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.

The state of Illinois has a problem with its prison boot camps: too many empty beds. The Department of Corrections runs two military-style programs in DuQuoin and Dixon Springs. But the facilities are at just 12 percent of capacity. Illinois lawmakers are trying to boost that number.