Illinois SVPs to Relocate

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois sex offenders housed at a state Department of Health Services facility will be relocated to a new site in Rushville, under a new plan introduced by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

More than 250 sexually violent predators housed at the facility in Joliet would be relocated to the Illinois Youth Center in Rushville, which is run by the state’s Department of Corrections. Construction on the facility was completed in 2003 but it never opened.

The transfer was recommended by the DHS because the Joliet site was overcrowded. An interagency task force and several state political leaders also support the move.

When operating at full capacity, the Rushville facility is expected to employ 228 people and have an operating budget of about $27 million. The facility has 185 security staff positions. The residents of Rushville have greeted the plan with open arms, according to reports.