Pontiac Closure

[LBM2004]

It's time to rant!! So Blago decides to close Pontiac a level 1 prison that contains some of IL's worse. Decides that most of these f***heads are going to be shipped out to us. So we become a level 1. FINE! Stupida**. They start working on 2 of our houses that weren't finished. Next thing we know our seg gets emptied through transfers and returning inmates to general pop. FINE! Stupida**. Then we get 150 inmates from Pontiac and they put them all in seg. Find out last night that we are about to get 200+ that are going to be put in 7 house...which is NOT done. Our Lou's tell us that we have to start running the place like a level 1...we are understaffed by a min of 2 CO's per house so how exactly are we suppose to do that. Can anyone explain this rationale to me? All of us who have any sense are sitting here thinking "it's just a matter of time before something pops off". They are taking level 1 thugs putting them in a prison that's been a level 2 since opening, in houses that are short staffed and incomplete, and actually we don't even have CO's for 7 house unless they thin us out even more. We are only getting around 14 new CO's and based on what I've heard about the way the classes have went I'm wondering if we are even getting that many with all the drop outs and fail outs. Ok...rant done.

Thought this required some graphics!

[HapkidoKa]

You have every right to vant this SOB gov needs to be arrested already!

[LBM2004]

I've given up any hope on the current state government. I just hope that who ever takes over after him can clean-up his mess. Cause he's definately made a f***in' mess of things!

[all4114all]

Originally Posted by LBM2004

It's time to rant!! So Blago decides to close Pontiac a level 1 prison that contains some of IL's worse. Decides that most of these f***heads are going to be shipped out to us. So we become a level 1. FINE! Stupida**. They start working on 2 of our houses that weren't finished. Next thing we know our seg gets emptied through transfers and returning inmates to general pop. FINE! Stupida**. Then we get 150 inmates from Pontiac and they put them all in seg. Find out last night that we are about to get 200+ that are going to be put in 7 house...which is NOT done. Our Lou's tell us that we have to start running the place like a level 1...we are understaffed by a min of 2 CO's per house so how exactly are we suppose to do that. Can anyone explain this rationale to me? All of us who have any sense are sitting here thinking "it's just a matter of time before something pops off". They are taking level 1 thugs putting them in a prison that's been a level 2 since opening, in houses that are short staffed and incomplete, and actually we don't even have CO's for 7 house unless they thin us out even more. We are only getting around 14 new CO's and based on what I've heard about the way the classes have went I'm wondering if we are even getting that many with all the drop outs and fail outs. Ok...rant done.

Thought this required some graphics!

well, hop in your private plane and go visit him on the 1/2 day per week he is there. I am sure you all can work this out! rofl
oh wait, you don't have a private plane do you?

[HapkidoKa]

Thought you'd like to see this

Judge halts Pontiac prison closingTuesday, November 18, 2008 | 6:00 PM By Paul MeinckePONTIAC, Ill. (WLS) -- One of the state's cost cutting measures is closing the Pontiac prison.
But a lot of people in Pontiac are fighting to keep the prison open. And on Tuesday they got some help. A judge in southern Illinois issued a temporary restraining order, barring the state from transferring any more prisoners out of Pontiac.
Over the last several weeks, more than 200 inmates have been transferred from the state prison at Pontiac to other prisons in preparation for Pontiac's closing.
Tuesday afternoon's ruling by a circuit judge in southern Illinois puts a halt - at least temporarily - to those transfers. And that's welcome news in a community fighting to keep its prison.
Story continues belowAdvertisement
Pontiac has had a prison for 137 years. Come December 31, it is to be closed. Pontiac's inmates would be transferred to other prisons, so will its 500-plus correctional officers. Livingston County would lose its second-largest employer.
"I don't know about you sitting here, but every day I ask how are we gonna handle this? Am I gonna have to declare bankruptcy?" said Trina Keller, wife of a correctional officer.
"So many people will have to move that houses will be left unpaid for," said Kristy Evans, wife of a correctional officer.
"We do everything here. These are our schools, our hospitals," said Cherie Kling, wife of a correctional officer.
The families of those who work in the prison are furious. They say their lives, their schools, churches and businesses have been turned upside down. Stephanie DeLong and her correctional officer husband run a restaurant.
"If the economic impact is what they've projected, I'm probably not gonna survive here," DeLong said.
Many of Pontiac's inmates, most of whom are maximum security, would be transferred to other prisons. The bulk would wind up at the state's newest prison in Thomson, which has been sitting largely empty for seven years.
The department of corrections says it'll be safer and operate at far less cost then the state's oldest prison. But critics say with the entire prison system overcrowded, closing anything now is foolhardy.
"The reason we built Thomson was to help relieve the pressure of 137 percent of capacity throughout the system. It was not to move from A to B and then close A," said State Sen. Dan Rutherford, (R) Chenoa.
"The cost in the long run will be more than what they thought they'd save at Pontiac," said Danny Jarrett, AFSCME, correctional officer.
Prison guards say maximum security inmates at Pontiac are being moved to facilities not equipped to handle them, and that presents a clear and present danger. The DOC argues that staff safety is not being sacrificed, and that the closing, however painful, will move forward.
Angry residents say they'll fight but know the clock is ticking.
"Maybe we're starting to run out of hope, run out of time," said Deb Zega, wife of a correctional officer.
The ruling from the judge in Johnson County Tuesday afternoon focuses on the union argument that other prisons are not now equipped to receive Pontiac's inmates and forcing it is a dangerous idea. That issue will be argued the first of December, and at the very least, Tuesday's decision will likely make December 31 an unrealistic date for closing Pontiac.

