The final report from a consulting firm hired by the state included a list of more than $2.5 billion in overdue repairs in Illinois’ 27 prison facilities; the existing price tag of “deferred maintenance” could double in five years if unaddressed. Pontiac specifically has $235 million in needed repairs, as well as the highest operational cost of $65,800 per inmate, double the agency’s average, according to the report.
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.