PONTIAC PRISON PLANS
A lawmaker is calling on the Illinois Department of Corrections to be transparent on the future plans for the Pontiac Correctional facility. Last year, the prison underwent a significant downsizing going from over 1,700 beds to less than 700. State Sen. Tom Bennett has filed legislation that calls on IDOC to release a long-term plan for the prison’s buildings and staffing levels, and how the facility fits in the state’s overall correctional system.
VALLAS WORKERS
Several workers on Paul Vallas’ Chicago mayoral campaign said they have not been paid for their work. The workers said Vallas hired them to knock on doors and get out to vote, but three weeks after Election Day they say they’re still owed hundreds of dollars. The complaints come days after Vallas filed a lawsuit against a political consultant that was paid $700,000 by the campaign to coordinate efforts in Black neighborhoods. The Vallas campaign alleges little or no work was done.
ELECTRONICS BAN
Reporters covering news events in Cook County have long been allowed to bring computers and cell phones into the George Leighton Criminal Courthouse to do their job. That has come to an end. Effective immediately, an order states that the practice is not allowed. The ban stems from an incident this week when a member of the media took photographs with a cell phone in a courtroom. Most members of the public are not allowed to bring their phones into the courthouse.