July 10th, 2009
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Author: The governor had tried on Thursday to tone down growing concerns over his supposed plans to release low-level inmates so he is able to lay off 1,000 prison workers, he is saying that he wants to “carefully examine” the idea but has made “no final decisions.”
Prison union leaders are saying about 11,000 of Illinois’ 45,500 or so inmates would be eligible for getting released. Quinn administration officials said they are also still gathering a list but are now focusing on inmates charged mostly with drug crimes who are also in the last year of their sentences.
State law, however, is allowing for a much wider range of inmates to be released, this includes those who were convicted of a few property crimes. Also prisoners that are 55 of age or older who have served at the least a 1/4 of their prison sentences would be eligible to be placed on electric home monitoring/house arrest for the term of their last year or so of their prison sentences as long as they were not previously convicted of a sex or violent crime.
Source: Chicago Tribune
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