General Info

Western Illinois Correctional Center, located in Mt. Sterling, Ill., is a division of the Illinois Department of Corrections. The department has a special operations team, a statewide unit that responds to the operational needs of the department during routine or critical incidents. Its Canine Unit's duties include detection of drugs and weapons, tracking and recovery, and building and area searches during escapes, hostage situations and riot conditions. The center provides factory and service industry programs inside the correctional facility to provide inmates with the training and work skills needed after their release. It has more than 35 programs operating in over 15 different correctional centers. The programs produce a variety of products and provide various services, such as food, milk, juice, clothing, office and university furniture, eyeglasses, mattresses and pillows, asbestos abatement and dog training.