City of Champions

The first order of business during the Joliet Council meeting last Monday was recognizing their high school band’s winning of first place in a band contest.  The band then treated us to a brilliant display of their talents that brought everyone in the room to a standing ovation. The school band’s most recent success justified the city’s historical claim as being a “City of Champions”.

The council then moved on to reject a resident’s request to open a muffler shop in Joliet despite the Council Staff’s recommendation that it be approved and despite the project’s architect being able to explain away concerns about limited parking. The real reason for rejecting the project was probably closer to the admission of one member who said he was against the project because many of the residents in the area were against it.

It is hoped that the Joliet Council will be as concerned about the wishes of Joliet residents who are adamantly against Corrections Corporation of  America building a for-profit detention center in Joliet as they were concerned about  residents who don’t want a muffler shop in their area.

Fifty or more people showed up at the meeting to speak against the detention center. Several spoke passionately on why a detention center was bad for Joliet; one long time resident presented the Council with a petition with over 5,000 signatures.  Another resident reminded the members that Latinos voted in force the last election to help elect the only Council member who openly opposed and is currently leading the fight against the detention center. He didn’t have to remind anyone that Latinos make up over 25% of the population of Joliet. Another person read a list of state and national leaders, including State Attorney General, Lisa Madigan and Congressmen Foster who are opposed to the detention center.

The opposition to the detention center has been building as more and more people become aware of the issue and in particular the history of Corrections Corp. of America and that currently there is no for-profit detention center in Illinois. It is time for the Joliet Council to listen to their residents and vote against having a detention center in Joliet. Then, like their high school band, the Joliet Council can lay claim to be part of the “City of Champions”.

For-profit prisons are not allowed in Illinois. To get that law changed to include for-profit detention centers being restricted from operating in Illinois, please sign the following petition:

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/stop-private-detention?mailing_id=12358&source=s.icn.em.cr&r_by=341394

Ron K.