VCC solution is vital to future of this area

This area dodged a major bullet last week when a Johnson County judge issued a preliminary injunction that prevented Gov. Pat Quinn from laying off more than 2,600 state employees – including about 125 at Vandalia Correctional Center.

The ruling sends the governor and the union representing the prison workers back to the bargaining table.

Hopefully, by buying some time, the two sides can begin moving down a path that will lead to real solutions that work for everyone involved.

The governor, in his effort to save billions in our cash-strapped state, must take a look at other sources for his solution. Merely moving inmates and staffers from one correctional facility to another is not the answer.

In fact, it’s questionable whether the plan would save much at all. The governor’s proposal appears to be more about politics than sound business practices.

And the governor’s plan for an early-release initiative seems to be fraught with problems. We already have a recidivism problem – with way too many inmates coming back into the system after serving time. Releasing them early will just compound that problem – plus, it sends the wrong message about the state’s position on crime.

Before the state started dismantling several of the work programs at VCC, this was one of the few correctional centers that actually could teach an inmate a skill that could be useful once he returned to the outside world. And having the skills to land a job when they are released is a key element in the successful rehabilitation. Without such skills, it’s far too easy to revert back to the habits that landed the individual in prison in the first place.

For now, the governor and members of the union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, must each do their part to find a solution at the bargaining table. And we feel strongly that such a solution must not further diminish the stature and scope of the Vandalia Correctional Center.

The outcome of those talks will go a long way toward charting the future of our community.

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