FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE            MEDIA RELEASE: January 20, 2010      FROM: Illinois Institute for Community Law CONTACTS: Bill Ryan, nanatoad@comcast.net, 708-531-9923 or 708-574-8056 (cell) Jean Maclean Snyder, jeansnyder@sbcglobal.net, 773-285-5100 or 312-505-9444 (cell) Advocates for reform set the record straight on early release "Shame on the candidates" for posturing instead of reforming our prisons CHICAGO—A coalition of prison reform advocacy groups, including The John Howard Association of Illinois, Stateville Speaks, the Illinois Institute for Community Law, the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (Chicago), and Tamms Year Ten, is calling for an end to the false charges, counter-charges andname-calling over the recently ended, early-release program.  The Quinn-Hynes debate tonight, it says, was a new low and the last straw.  The coalition claims that candidates have been posturing to look tough on crime, instead of being honest and upfront with voters about the reality of the need for prison reform. Illinois Corrections Chief Michael Randle is not the problem, said Bill Ryan, publisher of Stateville Speaks, "The problem is a lack of political will to deal with an understaffed, overcrowdedprison system with crumbling physical plants and without effective programming, as well as a culture that believes that warehousing people in cells will magically result in changed behavior."   The prisoners released in the now defunct program, the groups argue, had earned sufficient good time that their already short prison sentences – less than 61 days – could be waived. And while the sentence reduction was short, the cost savings were potentially great because these “61 day wonders” as they are called, are per person among the most costly to incarcerate since they must be transported, oriented, fed and housed -- and almost immediately transported back to their communities. This state has to start some form of early release. It is a fiscal reality, and in a state with a 50% recidivism rate, there will be risk involved. Public officials shouls be talking about policies that save money and reduce recidivism.   The prison reform organizations are also protesting inflammatory calls by Hynes, and earlier in the day gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady, of a cover-up by Randle and Governor Quinn.  “It is standard procedure,” said Bill Ryan, “to direct press inquiries to the media experts. So I see nothing sinister here.”  He continued:  “Indeed, Director Randle has been more open and communicative than any IDOC chief  in a long time, and I go back a ways!”   Prison reformers however, are not satisfied with the performance of Governor Quinn or with the IDOC status quo.  They insist that real reform – and real cost savings -- will only come when the bloated prison population of 46,000 is significantly reduced, and when excessively harsh punishments -- such as the long-term warehousing of men at Tamms supermax – are ended or reformed. But these reforms can only be achieved when re-entry, re-education, and rehabilitation programs are created or enhanced.  Until that time, say reformers, the citizens of Illinois will be subjected to huge prison costs, unsafe communities, broken families…and a lot of hot air.