New state data show that the number of people incarcerated in Illinois prisons has fallen in recent years but facilities still remain overcrowded.
The Springfield bureau of Lee Enterprises newspapers reports that the most recent report on Illinois Department of Corrections facilities shows the agency held 47,483 inmates in May 2015. That's the lowest since May 2010 when the department reported 47,150 inmates behind bars. The peak was in January 2013 with 49,321 inmates.
The state prison system's facilities are designed to house 32,000 prisoners.
Gov. Bruce Rauner has asked a special committee to study how to reduce the Illinois prison population by 25 percent over the next decade. The Illinois State Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform is scheduled to hold a public hearing Monday in Chicago.
