Illinois Senate Approves Prison Chief

The Illinois Senate has approved retaining the state's director of prisons, despite complaints from Republicans about the peformance of S.A. "Tony" Godinez.

The Senate voted 37-18 to consent to Gov. Pat Quinn's appointment over those complaints.
 
Godinez has been Corrections Department director since April 2011. The job pays $150,200.
 
Godinez has been criticized for a number of issues. He followed Quinn's directive to close two prisons and sell one to the federal government. The prisons are overcrowded - holding nearly 50,000 inmates in a system designed for 32,000.
 
And he has overseen the hiring of a former congressman's son whom the executive inspector general said was not qualified.

He also oversaw the hiring of a former gang member whom the Chicago Sun-Times  reported had been arrested two dozen times.