Stateville Prison Will Be Demolished: Governor Pritzker Announces

JOLIET, IL — In a news release issued Friday morning, Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Corrections announced plans to dedicate capital funds to rebuild Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln and Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill, addressing critical infrastructure needs at both facilities.

The funding is included in the capital proposal the governor presented the General Assembly as part of his fiscal year 2025 budget proposal.

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“The capital funds dedicated to Stateville and Logan further demonstrate our commitment to continuing to rebuild and strengthen our state’s infrastructure,” Pritzker declared in Friday's announcement. “These investments will allow staff to work in modern and safe facilities, ensure those who are incarcerated can safely serve out their sentences, and save taxpayers hundreds of millions in deferred maintenance costs from years of neglect.”

Based on assessments of each facility and land availability, it is anticipated that Stateville will be temporarily closed and demolished, with a new facility to be built on its grounds.

The status of Logan in the interim is still to be worked through with various stakeholders, and the location of the new facility is still being finalized.

According to the Illinois Department of Corrections website, Stateville Correctional Center opened on the northern outskirts of Joliet along Route 53 in March 1925, its operational capacity is 3,020 beds. It's a maximum security adult male prison. As of last June, Stateville had a total population of 1,927 inmates and the average annual cost per inmate is now at least $61,304 per year.

Related: 200 Inmates Transferred Due To Stateville Water Problems

Notable inmates of Stateville Correctional Center include infamous killers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, Richard Speck and serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who was executed there in 1994.

The plan estimates construction costs on the new prisons will total between $805 to $935 million. Governor Pritzker’s proposed FY25 capital budget included $900 million in new funds to demolish and rebuild these facilities. Long-term, the projects are expected to save the state an average of $34 million in annual operations savings, over the long term, by lowering overtime, maintenance and utility costs on the facilities.

Rebuilding the facilities will also save the state hundreds of millions in deferred maintenance costs that have accrued after decades of neglect, according to the governor. These facilities were selected based on a 2023 CGL report the state contracted to identify and prioritize IDOC facility needs.

The design and build out of the new facilities is anticipated to be completed over the next three to five years.

“This plan marks a pivotal moment in IDOC’s ongoing efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of our staff and the individuals in our care,” said Latoya Hughes, acting director of IDOC. “These investments underscore Illinois’ unwavering commitment to implementing modernized and secure correctional environments while taking a fiscally responsible approach to address aging infrastructure.”