BY JENNIFER BAILEY
DANVILLE — Prisoners in one cell house welcomed the return of hot water this week.
Illinois Department of Corrections spokeswoman January Smith said one unit at the Danville Correctional Center was without hot water for showers for about a month.
“The hot water tank went out,” Smith said. “It’s so large, we just can’t buy it from Lowe’s or somewhere…”
The manufacturer had to build a new water tank, she said. She added that accommodations were made for the offenders to take showers in other places.
Danville Correctional Center Warden Keith Anglin referred any comments to Smith.
Rick Strebing, Danville Correctional Center employee and Ward 2 Alderman, said the hot water was off for about two months. A piece had to be made for the boiler, he said.
“It took a while,” Strebing said.
He estimates about 400 to 500 prisoners were affected in the one cell house.
The correctional center opened in October 1985 with a capacity of 896. The total average daily population is 1,810 in the Level 3 high medium-security adult male institution.
The average age for offenders is 34 years old. The average annual cost per inmate: $17,014, according to the IDOC.
The Danville facility has 17 buildings, which encompasses a total of 85 acres. The center houses general population inmates.
