South Central Reporter

There is one inmate sentenced in Macoupin County set to be released from jail in May, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The inmate is called Joseph V. Greear, and spent three years incarcerated for an offense recorded as 'meth delivery between 5-15 grams'.

According to the Illinois Department of Corrections, Illinois spends about $45,828 a year per incarcerated person. In a 2023 study by the Prison Policy Initiative, the state's incarceration rate was at 433 per 100,000, higher than every industrialized country, except the United States. When compared with its surrounding states, Illinois was the lowest. Kentucky and Missouri have rates over 700 per 100,000.

Another study by the Prison Policy Initiative highlighted that the number of unconvicted individuals was more than two times higher than that of convicted individuals, possibly one of the leading causes of jail growth in the state.

Most prison inmates are released on some condition of supervised monitoring upon reentering civilian life. This monitoring can last from one year to the rest of someone’s life.

Name	Offense	Supervised Release Date	Holding Facility
Joseph V. Greear	Meth delivery between 5-15 grams	05/17/2025	Sheridan Correctional Center