JOLIET – Following  a federal judge’s ruling that the Illinois Department of Corrections must move most of the incarcerated individuals out of the Stateville Correctional Center by the end of September, State Senator Rachel Ventura (D-Joliet) released the following statement:

“After working intimately with system impacted individuals at Stateville, I recognize how important educational programs are at the facility. As the state transitions individuals out of Stateville, I am advocating for them to be placed in facilities that meet their needs, including those pertaining to education, accessibility and workforce and restorative justice programming.

“I encourage the Department of Corrections to work with all stakeholders, including AFSCME, universities, families and restorative justice programs to make sure the transition fulfills the needs of those impacted.

“We must keep stakeholders, families and employees in mind during this transition and be cognizant of their limitations and financial barriers when it comes to transporting these individuals and job relocation. I will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure all parties are given full transparency.”