Menard Correctional Center
| Location | 1096 1350th Street Chester, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°54′43″N 89°50′31″W / 37.91194°N 89.84194°W |
| Status | Open |
| Security class | Maximum |
| Capacity | 3,861 |
| Opened | 1878 |
| Managed by | Illinois Department of Corrections |
Menard Correctional Center, known prior to 1970 as Southern Illinois Penitentiary, is an Illinois state prison located in the town of Chester in Randolph County, Illinois. It houses maximum-security and high-medium-security adult males. The average daily population as of 2007 was 3,410.
Menard Correctional Center opened in March 1878; it is the second oldest operating prison in Illinois, and, by a large margin, the state's largest prison. Menard once housed death row; however, on January 10, 2003, the Condemned Unit closed when then Governor George Ryan granted clemency to all Illinois death row inmates. It is a part of the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Menard Correctional Center's average prisoner age is 34 years old. Each inmate's average annual cost totals, as of fiscal year 2018, $27,364.