>> HOUSING ESTATE PHIL CORRECTIONAL CENTER IS QUOTE, NOT SUITABLE FOR ANY 21ST CENTURY CORRECTIONAL CENTER AND LOGAN CORRECTIONAL CENTER IS INEFFICIENT, INEFFECTIVE AND UNSUITABLE FOR ANY POPULATION.

THAT'S ACCORDING TO AN INDEPENDENT REPORT LAST YEAR ON THE CONDITIONS IN ILLINOIS CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES.

THAT REPORT HELPED PUSH GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER TO ANNOUNCE A 900 MILLION DOLLAR PLAN TO DEMOLISH, THEN REBUILD TO PRISONS.

THOSE 2 PRESIDENTS SPECIFICALLY NOW JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT PLAN MEANS FOR INMATES AS WELL AS FOR PRISON STAFF ARE JAMES SOTO, A FORMER INMATE AT STABLE FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.

ALSO, JENNIFER KATZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE JOHN HOWARD ASSOCIATION.

THAT IS A PRISON WATCHDOG GROUP AND MIKE NEWMAN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ASKED ME COUNCIL 31, WHICH REPRESENTS CORRECTIONS OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES.

WE DID, BY THE WAY, REACH OUT TO THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS DECLINED TO PARTICIPATE.

BUT DO YOU SEE DID SEND A STATEMENT THAT WE'LL GET TO SHORTLY.

JAMES, I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

WHILE YOU WERE INCARCERATED AT STATE BILL, YOU THEN PART OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT OVER THE SAFETY OF THE BUILDINGS.

WHAT WERE THE CONDITIONS LIKE THAT LED TO THAT SUIT?

>> WELL, THE CONDITIONS WERE THEY HAD ALL POOR INFRASTRUCTURE.

I MEAN, LITERALLY THE CEILING WOULD FALL APART.

PARTS OF THE WALL HAD CRACKS IN IT AND WATER WOODLEY THROUGH THE WATER WAS TOXIC.

YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND THEN BE REALLY BROWN.

IT HAD A VERY SHOOT.

IT SMELL TO IT.

IT WAS DISCUSSED AND YOU COULDN'T DRINK IT.

>> YOU GET WATER BOTTLES, AT LEAST RECOGNIZED.

>> WE'VE GOT WATER BOTTLES ONLY WIN.

THERE WAS A MAIN PIPE THAT HAD FIRST AND YOU NEED THE PART.

AND THEN THEY STARTED GIVING US THE WATER.

BUT ONCE THEY REPLACED THIS PART NO LONGER WERE RECEIVING THE BOTTLED WATER.

YOU HAVE TO PURCHASE IN THE COMMISSARY.

AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, NOT EVERYBODY KIND OF FORWARD TO BUY THE BOTTLE OF WATER.

SO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD TO FORM OR FASHION.

>> AND THAT IS A LAWSUIT, BY THE WAY, THAT STILL ONGOING.

FROM MY UNDERSTANDING.

NOW, JENNY, LET'S TURN TO YOU.

YOU'RE YOUR GROUP HAS APPLAUDED THIS ACTION FROM THE STATE TEARING DOWN THESE 2 FACILITIES.

BUT CRITICAL ABOUT THAT.

THE SECOND PART OF THAT PLAN AND THAT IS THE REBUILDING.

WHY?

>> SO IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, JUST IN TERMS OF THE NUMBERS IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, WE HAVE EXCESS CAPACITY INSIDE OUR PRISONS.

WE HAVE ABOUT 30,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE CURRENTLY INCARCERATED IN ILLINOIS.

>> AND WE HAVE CONSERVATIVELY IT LEASED SPACE FOR 42,000.

PEOPLE.

WE SIMPLY DON'T NEED ALL OF THESE PRISONS AND MANY OF THEM AS IS OUTLINED IN THE REPORT YOU MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF THIS PROGRAM FALLING APART.

THEY ARE DECREPIT.

THEY ARE UNSAFE.

THEY ARE INHUMANE.

SO I THINK WE NEED TO START ALLOCATING RESOURCES RESPONSIBLY AND SENSIBLY AND BUILDING MORE PRISONS, POURING MONEY INTO PRISONS THAT ARE OLD DECREPIT IS NOT A REASONABLE WAY TO GO FORWARD IN THE STATE OF ISRAEL.

