McHenry jail chief abruptly resigns

The man who led McHenry County's effort to double the size of its jail to collect millions of federal dollars has resigned abruptly after seven years as the county's director of corrections.

Tom Svoboda last week gave a brief letter to Sheriff Keith Nygren announcing his immediate resignation, but citing no reasons for his departure.

"Working with you has been the pinnacle of my law enforcement career," the letter states. "I wish you continued success and will always be a supporter."

Svoboda did not return a call for comment Wednesday.

Nygren said that while he and Svoboda did not always agree, the former jail chief was not fired or forced out of his position.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," the sheriff said. "The time was right for him and he left on good terms."

In the wake of Svoboda's departure, Nygren promoted deputy corrections director Daniel Sedlock to acting director, a move that could become permanent.

"We're going to give him an opportunity to show what he can do, then either look for a new director or deputy director," Nygren said.

A former Illinois State Police sergeant, Svoboda took the jail chief's post in July 2000. He was out front as the sheriff's department worked with federal immigration authorities and the county board to broker a deal that would help fund a $14 million expansion of the jail.

Under the deal, federal authorities contributed more than $6 million toward the expansion costs and are paying the county thousands of dollars a day to hold immigration detainees in the new space. That deal, Nygren said Wednesday, is generating $8 million to $10 million in revenue for the county annually.

With the expansion, the jail employs about 200 workers and holds as many as 600 inmates a day.