Criminal justice advocates say Illinois’ next prison chief needs to be dedicated to reducing the prison population.
Department of Corrections Director Donald Stolworthy resigned last week after just two months on the job. The governor’s office isn’t saying why Stolworthy is leaving.
Ben Wolf is with the American Civil Liberties Union, which is involved in multiple lawsuits over Illinois prison conditions. Wolf says the next prison chief should be an advocate for reform.
"I think a director who tells the truth about what can and can’t be done with close to 50 thousand inmates can lead in directing the state’s attention to safe ways to reduce the number of people in prison."
Governor Bruce Rauner has created a task force aimed at cutting the number of inmates by 25% in 10 years.