HR0233ham001 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0233HAM001 LRB099 10638 MST 35262 a

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE RESOLUTION 233

AMENDMENT NO. ___. Amend House Resolution 233 by replacing everything after the heading with the following:

"WHEREAS, The Tamms Correctional Center opened in 1995 in Tamms, Alexander County as a 200-bed minimum-security prison; in 1998, it expanded, adding a 500-bed facility, designed to hold the most dangerous and violent male prisoners in the State; and

WHEREAS, Following the closure of the Tamms Correctional Center in January of 2013, the inmates were transferred to maximum security prisons; this put a strain on the already overly crowded State correctional system; with the maximum-security prisons taking in more inmates, many of their existing inmates were then transferred to lower-security facilities; this trend rippled through the State system; and

WHEREAS, Currently, the State correctional system holds around 49,000 inmates, however the facilities that are open are designed to hold around 32,000 inmates; with the State's prisons being so drastically over-crowded, staff and inmate safety has again become a major cause of concern; and

WHEREAS, The current levels of inmates in the overly crowded State correctional system has caused major concern for the safety of staff working in the prisons; at Pickneyville Correctional Center on September 25, 2013, inmate Rodolfo Rosas attacked 3 male guards and one female guard; they were taken to an area hospital and treated for various injuries, including a broken nose; and

WHEREAS, Over-crowded correctional facilities are not just a safety problem for staff but also create a dangerous atmosphere for other inmates; since the closure of the Tamms Correctional Center, other facilities having to deal with the over-population issue have resorted to moving hundreds of inmates into a gymnasium as cells have become too crowded; and

WHEREAS, Incidents of violent fights between inmates have increased since the closure of the Tamms Correctional Center because the current correctional system is having difficulty handling the over-populated prisons; and

WHEREAS, If the State of Illinois would utilize the former Tamms Correctional Center it could help increase safety inside the State's correctional centers for both the staff and inmates; the space inside the former Tamms Correctional Center would also greatly help to reduce the strain over the State's over-populated correctional centers; and

WHEREAS, The former Tamms Correctional Center should be refitted and reopened in order to ensure the best outcomes for inmates and staff in helping to keep people safe and in helping aid in rehabilitation; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Governor Rauner to refit and reopen the former Tamms Correctional Center to help control the over-crowding in the State's correction system and to ensure the safety of correctional staff and inmates; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to Governor Rauner and the Director of Corrections.".