Illinois Prison Population at Record High

CHICAGO — The Illinois prison system is bursting at the seams with a record high of nearly 49,000 inmates, an increase of 3,000 from last year. The surge, combined with the state’s multibillion-dollar budget crisis, has led to conditions that watchdog groups and veteran correctional officers say they haven’t seen since the 1980s.

Administrators are doubling up every available cell and as many as four inmates are bunked in larger cells intended for two handicapped prisoners. Rising inmate numbers are not due to more offenders entering the system, but with fewer being released as the result of a backlash against a policy change by Gov. Pat Quinn that allowed the early release of approximately 1,700 inmates over four months.

Guards say overcrowding provides fewer disciplinary options and also leads to more inmate assaults on staff. The state’s Department of Corrections says it can do nothing to control the number of inmates who enter the system as lawmakers need to find a solution to the overcrowding.