Illinois Department of Corrections

Department of Corrections
Illinois Department of Corrections shoulder patch
Agency overview
Legal personality	Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction*	U.S. state of Illinois, United States
General nature	Law enforcement Civilian agency
Operational structure
Notables Person John Baldwin, Director of Corrections
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is the code department of the Illinois state government that operates the adult state prison system. The IDOC is led by a director appointed by the Governor of Illinois, and its headquarters are in Springfield.

The IDOC was established in 1970, combining the state's prisons, juvenile centers, and parole services. The juvenile corrections system was split off into the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice on July 1, 2006.

Crossroads and North Lawndale Adult Transition Centers are operated by the Safer Foundation.

The Illinois Department of Corrections uses a three level security designation system that encompasses three points of data. The initial classification is performed at one of the reception facilities located throughout the state. Classification reviews are performed periodically on offenders at their assigned facilities. The primary points of data are security level, offender grade, and escape level. Within each security level there are additional specifics that separate each security level into additional levels.

The offender classification is designated in the example below:

Security Levels: 1 – Maximum, 2 – Medium, 3 – Minimum, P – Pending (Reception/Classification Status)

Offender Grades: A, B, C

Escape Level: (L)ow, (M)oderate, (H)igh, (E)xtremely High, (P)ending (Reception/Classification Status)

Within the Medium and Minimum security levels there are multiple levels of security as shown in the list of facilities above. There are several factors which determine the level of security at a facility level. A table below will highlight some of the most important distinctions. An offender can be housed at a facility one level lower than his current security classification for a limited period of time if located in the Segregation Unit while a transfer is pending after reclassification.

Offender grades are part of the discipline system utilized within the facilities. Offenders are initially assigned to A grade and afforded all privileges. B grade is a transitional grade for offenders moving back to A grade after demotion to C grade. C grade restricts telephone usage, commissary purchases to cosmetic/legal items, and prohibits many work and school assignments.