9 inmates sentenced in Lasalle County to be released in March

By Illinois Valley Times

Feb 28, 2025

There are nine inmates sentenced in Lasalle County set to be released from jail in March, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Luis Lopez, who served the longest sentence among them, spent more than 10 years incarcerated for sex crime.

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.

One of the reasons behind jail growth is how pretrial detainees are handled. Another study by the Prison Policy Initiative noted that the number of unconvicted individuals was more than two times higher than convicted individuals.

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.

Inmates Sentenced in Lasalle County Scheduled for Release in March

Name	Offense	Supervised Release Date	Holding Facility
Calvin L. Merritte	Manufacturing or delivery of 1-15 grams of cocaine	03/01/2025	Menard Correctional Center
Darien Chandler	Manufacturing or delivery of 15-100 grams of cocaine	03/06/2025	Stateville Correctional Center
Michael L. Mauk	Driving with a revoked or suspended license	03/07/2025	Vandalia Correctional Center
Tyshawn D. Stewart	Manufacturing or delivery of a schedule 1 or 2 narcotic	03/12/2025	Hill Correctional Center
Terence L. Miller	Felony possession or use of a firearm (with a firearm prior)	03/16/2025	Sheridan Correctional Center
Todd J. Kingen	Possession of a controlled substance	03/18/2025	Lincoln Correctional Center
Luis Lopez	Sex crime	03/26/2025	Vienna Correctional Center
Daniel S. Margis	Manufacturing or delivery of 10-15 grams of heroin	03/27/2025	Illinois River Correctional Center
Jeffrey Heth	Manufacturing or delivery of a schedule 1 or 2 narcotic	03/27/2025	Illinois River Correctional Center