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WNIJ's summary of news items around our state.

Prison Watchdog: New Corrections Dept. Head Must Be More Transparent

Illinois’s prison watchdog, the John Howard Association, says the new leader of state prisons needs to increase transparency.

But prison reformers who worked with Gov. Bruce Rauner’s pick to lead the agency say openness isn’t John Baldwin's strong suit.

Baldwin led Iowa’s Department of Corrections before he was appointed in Illinois.

Johnie Hammond, a former state lawmaker who served two terms on the Iowa prison board, said she would give Baldwin "mixed reviews" in general but negative reviews on transparency.

"I’m sorry about that," Hammond said, "but I was on the board for seven years before I discovered that there were secret rules within the department.”

Hammond says those rules involved transporting and shackling prisoners.

In a statement, Rauner says he stands by Baldwin.

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