Chambana Sun

State Rep. Thomas Bennett (R-Flanagan) co-hosted Tuesday's town hall on the Pontiac Correctional Center controversy.

The maximum-security prison has been a source of uncertainty and debate for much of 2022. A town hall meeting held in Pontiac Township High School's auditorium was intended to bring facts to community leaders.

Some inmates were transferred from Pontiac to other prisons in February due to mechanical issues in part of the prison, according to HOIABC. Department of Corrections officials said they have no plans to close Pontiac Correctional Center.

"A General Assembly town hall meeting was held at the Pontiac Township High School Auditorium last night to discuss concerns and activities around the Pontiac Correctional Center since Feb. 9," Bennett said on Facebook on Wednesday. "Great turnout from the community. The focus was on the total lack of communication, information, and transparency by the Department of Corrections and Director [Rob] Jeffreys with legislators, both Democrats and Republicans, and this community on the director’s plans and vision for the Pontiac Correctional Center. His communications with legislators and the community has stopped. We are being ignored by our own state government. I am deeply disappointed."

Bennett thanked the public and the officials involved in the event despite being disappointed by the outcome. 

"I appreciate the many hours of meetings, phone calls, emails, texts, preparing documents, and planning by Sen. [Jason] Barickman (R-Bloomington) and his office, my office and staff, 12 other state legislators, Mayor [Bill] Alvey (NP-Pontiac), County Board Chair [Kathy] Arbogast, Union President Lee, GLCEDC leaders Adam Dontz and Brad Solberg, and Pontiac Township Superintendent Jon Kilgore working together to help tell the story of what has happened since Feb. 9 and help find a way to bring Director Jeffreys here to this town hall for him to share his plan," Bennett said on Facebook. "Despite all efforts, the director has refused, has ignored our requests. More to come. We will continue to fight for our community and for answers. Government must be more responsive than this to the people they are supposed to serve."

Bennett shared similar thoughts on his website in a statement from February.

"The Pontiac Correctional Center serves as one of the largest employers in Livingston County and has a tremendous economic impact on the surrounding area," Bennett said. "Because of the importance of the facility to the local community, I have reached out to Gov. [J.B.] Pritzker (D-Ill.) and the director of DOC to demand an explanation about what transpired last week and to get information about what the plans are for the future of the facility. We need to know the facts, the plan, and the directions. The people of Livingston County deserve to know what is going on, and I am determined to get an answer."