KEWANEE, Ill. – On Wednesday, state Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillside, joined a panel of state legislators, members of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, and hundreds of local residents for a public hearing to discuss the potential closure of the Illinois Youth Center facility in Kewanee and its impact on local communities.
“The IYC Kewanee facility not only serves as a maximum security youth center, but as a source of good jobs for hundreds of workers in our area,” Smiddy said. “As seen by the large community turnout in Kewanee this week, local residents are deeply concerned about the potential closure of this facility and the devastating impact it would have on working families in this region.”
In February, the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (DOJJ) announced that the IYC Kewanee would be closed at the end of June, eliminating about 200 jobs. State law requires the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability to hold a public meeting on any closing of a state facility, which was held on Wednesday at Kewanee High School. Representatives from the DOJJ spoke in favor of their proposal to close the facility, while Rep. Smiddy and other local legislators voiced their opposition to the plan and highlighted their concerns for cutting local jobs.
“At a time when budgets are tight and families are finding ways to do more with less, we cannot afford to strip jobs from our community that middle-class families depend on,” Smiddy said. “I urge the Governor and the Department of Juvenile Justice to reevaluate the current situation at IYC Kewanee and consider the impact this closure would have on working families and our local economy.”
For more information, please contact Smiddy’s full-time constituent service office at 309-848-9098.
