Inmates moved from Dwight prison ahead of closure

LINCOLN, Ill. (AP) — About 150 inmates from the maximum-security women's prison in Dwight have been moved in preparation for shutting down that facility by the end of the month.

Illinois Department of Corrections spokeswoman Marcelyn Love says all of the roughly 950 prisoners at the Dwight Correctional Center will be moved to the Logan County Correctional Center in Lincoln over the next few weeks.

The group of 150 inmates was transferred there on Thursday.

Gov. Pat Quinn ordered the closing of Dwight and other correctional facilities in a cost-cutting move.

As part of the transition, male prisoners have been moved out of the Logan Correctional Center to allow for its conversion into a women's facility.

The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reports (http://bit.ly/100q4ey ) the Logan facility will house about 2,000 prisoners.

___

Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com