Illinois Valley Times

There are three inmates sentenced in Bureau County set to be released from jail during the second quarter of 2025, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The inmate being released that served the longest time was Terry L. Shelton for unlawful use of a firearm, prior felon. Terry L. Shelton spent more than two 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 jail 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
Daniel E. Kuhnert	failing to report annually as a sex offender	04/17/2025	Taylorville Correctional Center
Terry L. Shelton	unlawful use of a firearm, prior felon	06/12/2025	Graham Correctional Center
Billy R. Tillotson	involuntary manslaughter	06/16/2025	Shawnee Correctional Center