Compared to other states in America, the rate of imprisonment is relatively low in the form of Illinois. According to the data, only 497 people per 100,000 are incarcerated in Illinois.
This may look like Illinois has a few prisons, but the truth is it has several correctional facilities with various security levels. However, the people of Illinois are less violent, so the number of prisoners is pretty low.
All the correctional institutions in Illinois could be better environments for convicts. Some prisons are considered the worst depending on the poor conditions. So what are the top 10 worst prisons in Illinois? Here’s the list and more.
List of Top 10 Worst Prisons in Illinois
The following list of Illinois’s top 10 worst prisons is created depending on some circumstances. For example, poor medical care, hygiene issues, overpopulation, gang fights, and guards’ behavior toward inmates.
01. Dixon Correctional Center
Dixon Correctional Center is a medium and minimum-security prison that was established in 1983 and was opened in the same year July. It can keep 2,529 in total.
However, the Dixon Correctional Center has 1,877 adult male convicts. This prison has many issues, so it’s regarded as one of the worst correctional institutions in Illinois.
Compared to other prisons in the United States, Dixon spends only $34,249 for each prisoner per year, which is relatively low than most other prisons.
Moreover, a report says that Dixon Correctional Center has fewer staff, so inmates have to do extra work. This makes the life of prisoners even more stressful.
02. Stateville Correctional Center
Stateville Correctional Facility in Crest Hill, Illinois, was opened in 1925. It’s a maximum security prison that has the capacity to hold 4,134 inmates. However, its current population is 2,256 inmates meaning there’s no issue of overpopulation.Â
Besides, this correctional institution’s average annual cost per inmate is 51,929 US dollars. This also shows that it spends enough to fulfill convicts’ necessities. Then what could be the reason for this prison to be the worst?
It’s the environment. Inside Stateville Correctional Center, gang fights are common, so inmates with no gang or power are often beaten.
Moreover, guards are too strict with inmates. They even brutally torture them by often putting them in solitary confinement for days. They are given less food and water. These made inmates’ lives pretty much like living in hell.
03. Illinois River Correctional Center
The Illinois River Correctional Center is a medium-security prison that came into existence in 1989. Its holding capacity is 1970, and only male adults are kept here. However, there are only 1,429 inmates meaning it’s not overpopulated.
However, the prison spends a meager amount on prisoners. Its annual cost per inmate is only $25,093, meaning it fails to fulfill even inmates’ basic needs.
Moreover, there are issues of gang wars that the authority never pays attention to. Hence, Illinois River Correctional Center has also become a living hell for inmates.
04. Menard Correctional Center
Menard Correctional Center is a pretty crowded prison for inmates. It’s because there are 2,192 inmates while its actual capacity is 2,575. This prison was made in 1878; as of 2020, it annually spends $40,12 for an individual.
Some reports say guards of this correctional facility were directly involved with criminal acts like giving inmates an overdose of drugs, starting a fight, and even being found guilty of sexual violence.
Hence, it’s understandable that guards in Menard Correctional Center are non-cooperative, and if such guards continue working, the prison may become a more scary place than it should be.
05. Pinckneyville Correctional Center
Pinckneyville Correctional Center is situated in Pinckneyville, Illinois. It was made in 1998. Adult male offenders who require medium security levels are kept here.
This prison keeps a smaller number of prisoners than it can. While its capacity is 2,389, it’s holding only 1,586 inmates.
So it’s not overcrowded, but still, a horrible correctional institution as prisoners don’t get enough food and services.
An individual in Pinckneyville Correctional Center receives $25,599 approximately, which is below average. Hence, it’s evident that prisoners don’t get enough medical attention.
Powerful inmates get more food than weak convicts. They also don’t get to often meet with their consultants, which leads most inmates to stress. All these make the prison a lousy place for Inmates to serve their sentences.
06. Logan Correctional Center
Logan Correctional Center is a female-only prison located in Lincoln, Illinois. It was built in 1978. It has many security levels, and the institution pays $42,851 per year for an individual, which is a small amount.Â
Its current population is 1,054. Currently, prisoners have less to complain about the prison system, but the 2016 reports say that the environment inside Logan Correctional Center was unacceptable. There were some cases of male guards abusing female inmates.
07. Centralia Correctional Center
Opened in October 1980, the Centralia Correctional Center in Illinois is one of the worst prisons as it’s overpopulated.
Although the correctional facility was designed to hold 1,572 inmates, and the current population is 1,158, it’s still populated according to the prisoners.
It keeps a low budget for prisoners ($32,196), leading to problems like less available services. Inmates have complained that they can’t easily access the necessary services they need, like communicating with their families, getting proper medical aid, and more.
08. Pontiac Correctional Center
The Pontiac Correctional Center is located in Lincoln Street, Illinois. It’s a maximum security correctional facility that was opened in 1871. It holds male adult prisoners and is capable of holding 1,255 inmates.
But it’s keeping 1,065 inmates at present, making the institution an overpopulated prison. The only good thing about this facility is it costs 70,377 US dollars per year for each individual.
But Pontiac Correctional Center is still regarded as the worst since convicts often sexually abuse, and there are also reports of armed robbery. Many offenders even claimed to have served longer for lesser offenses.
09. United States Penitentiary, Thomson
USP Thomson is considered one of the deadliest federal correctional facilities in the United States. This prison has high security and minimum security systems.
The tightness of the safety of USP Thomson is praiseworthy. But the unimaginable torture that inmates go through is truly unacceptable.
The harsh environment of this prison made prisoners so mad that 5 convicts killed one another, and another prisoner took his own life. These reports came out after NPR and The Marshall Project started their investigation.
10. Federal Correctional Institution, Pekin
Federal Correctional Institution in Pekin, Illinois, is a medium security prison that opened in 1994. There are 1,321 inmates, according to FCI. Pekin is the worst prison as racial segregation exists.
Black inmates can’t use white chairs, and white inmates can use black ones. This is a sick matter that should never live in any prison.
Final Words
These were the top 10 worst prisons in the state of Illinois. However, this doesn’t mean that all Illinois prisons are not in good condition. There are also correctional facilities in this state that are considered the best.
Whether or not you’re a resident of Illinois or a citizen of the United States, it’s better to learn about the entire prison system and have a little knowledge of every state prison.
