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Sign up for a Plum library card this September No matter where you live in Lombard, the library has something for you. Do you want to check out a DVD, book on CD, video game, playaway or magazine? Or perhaps you want to use the Internet, locate a best seller, enroll your child in a children’s program, visit our adult quiet reading room or teen section. Whatever the reason, we welcome you.
All those who open a new Helen M. Plum Memorial Library card through the month of September will be able to enter a weekly drawing to win gift certificates for gasoline and groceries. Children will receive a small gift from the youth services department. Also, adults who use their Plum Library card during the month are eligible to enter a weekly drawing to win a tech package (Best Buy gift certificate and flash drive).
Library cards are available to any resident or property owner whose property is located within the Lombard village limits. Some valid form of identification is required to receive a card. Those who refer friends will also be entered into the weekly drawing for a tech package. So, tell your neighbors and friends and come see us in September.
Karen Kee Head of Circulation Helen M. Plum Memorial Library
There is an obligation to get answers If not for Gov. Quinn’s secret early release of inmates program, 41-year-old Orvette Davis, who was allegedly killed by Edjuan Payne in Peoria, may still be alive today. According to published reports, Quinn’s administration released Payne early from prison; he went to Peoria and allegedly murdered Davis in May of this year.
For Davis and her family alone, we have an obligation to get answers to why Payne ended up on a list of more than 1,700 inmates to be released early—even though he had been in prison in the past for murder. The administration stated in a report that close to 50 percent of the inmates it released early through this program had a history of violent crimes.
After months of asking questions about the secret release program and filing legislation, which was blocked by House Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President Cullerton, our Republican leaders Tom Cross and Christine Radogno called for a Joint Investigatory Panel on Early Release.
We hosted two hearings in August to look into these unanswered questions—one in Peoria and one in Chicago.
Republican and Democrat lawmakers attended the hearing in Peoria. Only Republicans attended the hearing in Chicago, listening to testimony from victims’ advocates, law enforcement, former inmates and prisoners’ advocates. At both hearings, the people in attendance had a common goal to ensure public safety and make improvements to the prison system.
After repeated invitations, Quinn’s administration refused to attend, saying the hearings were not legitimate.
Tell that to the victims and law enforcement, who were not given adequate notice of these inmates getting out of prison early.
Tell that to Orvette Davis’ family.
The true failure of Quinn’s Meritorious Good Time (MGT) Push program was the lack of consideration given to public safety.
Nearly nine months after the initial press reports about the secret program, the governor’s own report stated that the program was “ill-conceived.” Despite blaming Department of Corrections Director Michael Randle for the botched MGT Push program, Quinn refused to fire him. On Thursday, it was announced that Randle is leaving his post for a new out-of-state job.
Early release can be useful to encourage inmates to take advantage of programs aimed at preparing them to become productive citizens upon their release. Gov. Quinn’s MGT Push program did not reward inmates for taking steps to improve their situations, but instead rewarded them for simply showing up, in some cases after they had served as few as nine days.
We plan to take what we’ve learned from the hearings and the governor’s report to craft legislation to improve the prison systems to ensure we are protecting the public’s safety in the best way possible.
We hope that when we file the legislation, Gov. Quinn, Speaker Madigan and President Cullerton will find it to be “legitimate” and support the changes.
State Sen. Kirk Dillard State Rep. Dennis Reboletti
