Politics & Government

Supreme Court Backs Gov's Plan to Close IYC

The decision, which was not unanimous, lifts the preliminary injunction that prevent the Illinois Youth Center-Joliet and other prisons to be closed.

Lower court proceedings aimed at forcing the governor to keep the Illinois Youth Center in Joliet and other prison facilities open were brought to a halt Tuesday by the Illinois Supreme Court.

A preliminary injunction to keep the buildings operating was lifted by the decision, according to an article by The Associated Press printed in the Joliet Herald News.

Gov. Pat Quinn's spokeswoman Brooke Anderson told the AP that the decision was the right one, supporting the governor's plan so taxpayers “will no longer be on the hook” for spending money buildings that are underutilized and expensive to run.

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It was not a unanimous decision. Dissenting justices said they believed the court was overstepping its bounds, the story said.

Only one court case remains -- the one filed by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, which challenged whether an arbitrator's ruling that Quinn's shutdown plan followed proper procedures with correct, the story said. It's possible the case becomes moot with the high court's ruling.

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