Kankakee Times

Illinois State Rep. Thomas Bennett (R-Watseka) attended a recent General Assembly town hall meeting in Pontiac Township's high school auditorium to discuss issues regarding the local correctional center. 

Heart of Illinois ABC reported that residents were questioning if the Pontiac Correctional Center had any plans to shut down. Three months ago, medium security inmates were transferred to other correctional facilities, leaving only the maximum-security inmates in custody of the facility. A shutdown of the facility would impact local jobs and the economy. 

"The focus was on the total lack of communication, information and transparency by the Department of Corrections and Director Jeffreys with legislators, both Democrats and Republicans, and this community on the Director’s plans and vision for the Pontiac Correctional Center," Bennet wrote in a May 11 Facebook post. "His communications with legislators and the community has stopped. We are being ignored by our own state government. I am deeply disappointed."

The town hall meeting was hosted by Illinois State Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) and State Rep. Tom Bennett (R- ibson City), according to Heart of Illinois ABC.

"I appreciate the many hours of meetings, phone calls, emails, texts, preparing documents, and planning by Senator Barickman and his office, my office and staff, 12 other state legislators, Mayor Alvey, County Board Chair Arbogast, Union President Lee, GLCEDC leaders Adam Dontz and Brad Solberg, and Pontiac Township Superintendent Jon Kilgore working together to help tell the story of what has happened since Feb 9 and help find a way to bring Director Jeffreys here to this townhall for him to share his plan. Despite all efforts, the Director has refused, has ignored our requests. More to come. We will continue to fight for our community and for answers. Government must be more responsive than this to the people they are supposed to serve."

Bennet previously addressed the situation at Pontiac Correctional, according to a press release.

"In February, Bennett wrote about the situation at Pontiac Correctional in a news release on his website. He said: "The Pontiac Correctional Center serves as one of the largest employers in Livingston County and has a tremendous economic impact on the surrounding area. Because of the importance of the facility to the local community, I have reached out to Governor Pritzker and the Director of DOC to demand an explanation about what transpired last week and to get information about what the plans are for the future of the facility. We need to know the facts, the plan and the directions. The people of Livingston County deserve to know what is going on, and I am determined to get an answer."

Although inmates were transferred from Pontiac to other facilities in February because of mechanical issues in that part of the prison, the Department of Corrections has said that they have no plans to close the Pontiac Correctional Center, as reported by Heart of Illinois ABC.