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Pontiac Correctional Center
Pontiac Correctional Center, established in June 1871, is an Illinois Department of Corrections maximum security prison (Level 1) for adult males in Pontiac, Illinois. The prison also has a medium security unit that houses medium to minimum security inmates and is classified as Level 3. Until the 2011 abolition of the death penalty in Illinois, the prison housed male death row inmates, but had no execution chamber. Inmates were executed at the Tamms Correctional Center. Although the capacity of the prison is 2172, it has an average daily population of approximately 2000 inmates.
In May 2008, Governor Rod Blagojevich proposed to shut down the Pontiac facility, with a phase-out plan to take place from January through February 2009. The inmate population would be transferred to the Thomson facility, a newly built maximum security prison, which is also equipped to house segregated inmates. Illinois has since sold Thomson to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Pontiac facility is one of the largest employers in the Livingston County community. Blagojevich's successor, Pat Quinn, cancelled plans to close Pontiac Correctional Center in March 2009 after taking office.
The prison was operated as a boys' reform school from 1872 to 1893. It was formally established as the State Reformatory for youths after that. Among its early detainees was Charles Hair, a Cherokee convicted at age 12 of intent to assault an officer, as he was picked up in an armed raid by law offices in November 1892 raid at the fort of Ned Christie, also Cherokee. Christie had been declared an outlaw after being wrongly accused of killing a federal marshal in 1887, and was killed in the raid. Hair was held in Illinois for three years.
When the prison was expanded to house an adult population, the buildings of the former reform school were used as the administrative offices. Two cell houses were constructed. One was a 4-tier cell house holding 296 cells, each of which measured 8'3" x 7' x 8'. The other was 5 tiers, housing 500 cells measuring 8'x 5'x 8'. The cells had iron bars in the front and contained a cot or spring bed, a stool and locker.
In 1929, there were 1,405 inmates and 57 guards, making the ratio approximately 1 guard to 25 inmates. In 1931, an additional cell house with 440 cells on 5 tiers was built. In this cell house, two men were assigned to each 8'x10'x8' cell, sharing a bunk bed, a cabinet, a desk, and outlet for a radio. With the new cell houses, the prison population grew to 2,504 inmates with 150 guards, or approximately 1 guard per 17 inmates. The prison housed 2,504 inmates (1,959 white, 535 black, 10 other).
The inmates were allowed to smoke in their cells at specified times. Relatives were allowed to visit once a month on any day except Saturday afternoons, Sundays, and holidays. Twice a month, inmates were allowed to write letters: one to a friend and one to a parent. A married prisoner was permitted to write every week. The inmates could buy tobacco, candy and toiletries weekly and could receive newspapers and magazines from the publisher.
The loss of prisoner privileges for periods of 10 to 30 days was the most common type of punishment. Inmates were put in certain confinement cells with nothing but a slice of bread to eat every morning for 3 to 8 days, for worse violations.
In the 21st century, inmates are disciplined in many forms for known violations of laws or rules of the institution or department, for which they receive tickets. They may be restricted in yard time, from using audio visual items, or from purchasing items at the commissary. Inmates may also be put on a 72-hour property restrictions, confined to their cells, for instances such as having unauthorized materials or contraband, or assaulting staff or other inmates.
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Pontiac Correctional Center
Pontiac Correctional Center, established in June 1871, is an Illinois Department of Corrections maximum security prison (Level 1) for adult males in Pontiac, Illinois. The prison also has a medium security unit that houses medium to minimum security inmates and is classified as Level 3. Until the 2011 abolition of the death penalty in Illinois, the prison housed male death row inmates, but had no execution chamber. Inmates were executed at the Tamms Correctional Center. Although the capacity of the prison is 2172, it has an average daily population of approximately 2000 inmates.
In May 2008, Governor Rod Blagojevich proposed to shut down the Pontiac facility, with a phase-out plan to take place from January through February 2009. The inmate population would be transferred to the Thomson facility, a newly built maximum security prison, which is also equipped to house segregated inmates. Illinois has since sold Thomson to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Pontiac facility is one of the largest employers in the Livingston County community. Blagojevich's successor, Pat Quinn, cancelled plans to close Pontiac Correctional Center in March 2009 after taking office.
The prison was operated as a boys' reform school from 1872 to 1893. It was formally established as the State Reformatory for youths after that. Among its early detainees was Charles Hair, a Cherokee convicted at age 12 of intent to assault an officer, as he was picked up in an armed raid by law offices in November 1892 raid at the fort of Ned Christie, also Cherokee. Christie had been declared an outlaw after being wrongly accused of killing a federal marshal in 1887, and was killed in the raid. Hair was held in Illinois for three years.
When the prison was expanded to house an adult population, the buildings of the former reform school were used as the administrative offices. Two cell houses were constructed. One was a 4-tier cell house holding 296 cells, each of which measured 8'3" x 7' x 8'. The other was 5 tiers, housing 500 cells measuring 8'x 5'x 8'. The cells had iron bars in the front and contained a cot or spring bed, a stool and locker.
In 1929, there were 1,405 inmates and 57 guards, making the ratio approximately 1 guard to 25 inmates. In 1931, an additional cell house with 440 cells on 5 tiers was built. In this cell house, two men were assigned to each 8'x10'x8' cell, sharing a bunk bed, a cabinet, a desk, and outlet for a radio. With the new cell houses, the prison population grew to 2,504 inmates with 150 guards, or approximately 1 guard per 17 inmates. The prison housed 2,504 inmates (1,959 white, 535 black, 10 other).
The inmates were allowed to smoke in their cells at specified times. Relatives were allowed to visit once a month on any day except Saturday afternoons, Sundays, and holidays. Twice a month, inmates were allowed to write letters: one to a friend and one to a parent. A married prisoner was permitted to write every week. The inmates could buy tobacco, candy and toiletries weekly and could receive newspapers and magazines from the publisher.
The loss of prisoner privileges for periods of 10 to 30 days was the most common type of punishment. Inmates were put in certain confinement cells with nothing but a slice of bread to eat every morning for 3 to 8 days, for worse violations.
In the 21st century, inmates are disciplined in many forms for known violations of laws or rules of the institution or department, for which they receive tickets. They may be restricted in yard time, from using audio visual items, or from purchasing items at the commissary. Inmates may also be put on a 72-hour property restrictions, confined to their cells, for instances such as having unauthorized materials or contraband, or assaulting staff or other inmates.