Gov. Pat Quinn wants to close the prison in Dwight, but a judge has delayed the move. (WJBC File Photo)

By Beth Whisman

NORMAL -  On the same day that a handful of central and northern Illinois Democrats urged Gov. Pat Quinn to drop plans to close seven correctional facilities, Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford repeated his criticism of the governor's plan

Sen. Pat McGuire says the youth detention center at Joliet is the state's only facility for the worst juvenile offenders, and closing it would make the rest of the system more dangerous. McGuire was one of at least five lawmakers or legislative candidates who are urging the General Assembly to restore funding for the facilities that Quinn vetoed last spring. The General Assembly meets next month.

Meanwhile, Republican State Treasurer Dan Rutherford told WJBC it's simply a lack of bad executive leadership to close any major facility without a clear, strategic plan.

"To announce that you're going to close a major state facility when we're at 147 percent capacity in a community that's already hosting it, with employees working there, with brick and mortar assets .... in X, 1,2,3,4 months is insane," he said.

Rutherford was in Bloomington-Normal Monday for an Illinois Cash Dash event for his office.

Quinn wants to close prisons at Tamms and Dwight, three halfway houses and the Joliet and Murphysboro youth centers.

Listen to Dan Rutherford's interview with WJBC's Jim Fitzpatrick HERE.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Beth Whisman can be reached at whisman@wjbc.com.