THE NUMBER OF INMATES IN ILLINOIS PRISONS HAS DROPPED BY NINE PERCENT SINCE GOVERNOR BRUCE RAUNER TOOK OFFICE NEARLY TWO YEARS AGO.
GOVERNOR RAUNER SET A GOAL OF REDUCING THE PRISON POPULATION BY 25 PERCENT BY THE YEAR 2025. A NICE DENT HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE…WITH 43 THOUSAND 807 INMATES NOW HOUSED BY THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. THE GOVERNOR SAYS THEY’VE REALLY TRIED TO FOCUS ON REHABILITATING OFFENDERS.
EFFORTS TO REHABILITATE INMATES INCLUDE MAKING SURE THEY HAVE A STATE I-D CARD AS THEY ARE RELEASED FROM PRISON AND IDENTIFYING OFFENDERS WHO MIGHT BENEFIT MORE FROM SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT THAN SITTING IN JAIL.
GOVERNOR RAUNER SAYS THEY WANT TO TREAT THOSE UNDERLYING ISSUES AND ARE ALSO TRYING TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR INMATES TO FIND A JOB ONCE THEY ARE RELEASED.
