It's been seven weeks since the last prisoner left the state's juvenile prison in Murphysboro, Il., but 53 workers continue to show up at the facility every day, reports the Quad-City (Ia.) Times. The state says the workers are preparing the facility for closure, jobs like “inventory, cleaning and records management.” The situation at Murphysboro could be mirrored at other facilities targeted by Gov. Pat Quinn for closure. Quinn wants to close two adult prisons, two youth prisons, and two inmate transition centers.
The closures are on hold as part of an agreement stemming from a lawsuit filed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union seeking to block the governor's move. the Murphysboro facility, which had a capacity to hold 156 youth, had its last resident transferred out on July 9. Quinn says the state doesn't need a youth prison system that houses 1,500 inmates because the population of youthful offenders has declined.