By Brad Highland
Carbondale, IL – It's now official; the Pontiac Correctional Center is closing.
The Illinois Department of Corrections has filed a notice of intent to close the Pontiac prison on Dec. 31.
The union that represents prison guards stands by its belief that closing Pontiac makes the state more dangerous. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees local 494 president Dan Jarrett says the closure will also hurt communities that are receiving former Pontiac inmates.
Pinckneyville will receive up to 160 inmates as a result of Pontiac's closure.
AFSCME spokesperson Anders Lindall says Pinckneyville can't safely handle the additional inmates.
The prisoners are being moved to other prisons with the Department of Corrections planning to open the prison in Thomson, which was built in 2001 but has yet to be put into service.
AFSCME is trying to stop the closure, with litigation still pending in Livingston County.
