East Central Reporter

There are two inmates sentenced in Lawrence County set to be released from jail during the week ending July 26, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

In total, one man and one woman are set to be released over this period. Joshua R. Pheffer, who served the longest sentence among them, spent one year incarcerated for an offense recorded as 'aggravated battery/nurse'.

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.

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.

Name	Offense	Supervised Release Date	Holding Facility
Joshua R. Pheffer	Aggravated battery/Nurse	07/22/2025	Jacksonville Correctional Center
Monyck S. O'Bryant	Poss of meth < 5 grams	07/22/2025	Decatur Correctional Center