ONES THEN YOU BE ABLE TO PERHAPS MOVE SOME OF THE INMATES TO THESE BETTER FACILITIES IF THE OTHERS ARE ALSO DECREPIT.

SO I WOULD SAY THAT THERE ARE SOME ARGUMENTS TO BE MADE THAT HAVING BUILDING VERY DIFFERENT KINDS OF FACILITIES MAY HAVE BENEFIT IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CTO REPORT POINT OUT IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE APPROPRIATE PROGRAMMING SPACE OR THERAPEUTIC SPACE AND SO CONCEIVING OF THINGS DIFFERENTLY MIGHT HAVE SOME VALUE.

BUT I THINK WE COULD DO BETTER BY ALLOCATING RESOURCES TO KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF PRISON IN MEETING THEIR NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND SEE JAIL.

BY THE WAY, IS THE CONSULTING GROUP THAT FORMED THAT REPORT.

NOW, MIKE, LET'S TURN TO YOU.

THE UNION ACKNOWLEDGING POOR CONDITIONS IN THESE PRISONS.

BUT CONCERNED ABOUT EVEN THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE.

SO HOW DO YOU BALANCE THOSE 2, 6?

YES, WELL, LET ME SAY FIRST, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TEMPORARY CLOSURE.

>> ADMINISTRATION IS TALKING ABOUT 3 TO 5 YEARS.

THAT'S NOT A SHORT-TERM NOTABLE OF MONTHS.

AND THERE WE ARE CONCERNED THERE ARE A LOT OF PROBLEMS THAT ARISE.

IN THE MEANTIME, WE WE DON'T AGREE IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF CAPACITY, PARTICULARLY OF MAXIMUM SECURITY BEDS, WHICH IS WHICH IS WHAT STATE BILL HAS PRIMARILY MAXIMUM SECURITY LOOKING AT THE OVERALL PRISON POPULATION VERSUS THIS CERTAIN TYPES OF SITUATIONS YOU WANT IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?

YES.

AND AND AND MANY OF MANY OF BEDS AND OTHER PLACES ARE NOT >> NOT THE KIND SITUATIONS YOU WANT TO MOVE PEOPLE INTO ANYWAY, WE'RE CONCERNED THAT YOU THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH MAXIMUM SECURITY BEDS.

NOW, IF YOU CLOSE STATE BILL.

ARE THOSE INDIVIDUALS GOING TO GO?

WHAT HAPPENS TO STAFF WHO WORK IN THAT IN THOSE FACILITIES AND ALSO MIGHT POINT OUT THAT STATE BILL IS VERY CLOSE TO CHICAGO.

THAT PROXIMITY IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR INDIVIDUALS IN CUSTODY AND FOR THEIR FAMILIES IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO VISIT AND TO BE SORT OF RELEASE RETURN HOME.

>> YES, THAT'S WHAT SPECIALLY VISITATION.

AND LET ME EMPHASIZE, WE ARE NOT OPPOSED TO THE REBUILDING OF THESE FACILITIES AND FACT, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY GROUP THAT ADVOCATED ANY MORE STRONGLY.

THEN WE HAVE.

FOR REPAIRS PUSHED ONTO THE THE POOR CONDITION OF THE PRISON.

SO WHAT IF YOU'RE NOT AGAINST THE PLAN, WHAT IS THE CONCERN THAT THEY WON'T BE REBUILT, THAT THEY'LL JUST BE DEMOLISHED AND THAT'S IT?

NO, THE PROBLEM, THE PLANT CONCERN IS WHAT HAPPENS IN THE 3 TO 5 YEARS.

>> IN BETWEEN WHEN THEY'VE BEEN BUILT.

>> WHERE THOSE WHERE THOSE INDIVIDUALS GO WE HAD A SITUATION LAST YEAR WHERE OVERNIGHT 300 INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE WHO WERE IN CUSTODY IN STATE BILL.

MOVED OVERNIGHT FOR A MAXIMUM SECURITY INSTITUTION TO MEDIUM SECURITY INSTITUTION AND SHERIDAN SHERIDAN CORRECTIONAL CENTER IS THERE IS A PROGRAM CENTERED THAT DEALS WITH HELPS WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES WHERE THE INDIVIDUALS THERE WANT TO GET THE TREATMENT.

TOTAL SAYING THESE POPULATIONS SHOULD BE NEXT.

