Fearing the long-term societal impact of the proposed closing of the women’s prison in Dwight, State Senator Iris Y. Martinez is urging the governor to reconsider. “This is punishment on the families, not the prisoners,” Martinez said of Gov. Pat Quinn’s plans to close the prison in Dwight and move the female inmates nearly 100 miles south to a state prison in Lincoln.

Martinez pointed out that the vast majority of the female inmates at Dwight are from the Chicago area. Moving them even further away only adds to the difficult in maintaining a family and support structure that can help the inmates when they are released back into their communities. The day before the governor gave his budget addressed and called for closing Dwight, Martinez toured the women’s prison. In addition to the impact on the inmates and their families, Martinez also feared the effect the closing would have on the small community of Dwight, which stands to lose hundreds of jobs. “I hope Governor Quinn and the Department of Corrections will take a step back and re-think the negative impact the proposed Dwight facility closure would have on the communities and the state,” Martinez said.