![Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois.](https://will.illinois.edu/images/uploads/54024/2019-07-11-issues-prison-with-logo__medium.jpg)
Illinois Issues: State Prison Population Is Down 20 Percent — Who Gets Credit?
After decades of growth, the number of men and women in the Illinois prison system has declined sharply in the last several years. A complex blend of decisions is behind the drop — ranging from the highest reaches of power in the General Assembly down to individual police on the beat.