Gov. Quinn Calls For Cutting Social Services And Closing Prisons

By Samantha Abernethy in News on Feb 21, 2012 11:00PM

Gov. Pat Quinn announced a series of proposed cuts that would affect social services, consolidate agencies and shutter prisons.

The budget proposal will close 14 state facilities, including the super-maximum prison in downstate Tamms, which currently hosts 388 inmates at triple the cost of other Illinois prison facilities. Quinn's plan would close the prison in August, and according to the Sun-Times it could save taxpayers "$21.6 million in the upcoming fiscal year and $26.6 million annually thereafter."

Other Department of Corrections centers would close, including the women’s prison in Dwight, two juvenile justice centers at Joliet and Murphysboro and several adult transition centers.

The plan would also consolidate offices in the Chicago division of the Department of Children and Family Services, and the Department of Human Services would close two dozen offices statewide.

Then again, Quinn has proposed drastic cuts to social services before in an attempt to push lawmakers to cut items in other areas. We'll see if he's bluffing.