[ Search ] [ PDF text ] [ Legislation ]
[ Home ] [ Back ] [ Bottom ]
| [ Introduced ] | [ Engrossed ] | [ Enrolled ] |
| [ House Amendment 001 ] |
92_HB3714gms
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
207 STATE CAPITOL, SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS 62706
GEORGE H. RYAN
GOVERNOR
June 10, 2002
To the Honorable Members of the
Illinois House of Representatives
92nd General Assembly
Pursuant to Article IV, Section 9(b) of the Illinois
Constitution of 1970, I hereby veto House Bill 3714 entitled,
"AN ACT in relation to criminal law."
House Bill 3714 would amend the Unified Code of
Corrections to forbid DoC from entering into a contract with
a private vendor to provide food or commissary services for
institutions or facilities of the Department. House Bill
3714 further stipulates that for the purposes of this Act,
"private vendor" means a vendor that is not the State of
Illinois.
House Bill 3714 was introduced to prohibit DoC from
expanding the current use of a legitimate cost-saving
initiative that is needed to help balance the Fiscal Year
2003 State budget. The privatization of prison food services
works successfully in Illinois, as it does in 14 other states
and in the federal government's prison system. If this bill
were to become law, State government would face added costs
in the Fiscal Year 2003 budget of $27 million.
Many arguments have been given for reasons why DoC should
maintain the status quo with their food service functions.
None stand up against the facts.
The Department already has proven that privatization of
dietary services works in Illinois. The use of contractual
food services had been in place at Joliet Correctional Center
from 1982 until its recent closure. The use of contractual
food services is also in place at the Department's 11 adult
transition centers, and private Commissary contracts are in
place at the "super-max" Tamms Correctional Center and at
most of the State's juvenile facilities. No problems have
occurred at Joliet, Tamms, the adult transition centers or
any of the juvenile facilities because of these privatized
services.
Safety within Illinois prisons will not be affected by
privatizing prison food services. Right now, of the
approximately 500 dietary employes currently employed by DoC,
305 were hired from neighboring communities with no prior
corrections experience. As would be the case with all
contractual employees, all current dietary employees without
any prior corrections experience were required to undergo and
pass criminal background investigations and drug testing
prior to being hired. All food services employees are
required to attend a one week pre-service orientation
session.
Contracting with private vendors for prison food services
is an accepted practice in Illinois. Several counties in
Illinois have fully privatized their food services. Most
notably, Cook County has privatized food services for the
more than 11,000 inmates that it houses. Other counties that
have privatized their food service include: Depage, Lake,
McHenry, Kane, Rock Island, Winnebago, Boone, Champaign, and
St Clair.
By implementing a plan to privatize food and commissary
service, DoC estimates that it will save approximately $25
million in Fiscal Year 2003. The Fiscal Year 2003 budget for
Department is based on these cost savings. Enactment of HB
3714 also would prevent the continuation of the dietary and
commissary services that already are privatized at the
Department's various adult transition centers and juvenile
facilities. If the State is forced to assume the direct
operation of these services, the new associated costs are
anticipated to be $2 million for Fiscal Year 2003.
Finally, I believe that it is very important that the
Governor maintain flexibility in managing Executive Branch
agencies, including maintaining authority over whether or not
non-correctional services at the DoC may be provided by
private vendors.
For these reasons, I hereby veto and return House Bill
3714.
Sincerely,
s/GEORGE H. RYAN
Governor