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| Meth Prison Slated for Illinois |
| By The Marion Daily Republican |
| Published: 03/13/2006 |
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Illinois Department of Corrections Director Roger E. Walker, Jr. was joined last week by state and local officials to unveil Governor Rod Blagojevich's methamphetamine prison initiative. The initiative will create two meth units, one at Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center and one at Sheridan. The Governor's plan calls for a 200-bed Meth Unit at the 667-bed Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center and to make the entire prison another fully dedicated drug prison and reentry program in the model of Sheridan. Next year, the Governor will expand the Sheridan Correctional Center from 950 offenders to its full capacity of 1,300 offenders with 200 of those spaces to be used for another Meth Unit. As with the current Sheridan model, inmates in both programs will not only access intensive prison-based drug treatment programs, vocational training, job preparation and mental health services, but their treatment will continue upon completion of their sentence under a highly supervised transition back to their communities. Illinois Department of Human Services Director of the Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Theodora Binion-Taylor repeatedly stated that meth addiction can be successfully treated. “The cycle of drugs, crime and poverty will continue to destroy our communities and families unless aggressive action is taken to address these issues,” said Binion-Taylor. “I am proud to be part of this great initiative in taking advantage of a smart investment in prevention.” IDOC reports that approximately 800 offenders in the department have been incarcerated for Meth-related crimes. The southern geographical region is one of the most troublesome Methamphetamine regions in the state, according to fiscal year 2004 Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority data. During calendar year 2004, there were 773 methamphetamine lab seizures in the southern region, which is 246 more than the rest of the state. The region accounted for 216 Meth prison admissions. In fiscal year 2005, the Southern Illinois region had 296 Meth prison admissions. It also accounted for 2,900 Methamphetamine treatment admissions, according to the State Office of the Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse. The region also had 1,919 cases submitted by law enforcement to the Illinois State Police crime labs. “Methamphetamine is a devastating drug that destroys families and individuals and is one of the major crime problems for communities,” Williamson County Sheriff Tom Cundiff said. “I am pleased the Governor is taking action to establish a national model Meth prison and reentry program that will address drug abuse among prisoners and help them successfully return to society. This is a smart investment in prevention that will help reduce crime and recidivism.” Also participating in the unveiling of the new plan were downstate legislators, John Bradley, Brandon Phelps and State Senator Gary Forby, who have been in the forefront of the legislative battle against meth. |
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