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Monday, March 31, 2025

Q1: Illinois Department of Corrections set to release 3 inmates sentenced in Pope County

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There are three inmates sentenced in Pope County set to be released from jail during the first quarter of 2025, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The inmate being released that served the longest time was Blake A. Werner for residential burglary. Blake A. Werner spent more than four years incarcerated.

According to the Illinois Department of Corrections, Illinois spends about $45,828 a year per incarcerated person. In a 2023 study by the Prison Policy Initiative, the state's incarceration rate was at 433 per 100,000, higher than every industrialized country, except the United States. When compared with its surrounding states, Illinois was the lowest. Kentucky and Missouri have rates over 700 per 100,000.

One of the reasons behind jail growth is how pretrial detainees are handled. Another study by the Prison Policy Initiative noted that the number of unconvicted individuals was more than two times higher than convicted individuals.

Most prison inmates are released on some condition of supervised monitoring upon reentering civilian life. This monitoring can last from 1 year to the rest of someone’s life.

Inmates Sentenced in Pope County Scheduled for Release in Q1
NameOffenseSupervised Release DateHolding Facility
Robert L. Presleytheft02/12/2025Robinson Correctional Center
Joseph L. Vinciaggravated battery02/19/2025Vienna Correctional Center
Blake A. Wernerresidential burglary03/01/2025Danville Correctional Center

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