The Rauner administration announced plans yesterday to close a prison for juveniles in Kewanee. Juvenile Justice Director Candice Jones says closing the 15-year-old facility will save money, improve rehabilitation of young offenders and improve community safety.
The union for the Kewanee workers says they were blindsided by the announcement and points out that the state spent money just two years ago to improve the center so it could handle maximum-security offenders when the Joliet Youth Center closed in 2013.
