East Central Reporter

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

The inmate being released that served the longest time was Oscar Eck for murder with the intent to kill or injure. Oscar Eck spent more than 20 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
John D. Worlow	possession of meth, under five grams	08/07/2025	Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center
Oscar Eck	murder with the intent to kill or injure	08/23/2025	Illinois River Correctional Center