IL DOC – Sheridan Correctional Center

The Sheridan Correctional Center is an adult male medium security prison, totally dedicated to substance abuse treatment and is one of the largest substance abuse treatment programs in the nation. Sheridan Correctional Center was reopened to curb the trend in Illinois' growing prison population to reduce high recidivism rates of released Illinois offenders, providing men with evidenced-based substance abuse treatment services, and using the Therapeutic Community approach to equip offenders to return to drug-free, crime-free lives upon release. In the Sheridan Correctional Center nation model program, treatment interventions and access to other services are coordinated from the outset. The substance abuse provider collaborates with a cadre of service providers, the Illinois Department of Corrections and Adult Parole to effect community reintegration of returning offenders and improve public safety. Recovering from addiction requires a wide range of social and psychological interventions to confront old behaviors and instill new ones. Sheridan Correctional Center applies clinical best practices and uses a modified therapeutic community model with cognitive self-change. Sheridan Correctional Center staff collaborates with other organizations to clinical reentry management services and community reintegration, including continuing care provided by community-based substance abuse treatment providers.

History – Sheridan Correctional Center is located approximately 70 miles west of Chicago in LaSalle County and was originally constructed in 1941 as a juvenile facility. It was converted to an adult facility in 1973. Sheridan Correctional Center was closed from 2002, until it reopened in January 2004. Sheridan Correctional Center consists of a total of 75 buildings, which comprise more than 600,000 square feet. There are 13 housing units and a 9-bed health care unit. The facility sits on 270 acres with 80 acres inside the perimeter fencing that houses up to 2,099 adult males. The facility houses general population offenders.

All offenders are encouraged to participate in vocational programs to increase the useable skills an inmate has. The vocational skills taught at Sheridan Correctional Center can also help inmates to obtain a job upon their release. Vocational programs include a barbering, welding, horticulture, warehousing, culinary arts, electrical, masonry, plumbing, carpentry, maintenance, and machining. This facility also participates in the correctional industry garment cutting.

IL DOC – Sheridan Correctional Center – Parole

Inmate Programs

Academic:

• ABE (Adult Basic Education)
• GED (General Education Development)

Vocational:

• Culinary Arts
• Barbering
• Welding
• Warehousing
• Horticulture
• Career Technologies
• Home Builders Institute (HBI)
• Electricity
• Carpentry
• Plumbing
• Masonry
• BuildinApartment Maintenance
• Illinois Manufacturing Foundation (IMF)
• Machining/CNC Technology

Industries:

• Garment Cutting

Volunteer Services:

• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Narcotics Anonymous
• Bible Studies
• Fathers Read, Too
• Inside Out Dads

Other:

• Positive Parenting Class
• Recreational Therapy
• Peer Education Program
• Drug Education
• Healthy Relationships
• Anger Management
• Young Men's Aggressive Management Groups
• Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program
• Leisure Time Activity
• Chaplaincy
• Library
• Inner Circle Groups