hindering the individual’s successful reintegration, flawing the rehabilitation process and increasing recidivism; and
WHEREAS, local governments depend on their portion of income taxes it receives from the state of Illinois; and
WHEREAS, the reduction in employees at the Vandalia Correctional Center through natural attrition would have a negative impact on municipal and county budgets that are already struggling to provide vital services to the residents of Fayette County; and
WHEREAS, small communities have already seen an exodus of manufacturing jobs and know and understand what effect these job losses have on the local economy;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT:
RESOLVED, that the Board of Fayette County, Illinois, urges the State of Illinois and the Illinois Department of Corrections to end its plan to reduce staffing levels and prison population levels within the Vandalia Correctional Center
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Fayette County, Illinois, opposes any changes to its current operational capacity. A copy of this resolution is to be distrusted no later than 30 days after passage to the Illinois Department of Corrections Director, Rob Jefferies, the Vandalia Correctional Center ward, Angela Locke, the Governor of 1llinois, Hon. J.B. Pritzker, the Illinois Senate President, Hon. Senator Don Harmon, the Illinois Senate President pro tempore, Hon. Bill Cunningham, the Illinois Senate Majority Leader, Hon. Kimberly Lightfoot, the Illinois Minority Leader, Hon. Dan McConchie, the Illinois General Assembly House Speaker, Hon. Chris Welch, Illinois General Assembly House Speaker pro tempore, Hon. Jehan Gordon-Booth, Illinois General Assembly House Majority Leader, Hon. Greg Harris, Illinois General Assembly House Minority Leader, Hon. Jim Durkin, Illinois Congressional Representative for the 1sth district, Hon. Mary Miller, United States Senators Hon. Richard Durbin, Hon. Tammy Duckworth, AFSCME Union Council 31 President Roberta Lynch AFSCME Local 993 President Ryan Tompkins and to nearby city and county governments urging that they pass similar resolutions.
PASSED AND ADOPTED as a resolution of the Fayette County Board of Fayette County State of Illinois at its regularly scheduled meeting held on (March 8, 2022).
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