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UPDATE: State Department of Juvenile Justice to close Kewanee youth center, at least 200 jobs on the line

The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice has announced it will close a local juvenile corrections facility by July 1, a move that could mean at least 200 jobs lost.

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Staff Representative Tony McCubbin says today’s announcement came as a surprise to facility workers.

“There are procedures that the agency has to follow in order to close the facility that’s covered in our collected bargaining agreement,” McCubbin says. “They have to notify the union. They didn’t notify the union. They did blind-side every employee at that facility.”

The Associated Press reports Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration says closing the Kewanee youth correctional facility would save up to $14 million next year for improved programming for young offenders. IDJJ spokesman Michael Theodore says the savings would upgrade existing facilities for Kewanee transfers.

IDJJ Director Candice Jones says the Illinois Youth Center in Kewanee is closing largely due to operational cost. In a news release, she says as of February 10, the department has 989 bunks but is caring for just 436 youth.

With the closure of the Kewanee youth center, 686 beds would still be available — enough to “comply with best practices and account for seasonal fluctuations in the number of youth confined.”

AFSCME spokesman Anders Lindall says costly improvements were made to Kewanee to receive maximum-security offenders when the Joliet Youth Center closed in 2013. Kewanee also has a treatment program for sex offenders.

 

Updated at 1:12 p.m.  and at 2:05 p.m. Friday to reflect comment from AFSCME Staff Rep. Tony McCubbin

Updated at 3:20 p.m. Friday to add comments from Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration and IDJJ spokesman Michael Theodore

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