East Central Reporter

There are two inmates sentenced in Shelby County set to be released from prison during the second quarter of 2025, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The inmate being released that served the longest time was Shawn R. Ruot for predatory criminal sexual assault. Shawn R. Ruot spent more than 17 years incarcerated.

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 prison population growth in the state.

Most prison inmates are released on some condition of supervised monitoring upon reentering civilian life. This monitoring can last from 1 year to the rest of someone’s life.

Name	Offense	Supervised Release Date	Holding Facility
Gaige M. Betts	violent order	04/10/2025	Illinois River Correctional Center
Shawn R. Ruot	predatory criminal sexual assault	05/25/2025	Big Muddy River Correctional Center