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Article updated: 9/17/2012 8:42 PM

Analysis: State prison population at all-time high

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Gov. Pat Quinn wants to close Tamms prison and four other correctional centers to save money.

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he number of inmates locked up in Illinois prisons is at an all-time high, according to an Associated Press analysis, and coincides with Gov. Pat Quinn's administration battle with state employees over closing correctional facilities. The Department of Corrections disputes the AP's findings and says the number is about 100 inmates lower. But the department's own numbers confirm that the prison population has grown to near-record highs despite its prediction of a decline in incarcerations.