Illinois State Sen. Gary Forby is urging Gov. Pat Quinn to drop his prison-closure plans with inmate numbers at an all-time high.
The Benton Democrat said Quinn should reconsider after The Associated Press reported the prison population hit a record -- 49,154 -- last weekend.
The Corrections Department denied a figure that large even though the analysis was based on the agency's own numbers.
Quinn says a tight budget requires closure of five correctional facilities -- including Tamms in Forby's district. The Democrat pledges it can be done safely.
Quinn spokeswoman Kelly Kraft said Forby's comments are ``filled with inaccuracies based on an inaccurate report'' but did not explain why the administration is refuting its own numbers.
The AP's latest analysis of Corrections numbers shows 49,171 prisoners.
