SPRINGFIELD – 118th District State Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona) announced on Wednesday the unanimous passage of legislation he is sponsoring in Springfield that creates the Tamms Minimum Security Unit Task Force. Jacobs, whose district includes the currently shuttered Tamms facilities and campus, says the purpose of the task force will be to explore how the $71 million Minimum Security Unit on the grounds at Tamms could be repurposed and placed back into operation.

“I am delighted at the passage of HB 3276 and the unanimous support I received today from my colleagues in the House. When legislators hear the word Tamms, they automatically think of the maximum security prison that was closed by Governor Pat Quinn. It is obvious to me that the Democrats that control the State of Illinois’ General Assembly will not vote in favor of reopening Tamms as a correctional facility. So, instead of just letting the building and grounds continue to deteriorate and rust away, I am determined to find a better use for the facility that can actually provide some valuable service to the citizens and taxpayers of Illinois.”

According to the language of HB 3276, the Tamms Minimum Security Unit Task Force shall study the subject of a practical, efficient, and beneficial repurposing of the Tamms Minimum Security Unit and its property for the benefit of the public, including the possibility of providing mental health services, health services, public safety, law enforcement training purposes, fire services, medical training and any other option for repurposing that the Task Force deems appropriate. The Task Force is required to meet at least two times prior to the end of the year, with a report due to the General Assembly on or before December 31, 2023.