Gubernatorial candidate calls for leadership overhaul, prison reforms

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Independent Illinois gubernatorial candidate Collin Corbett says persistent staffing shortages, aging equipment and what he describes as poor leadership inside the Illinois Department of Corrections are jeopardizing the safety of correctional officers and inmates alike.

Corbett’s comments come as correctional officers at Shawnee Correctional Center have raised concerns about equipment failures and working conditions.

“The biggest problem is staffing,” Corbett said in an interview.

He estimated the department’s security staff vacancy rate at roughly 24% and said employees have also expressed frustration that management positions are filled through political connections rather than qualifications.

Corbett pointed to the situation at Shawnee Correctional Center, where he said workers have been picketing after faulty radios contributed to an extended lockdown.

“Staff had warned that these radios were old and were going to break,” Corbett said. “Without functioning equipment, it’s an unsafe environment both for workers and for inmates.”

He argued that prolonged lockdowns harm both employees and prisoners.

“Our correctional staff deserve functioning equipment, adequate staffing and a safe work environment,” Corbett said. “Our inmates deserve humane living conditions and an environment that supports their rehabilitation.”

While acknowledging recent increases in prison funding, Corbett said he is not convinced additional money should come before addressing what he called management failures.

Illinois lawmakers approved about a $2.4 billion fiscal year 2027 budget for the Department of Corrections. Corbett noted the budget has more than doubled since 2013 while the state’s prison population has declined from about 49,000 inmates to roughly 30,000.

“I’m open to additional funding in the future if it’s necessary,” he said. “But my focus right now is that we need to make sure our current funding is spent properly.”

Corbett criticized what he called costly overtime practices within the department, alleging employees can use paid leave in a way that generates overtime pay. He also argued Illinois’ procurement system delays equipment purchases and increases costs.

Looking ahead, Corbett said his priorities would include replacing IDOC leadership, modernizing agency technology and improving transparency.

“There have been too many violent incidents at state prisons that have gone unreported and unaddressed,” he said. “We need competent leadership for IDOC.”

He also criticized outdated systems, noting that some department timekeeping remains manual and that technology problems have affected the state’s ability to calculate recidivism rates.

Corbett also called for stronger protections against inmate abuse, citing lawsuits involving juveniles, women and people with mental illness.

“We just need to do better,” he said. “J.B. Pritzker has had plenty of time. He’s been governor for almost eight years. He can’t keep blaming everyone else for our problems.”

Pritzker’s administration has previously highlighted increased investments in corrections staffing, facility improvements and public safety initiatives as part of recent state budgets.