The person heading the Illinois prison system will be leaving the post April 1st after about four years on the job.
Governor J.B. Pritzker made the announcement on Tuesday. He thanked Rob Jeffreys for his years of service, ensuring the dignity and safety of the incarcerated people of Illinois.
In the statement, the Governor noted Jeffreys’ work in creating the new Office of Reentry to help re-integrate prisoners being released back into society as well as for redesigning the vocational and educational services to include training for living-wage level jobs upon release.
Prizker also commended Jeffreys’ work in reforming and redesigning services has given individuals in custody opportunities for advancement and improvement while also ensuring the highest level of security and care for the IDOC staff as they carry out their critical responsibilities.
Jeffreys said employees at all levels embraced reform as an opportunity and worked tirelessly to positively change the lives of those incarcerated while maintaining the safety and security of our facilities.
State Senator Jason Plummer takes a different look at the situation. He called this an opportunity for the Pritzker administration to start fresh and charge a new course for the corrections system where transparency and accountability are priorities. Plummer says the hard working corrections officers and prison staffs deserve an administration that treats them with respect. Plummer says the people of Illinois need an IDOC that focuses on public safety and the rehabilitation of offenders, instead of catering to the whims of out-of-touch special interest groups.
IDOC Chief of Staff Latoya J. Hughes will serve as acting director until a permanent replacement is named.
Jeffreys along with the Governor became the target of a lawsuit during COVID for not doing enough to protect elderly and medically vulnerable inmates. More than 1,000 inmates were eventually released due to the litigation.