TOTALLY DISRUPTED THE WHOLE PROGRAM, JAMES.

PLEASE, GO AHEAD.

I WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION TO THESE PLANS.

I HAVE TO SAY THAT.

>> IT'S INCORRECT DEPICTION TO SAY THAT EVERYONE THERE IS MAXIMUM SECURITY.

>> PRISONERS BECAUSE OF THE FACT PROGRAM AND THAT THE VAST MAJORITY THEM HAVE BEEN RECLASSIFIED TO BE ME STATUS, WHICH MEANS THEY ARE ELIGIBLE TO GO TO THESE MEDIA FACILITIES.

AND WHEN THEY MADE THAT 300 PLUS MOVE OF INMATES TO OTHER FACILITIES.

THERE WAS 0 INCIDENTS.

THERE WAS NO INCIDENTS WERE THERE.

THEY WERE HOUSED THERE FOR POSSIBLY A MONTH OR SO.

AND THERE WAS NO NURSE.

AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT IF YOU DO MAKE A MOVE TO HOUSE THESE INDIVIDUALS INTO THESE MEDIA FACILITIES, THAT IT WOULDN'T BE THAT DISRUPTED TO THEM ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT THOSE THAT AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SO YOU'RE OKAY WITH THESE PLANS.

I SAY THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS YEARS AGO.

I MEAN, THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXISTING FOR THE LONGEST AND THEY KNEW ABOUT IT.

I WAS RECENTLY RELEASED IN DECEMBER HAD ALL MY BLOODWORK DRAWN.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RESULTS ARE.

AND I'M REALLY WORRIED THAT BECAUSE I NO LONGER VIJ OTHER INDIVIDUALS.

HAD HIGH LEVELS OF LEAD AND OTHER TOXINS IN THEIR BODY BECAUSE THEY CONSUME THE WATER THERE.

STATE BILL.

>> YOU KNOW, I WANT TO GET TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION STATEMENT THAT READS IN PART THAT THIS PLAN FULLY ADDRESSES CONCERNS AT THE 2 FACILITIES FACING THE MOST SERIOUS AND EXPENSIVE MAINTENANCE ISSUES AND ENSURE THAT ABSENTEE MEMBERS CAN DO THEIR JOBS AND MODERN SAY FACILITIES.

IT IS NOT FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE OR FEASIBLE TO SPEND HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND A CONTINUING EFFORT TO SHORT FACILITIES THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED FOR DECADES AND USE FOR OVER A CENTURY.

NOW, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT STATE, BUT WHAT ABOUT LOGAN?

LOGAN IS SIMILARLY LEE IN A STATE OF COMPLETE CEILINGS CAVING IN WATER ISSUES.

>> IS A COAL POWERED FACILITY.

IT IS ANTIQUATED.

IT IS UNSAFE AND FOR FOR WOMEN IN TRANSGENDER PRISONERS.

IF I'M LOGAN THE LARGEST WOMEN'S FACILITY WE HAVE IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.

IT WAS A MAIL FACILITY UP UNTIL ABOUT 2013, 2014 WHEN THEY MOVED WOMEN OVER THERE.

IT IS ACTUALLY A MIX.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION FACILITY IN FRANKLY, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A VERY CHALLENGING PLACE BECAUSE OF THAT.

BUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE MAKES THINGS FAR WORSE.

SO I WHAT DOES YOUR ANSWER TO MY CONCERNS IN TERMS OF WHAT DO YOU DO WITH INMATES AND STAFF YEAH, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, NOBODY PUT FORWARD A PLAN AS TO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

AND I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WHAT IT MEANS TO MOVE PEOPLE TEMPORARILY.

WHERE ARE THEY OUR STAFF GOING TO FOLLOW.

I THINK THAT'S A LEGITIMATE CONCERN AND SOMETHING WE'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT.

>> BUT I THINK WE'RE IN AGREEMENT STATE BILL SIMPLY CANNOT EXIST, CAN CONTINUE TO EXIST.

AGREEMENT AGREEMENT HERE, AT LEAST A PORTION OR THAT THAT ALL THE TIME THAT WE HAVE FOR NOW.

BUT I KNOW CONTINUED QUESTIONS OF THE PRITZKER ADMINISTRATION ABOUT THEIR PLANS.

YOU'LL BE ASKING,