5 Illinois prison facilities could end up short on payroll

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - At least five Illinois prisons don't appear to have enough money to pay workers through the fiscal year that ends June 30, according to state records.

The Springfield bureau of Lee Enterprises newspapers (http://bit.ly/1GFm0Hc ) reports prisons that may run short of cash include facilities in Jacksonville, Mount Sterling, Sumner, Taylorville and Vandalia. Nearly 5,000 prison workers could be affected, according to the records.

Department of Corrections spokeswoman Nicole Wilson said it needs $117 million to keep up operations through the end of June, with $70.8 million of that for payroll needs. She said another 4,000 workers at 11 facilities and general office staff could see effects by early May.

The current fiscal year budget for Illinois is about $1.6 billion short. Democrats had hoped they would be able to pass an extension of a temporary income tax increase that expired Jan. 1.

Legislative approval would be required to transfer money between corrections facilities, according to how the current budget is structured.

Gov. Bruce Rauner addressed the problems in an unrelated speech Tuesday in Springfield.

"It's a mess. It's a fiasco," Rauner said. He didn't respond to questions from reporters after the speech.

Rauner named Donald Stolworthy as the new director of the corrections department earlier this week, replacing the former director who had announced his retirement. Stolworthy has worked with the U.S. State Department and Alaska prison system, and Rauner's office said Stolworthy is an expert in corrections reform.