The satirical "news" site, the Onion, has discovered southern Illinois.
The Onion's 2017 desk calendar offers the following lampoon of the Menard Correctional Center for the date of Thursday, July 13:
"CHESTER, IL -- Touting the layout's benefits in promoting communication and a more productive penal environment, the Illinois Department of Corrections unveiled its new open-plan prison Friday at the Menard Correctional Center.
Menard officials told reporters that the penitentiary has eliminated the concrete walls and individual holding cells normally associated with state prison facilities, opting instead for a free, nonrestrictive arrangement in which the detention center's 3,400 convicted felons share a collective space, where they can take advantage of the collaborative opportunities afforded by the newly remodeled floor plan."
