It's about time. The Southern just posted about this on their facebook page. But, of course, they had to put a negative connotation to it. "Illinois taxpayers will spend $812,000 on a roof-replacement project at a 135-year-old southern Illinois prison."

Lest we not forget the very unneeded $670,000 copper plated doors, $950 urinals and $400 door knobs, etc. all installed at the state capitol.

Sheriff Using Inmates To Tear Down Abandoned Buildings

December 20, 2013 1:48 PM

 
FORD HEIGHTS, Ill. (CBS) – Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is attempting to tackle a major problem, using jail inmates as laborers.
 
WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports a dozen inmates were working to tear down an abandoned home in Ford Heights on Friday, on a street full of vacant houses.
 
Inmates in the jail’s boot camp program have been enlisted to do a dirty job at no cost to the taxpayers.
 
“It’s government actually using its brain once in a while to say, ‘Listen, let’s help fix things, let’s not cost more money, let’s not be sucking more taxpayer money, but let’s do something smart,” Dart said.
 
The inmates don’t have any choice but to participate, but Dart said they get something out of it.
 
“We’re teaching a skill to the inmates who are involved with it, where they now are going to learn something that they can translate when they get out of here, because believe it or not, this is a skill that translates very well into the world once people leave a jail or a prison system,” he said.
 
The sheriff’s goal is to knock down 100 abandoned homes using inmate laborers over the next year or so.


http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/12/20/sheriff-using-inmates-to-tear-down-abandoned-buildings/

I'm doin the happy dance on this one   


According to my l/o, the most recent set of storms really did some damage to the roof.

Does anyone know the reason for the lockdown?

Yes, so was I and if you go to the link I gave you, you can see all the inmates that have gotten it and are continuing to get it, that is Supplement Sentence Credit (goodtime)(MGT/SMGT).  SSC is not guaranteed, not everyone gets it and if I remember correctly, your LO is in on a parole violation, he would not be eligible to receive any SSC(goodtime).

Right, but I'm talking about Good Time Credit.  The extra time they are supposed to be getting….

Police Target 'Worst of the Worst'

   

By Jeff Kolkey
Rockford Register Star
Posted Dec. 19, 2013 @ 4:57 pm
Updated at 5:20 PM

    ROCKFORD - Law enforcement officials on Thursday formally introduced the Winnebago County Violent Crimes Task Force that is already targeting suspected gangsters and violent criminals.

    Its mission is to reduce violent crime in Rockford and Winnebago County that is worse now than it was in 2005 despite reductions in crime overall, Rockford Police Chief Chet Epperson said.

    "Really we are putting the criminal element in this city, in this county on notice that if you are a career criminal, we are coming after you," Epperson said. "We have the intelligence, the data and we are going to put cases together."

    His comments came at a news conference that included representatives from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and local political leaders.

    The Task Force teams detectives from the Rockford Police Department, Loves Park Police Department, Winnebago County Sheriff's Department and the Illinois State Police on a special team of investigators. It also commits those departments to providing officers for a street crimes unit that will target high crime neighborhoods and hotspots for periodic special enforcement efforts. Rockford is charged with operating an intelligence information and data gathering operation for the task force.

    The Illinois Department of Corrections and the Winnebago County State's Attorney are participating in the task force and have signed an agreement that spells out what the task force will work on.

    Federal agents from the FBI, U.S. Department of Justice and DEA offered statements of support during the news conference.

    "Drugs and violence are interwoven, they go hand in hand and DEA wants to make sure we commit our resources, our manpower, our intelligence, and our informants to this type of operation so that we can facilitate the best type of outcome," said Brian Besser of the Rockford DEA.

    Illinois State Police Capt. James Winters said that by utilizing an "intelligence-based policing" approach and drawing the best officers in the region for the specialized units the task force is already driving down violent crime.

    "It will take the best we have to fight the worst we are seeing out in the street," Winters said. "That's going to be a recipe for success with this task force."


Read more: http://www.rrstar.com/article/20131219/NEWS/131219345#ixzz2nyli89tP

Gov. Pat Quinn announces roof replacement project at Menard

Posted: Dec 19, 2013 6:13 PM CST Updated: Dec 19, 2013 6:13 PM CST

       

ILLINOIS (KFVS) -

Governor Pat Quinn announced Thursday a capital investment of more than $812,000 for a roof replacement project at the Menard Correctional Center.

"Our investment will help maintain this key Department of Corrections facility," Governor Quinn said. "The project will also employ a number of construction workers, which will help the local economy."

Approximately 40,000 square feet of roofing will be replaced on the 1920-vintage North and South Cellhouses for $812,883 by Joiner Sheet Metal & Roofing, Inc. of Greenville, the lower of two bidders. The work will involve removing shingle roofing, standing seam metal panels, gutters and downspouts. The project will be overseen by the Illinois Capital Development Board.

"This is a crucial project that will help preserve the North and South cell houses at Illinois' second largest correctional center. It will be a much-needed upgrade to the structures, which will add some safety improvements for the inmates," said State Senator David Luechtefeld (R-Okawville). "An improved environment for the prison population will translate into a safer shift for front-line corrections officers and other key staff."

The project is part of Governor Quinn's $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which will support more than 439,000 jobs over six years. Illinois Jobs Now! is the largest capital construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest capital construction programs in the nation.

http://www.kfvs12.com/story/24267403/gov-pat-quinn-announces

Inmates get Sentence Credit all the time, some serve 50% convictions, some 85% while others get credit for programs and classes and you can look at this list to see who has gotten the new Supplemental Sentence Credit formerly MSG/SMGT:

http://www2.illinois.gov/idoc/Offender/Pages/CommunityNotificationofInmateEarlyRelease.aspx

Who is actually getting the time because I thought it was sporadic at best??