Last of inmates leave Tamms prison

TAMMS, Ill. -- The last inmates at Tamms Correctional Center were transferred Friday to other prisons in Illinois.

The remaining five inmates in the CMAX, or "supermax" unit, were transferred to Pontiac Correctional Center in Pontiac, Ill., and the remaining 48 inmates in the Tamms minimum-security unit were transferred to Sheridan Correctional Center in Sheridan, Ill.

Stacey Solano, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Corrections, said 136 inmates from the CMAX unit and 97 from the minimum security unit have been relocated. All inmates from the CMAX unit were transferred to Pontiac Correctional Center with the exception of seven who were transferred to Menard Correctional Center in Chester, Ill. All minimum-security inmates were transferred to Sheridan Correctional Center.

Solano said there are 294 employees at Tamms and all have been offered other positions within the department. She said 264 employees accepted the positions, while the others accepted layoffs, took jobs at other state agencies or resigned.

The transfer of inmates from Tamms comes after a lower-court injunction to block the shutdown of the prison was reversed by the Illinois Supreme Court. Staff at Tamms will continue to report until the last day of operations Jan. 4.

Pertinent address:

8500 Supermax Road, Tamms, Ill.