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,[1] 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.

Pontiac Correctional Center
Location700 W Lincoln Street
Pontiac, Illinois
Statusopen
Security classMID CENTRAL USA
Capacity2298
Opened1871
Managed byIllinois Department of Corrections

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.[2][3]

History to 1931

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.[4]

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.[5] 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).[6]

Rules and regulations

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.[5][7] 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.[8]

Punishments

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.[5]

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.

Allegations of a "three-man team" being assembled by an officer at PCC, to punish, abuse and cover-up abuse of inmates was reported in 2022 by Criminal.[9]

Riots

On April 23, 1973, a brawl broke out at Pontiac involving 100 inmates using homemade knives, cleaning utensils, and metal trays as weapons in the mess hall. By the time guards fired tear gas to suppress the violence, two inmates had been stabbed and killed. According to Time Magazine, this fight had been sparked by competition among members of rival Chicago gangs who were imprisoned.[10]

On July 22, 1978, a riot erupted that involved more than 1,000 inmates and resulted in one of the deadliest riots in Illinois prison history. The riot began around 9:45 in the morning, when 600 prisoners were returning to the cell house on the north end of the prison from the recreational yard. Armed with shanks, prisoners attacked officers inside the cell house. According to investigators, prison gangs directed the attack to challenge Warden Thaddeus Pinkney. Soon the local and state police arrived and fired eight rounds of tear gas into the prison yard. Prisoners set buildings on fire, causing other prisoners to get involved. After many hours, the troops got all inmates back into their cells. Lieutenant William Thomas and two correctional officers, Robert Conkle and Stanley Cole, were killed; three correctional officers, Danny Dill, Dale Walker and Sharon Pachet, were injured.[11]

The warden put a "deadlock" system into effect until October 16, 1978. Prisoners were not allowed to leave their cells for any reason. Their meals were brought to them; all recreational time and work assignments were cancelled. The prisoners were not allowed to shower until October. Family visits were banned until October 14, and they were not allowed to make phone calls to their families until September 30. The officials of the prison began a renewed search of prisoners for weapons on October 2 and ended October 13.[12]

The prisoners filed a complaint in the district court on August 31 stating the "deadlock" was longer than was needed to restore order and was having adverse effects on the prisoners' mental and physical health. The district judge decided to wait until after the "shakedown" of weapons search to make any decisions. After the shakedown, on November 3, the court ordered Pontiac Correctional Center to restore the family visitation hours and phone privileges as they were before the riot, as well as the meals, exercise and work times. The court also required the prison to provide two hours of yard recreation a week to the prisoners.[12]

Because of this riot, the prison instituted a policy of moving only a few inmates at a time in a line. As 1997, prisoners in the maximum security unit are kept in their cell 24 hours a day, with exception of days when they are allowed limited time for yard recreation, use of the law library, showers, and visits.

By 2008, a general population of prisoners had been reintroduced to Pontiac Correctional Center. Inmates who are not in segregation status are given more time out of their cells, including social time on rec yards, in the gym, and at dining times. Protective custody and inmates from the medium-security unit may obtain jobs within the prison, ranging from cellhouse porter to lawn care or vehicle maintenance. In addition, inmates of all confinement statuses may participate in mental health and medical "groups". Church services are held at the center, and the protective custody unit has its own inmate choir.[13]

Proposed prison closing

In May 2008 the governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, announced his intention to close Pontiac CC by February 2009 and to move about half the inmates to a prison in Thomson, Illinois.[14] Many residents of Pontiac opposed the plan, fearing "570 jobs in this central Illinois town would be lost."[15] The prison is the second-largest employer in Livingston County.[16] Citizens gathered together to hold rallies seeking the support of the governor.[15] On September 15 a joint meeting in Chicago and Springfield was held on the issue, for voting by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. At this meeting 9 of 12 people voted to keep the prison open. While Governor Blagojevich would have made the final decision, he would have taken this vote into consideration.[16]

On September 16 employees of Pontiac Correctional Center filed a lawsuit stating "the state does not have a right to close the facility because it has budgeted money to run the prison through June 2009." Further, they said that "Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the Illinois Department of Corrections cannot close the prison because funding was provided in the 2008-09 budget, which was passed by the Illinois General Assembly and signed into law by Blagojevich."[14] On September 17, an independent commission of state lawmakers rejected closing the prison, despite the claims by the Department of Corrections that such action would save money in the next year's budget.[16] Pat Quinn, lieutenant governor of Illinois since 2003, assumed the governorship in January 2009 after Blagojevich was impeached for corruption charges. (He was later convicted and imprisoned.) On March 12, 2009, Governor Quinn cancelled plans to close Pontiac Correctional Center.

