SPRINGFIELD – State Rep. Dave Severin has passed legislation through the Illinois House of Representatives that aims to assist the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center in Benton with recruitment, hiring, and retention of Correctional Officers at the facility.
“After speaking with officials at the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center, I filed legislation that I believe will help the facility recruit and retain staff to address the shortage of correctional officers that is causing hardship,” Severin said. “My legislation would allow the facility to hire applicants that possess less than a Bachelor’s Degree, meaning Associate’s Degree graduates and individuals with 60 credit hours of education at an Illinois accredited college or university would now be eligible to work at the facility. Correctional Officers undergo intensive relevant training and ongoing education once they are on the job that will allow them to carry out their responsibilities. This bill will lead to the expansion of the number of people applying for these positions and ultimately staying with the Center.”
HB 5041 will head to the Senate for consideration after receiving overwhelming House support.