(WAND) – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Corrections announced plans Friday to dedicate capital funds to rebuild Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln and Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill.

Pritzker said this helps address critical infrastructure needs at both facilities. The funding is included in the capital proposal the governor presented the General Assembly as part of his FY25 budget proposal.

The capital investment plan will first focus on rebuilding two facilities that have been identified as having the most significant deferred maintenance costs as the administration continues to assess the IDOC infrastructure and where more investments might be needed.  

“The capital funds dedicated to Stateville and Logan further demonstrate our commitment to continuing to rebuild and strengthen our state’s infrastructure,” said Governor Pritzker. “These investments will allow staff to work in modern and safe facilities, ensure those who are incarcerated can safely serve out their sentences, and save taxpayers hundreds of millions in deferred maintenance costs from years of neglect.” 

IDOC will work with the Capital Development Board and stakeholders on a timeline and next steps. Work will begin pending capital appropriations in the FY25 budget. 

It is anticipated Stateville will be temporarily closed and demolished with a new facility to be built on its grounds. The status of Logan in the interim is still to be worked through with various stakeholders, and the location of the new facility is still being finalized. The plan estimates construction costs will total between $805 to $935 million. 

Governor Pritzker’s proposed FY25 capital budget included $900 million in new funds to demolish and rebuild these facilities. Long-term, the projects are expected to save the state an average of $34 million in annual operations savings, Pritzker said.

These facilities were selected based on a 2023 CGL report the state contracted to identify and prioritize IDOC facility needs. 

Construction will not start until all requirements of the State Facilities Closure Act are met. The design and buildout of the new facilities is anticipated to be completed over the next three to five years.

“The Illinois Justice Project has an essential goal to reduce the number of people in prison.  We also support the elimination of any and all conditions that are unsafe and unhealthy or put those housed in the Illinois Department of Corrections at risk,” said Illinois Justice Project Director Ahmadou Dramé. “We will continue to work with advocates and policymakers alike to reduce incarceration and create humane conditions for those who are incarcerated.”

State Senator Sally Turner (R-Beason), State Representative Bill Hauter (R-Morton), Logan County Board Chairman Emily Davenport, and Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch released the following joint statement in response to the Pritzker Administration’s announced decision to close the Logan Correctional Center:

“The decision by the Governor’s Administration to close the Logan Correctional Center without any assurance of its reopening within Logan County is both devastating and infuriating. While we recognize that Logan Correctional is in need of repairs, it is only in its current state of disrepair because of neglect and the misplaced priorities of this Administration.

“Logan Correctional is an instrumental part of Lincoln and its surrounding communities. It provides more than 500 direct jobs, hundreds more indirect jobs, and immeasurable local economic benefits. We will continue to fight for each and every one of these jobs and ensure our communities get the answers they deserve from the Governor’s Administration.”