In 2020, Governor JB Pritzker proposed the closure of the prison.

Units

Medium-Security Unit

This unit, commonly referred to as "the farm," was once a working farm that cultivated crops and raised livestock to produce much of the food consumed by the prison. This unit is classified as Level 3 and houses offenders that are medium- to minimum-security inmates. In 2022, this unit was set to close.[17]

Maximum-Security Unit

This unit is classified as Level 1. It contains offenders who need to be segregated and are limited in their privileges.

The maximum security unit also houses maximum-security inmates in General Population status, and high-aggression protective-custody inmates.

North Condemned/Administrative Detention

Until the abolition of the death penalty in Illinois in 2011, this unit housed death row inmates. This unit has been renamed as North Administrative Detention. It now houses inmates who are believed to be gang chiefs and too much of security risks to be housed in the general population.

North Segregation

This unit is the state's main Segregation housing unit for high-aggression inmates who have broken facility rules. Such violations include assaulting staff or inmates, possessing contraband, escape attempts, etc.

East Cell House

This unit holds many different classifications of inmates, including Segregation Release, General Population, and Protective Custody.

South Protective Custody Unit

The state's primary Protective Custody Unit. Some of these inmates are former death row offenders. The unit houses between 300-400 inmates.

South Mental Health Unit

This unit provides psychiatric and psychological mental health services for offenders who are sentenced to be within the correctional system for a longer period of time and have a segregated status. These offenders are diagnosed as chronically mentally ill; diagnoses of the inmates have included schizophrenia, psychotic, and bipolar or major affective disorder.

West Cell House

This unit is a segregation unit for low-aggression inmates.

Notable inmates

References
  1. Smith, Matt."Illinois abolishes death penalty." CNN. March 9, 2011.
  2. Colindres, Adriana (2008-05-05). "Administration wants to close Pontiac Correctional Center". GateHouse News Service. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
  3. Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability
  4. Devon A. Mihesuah, 2018, Ned Christie, Chapter 6
  5. "State Reformatory: Pontiac, Illinois", Handbook of American Prisons, 1929.
  6. "State Reformatory: Pontiac, Illinois". Handbook of American Prisons, 1931
  7. State Reformatory: Pontiac, Illinois. Handbook of American Prisons,1929.
  8. State Reformatory:Pontiac, Illinois. Handbook of American Prisons.
  9. "Episode 187: 427 Emails (4.22.2022)". Criminal. April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  10. "The Gang's All Here". Time. 27 April 1973. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  11. "30 years later: Memories of Illinois' worst prison riot". The Pantagraph. 22 July 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  12. http://legal.rights.com/F.2d/589/589.F2d.300.78-2516.78-2401.html
  13. "22". Pantagraph.com. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
  14. "18". Pantagraph.com. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
  15. "Proposed Prison Closing Hits at the Heart of a Town". The New York Times. August 24, 2008.
  16. "Topic Galleries". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
  17. Murphy, Erich; Leader, Pontiac Daily (March 10, 2022). "Will a history of violence at Pontiac Correctional Center continue at Lawrence?". Yahoo News. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  18. Judge gives Balfour 3 life sentences, calls his soul 'barren'
  19. Drew Peterson charged with attempted murder-for-hire of Illinois prosecutor
  20. Steiger, Brad; Steiger, Sherry (2012). Conspiracies and Secret Societies: The Complete Dossier (2nd ed.). Visible Ink Press. p. 18. ISBN 978-1578593682. In 1979 Collin's ambition to lead a new Nazi America was thwarted when he was arrested, convicted, and sent to prison on child molestation charges.
  21. Serial killer gets 13 life terms
  22. Freed to Kill: The True Story of Serial Murderer Larry Eyler ISBN 978-1-939-43000-7 p. 1

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