(Copyright ©2008 WLS-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

[HapkidoKa]

Inmates to Remain in Pontiac Until December 1st
Reported by: WMBD/WYZZ News Christy Stelzer
Tuesday, Nov 18, 2008 @04:24pm CST

WMBD/WYZZ – PONTIAC - Inmates will remain at Pontiac Prison until at least December First. A Johnson County judge barred the transfer of inmates from Pontiac Prison citing safety concerns.



Wednesday a rally to keep Pontiac's Prison open is scheduled for 2:30PM at the AFSCME headquarters in Springfield. If you are interested in going to the rally, there is a free bus leaving from Pontiac at 11:30am.



Due to a story we aired Monday, Mayor McCoy has now been invited to address the Illinois House Appropriations Committee on Thursday to talk about his allegations against the governor .



There will be another hearing on December 1st when the court will hear a state motion to dismiss the union lawsuit.


I wish I could be there tomorrow

[BlackJack]

Originally Posted by HapkidoKa

Inmates to Remain in Pontiac Until December 1st
Reported by: WMBD/WYZZ News Christy Stelzer
Tuesday, Nov 18, 2008 @04:24pm CST

WMBD/WYZZ – PONTIAC - Inmates will remain at Pontiac Prison until at least December First. A Johnson County judge barred the transfer of inmates from Pontiac Prison citing safety concerns.



Wednesday a rally to keep Pontiac's Prison open is scheduled for 2:30PM at the AFSCME headquarters in Springfield. If you are interested in going to the rally, there is a free bus leaving from Pontiac at 11:30am.



Due to a story we aired Monday, Mayor McCoy has now been invited to address the Illinois House Appropriations Committee on Thursday to talk about his allegations against the governor .



There will be another hearing on December 1st when the court will hear a state motion to dismiss the union lawsuit.


I wish I could be there tomorrow

This is really good news for those that are being affected by such a stupid decision. I was working on putting one car up for the winter and getting another one back on the road, and some school stuff (not waiting for upward mobility to kick in). So I wasn't able to get in touch with Portwood so I could ride down today. I'm going to try to give him a call later and see what happens. If I go or don't go, I still feel better about Pontiac's chances of staying open. You just can't do that to people with the way that the economy is!!!

[HapkidoKa]

At roll call it was stated that the rally was really successful and that things are looking really well for PCC. It was also pointed out that there was no reason for any of us who were about to take time of to not have been there and that we all need to help support PCC. Reason be is because as the dept says it's in reconstruction mode and we may be next on the chopping block if PCC doesn't close. It was also pointed out that those who think they don't need to step up and support because of their seniority that Dwight had clerical staff with 20+ years in and they were all wiped out by PCC staff.

On 7-3 we had some more visitors come in from PCC- this time it was a Sgt and Lt who toured the facility and we also got a couple of inmates from PCC. I've been seeing guys in the bullpen from Menard a lot lately but I don't think they are new transfers.

[be safe co]

I would of gone if i had time, but i wont call off during COT status.

[be safe co]

ill get powned