By Dave McKinney
Chicago Sun Times
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Quinn Tuesday defended his plan to release up to 1,000 inmates, a step that begins this week and eventually could save the cash-strapped state $5 million a year.
By the end of this week, 62 non-violent offenders who are within a year of their scheduled release dates will be freed in the first wave of Quinn’s early-release initiative.
“We’re going to do this because we do have financial challenges. But at the same time, we’re going to do it in a way that always protects the public,” Quinn said.
Quinn said those released will be under “constant electronic monitoring” while on parole, and the governor expressed optimism that none of those being set free early will be a threat to society.
His administration refused to name those in the first wave of early releases.
Copyright 2009 Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.