The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is in the early stages of considering the Enfield Rehabilitation property within the Village of Enfield to host programming for individuals on Mandatory Supervised Release. While no final decisions have been made regarding property acquisition or its use, the Department says it remains committed to ensuring community safety.
However, the proposal has drawn strong concern from local and state officials.
State Representative Dave Severin said he, along with State Senator Terri Bryant and Representative Patrick Windhorst, was contacted by White County Sheriff Jordan Weiss, who expressed concerns that the plan could result in unsupervised parolees being placed in Enfield, without guards or local law enforcement oversight. Severin noted that a report he reviewed estimated the cost of retrofitting the property at around $1 million.
White County media reports indicate White County Board Member David South, who represents the Enfield area, strongly opposed the idea. “In my opinion, the last thing Enfield and White County needs is 43 parolees and sex offenders dropped off in town unsupervised and without any village law enforcement,” South stated. “I’ll continue to pursue any avenue to stop this from our local community!”
Enfield Village Board member Jim Bolin added that neither the board nor the mayor had been officially informed of the property’s intended use. “We too have heard rumors,” Bolin said, “but have not been approached by the person or persons who purchased the property.”
At this time, IDOC officials emphasize that the project remains in the exploratory phase, with no confirmed plans or finalized decisions.
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