Illinois Rise IDOC Procurement
Illinois is advancing a $1.1 billion progressive design-build procurement for two new correctional facilities in Crest Hill, with vendor outreach and an RFQ briefing scheduled this week ahead of a September 25 qualifications deadline.
Illinois is moving a major corrections-infrastructure project into an active vendor-engagement period as the state advances its RISE IDOC procurement for two new multi-security-level correctional facilities in Crest Hill.
The Illinois Capital Development Board, in partnership with the Illinois Department of Corrections, issued the Request for Qualifications for CDB Project No. 120-000-078 on August 6, 2026. The project — Rehabilitation and Restoration Inside Safe Environments, or RISE IDOC — calls for a single Progressive Design-Build Entity to deliver new men’s and women’s correctional facilities in Will County.
The RFQ identifies $1.1 billion as the state’s estimate for the Progressive Design-Build contract amount. That figure is an estimate, not an awarded contract value.
Vendor engagement moves into focus this week
CDB has scheduled a general informational outreach event for contractors, subcontractors, engineers, architects, suppliers and professional-services firms on August 26 from 9:30 a.m. to noon in Crest Hill.
A dedicated RISE IDOC Progressive Design-Build RFQ informational meeting follows on August 27 from 10:00 a.m. to noon Central. CDB says the session will review the RFQ and include a question-and-answer period, with in-person and virtual participation available.
CDB previously identified August 24 as the date on or after which prequalified firms could submit Statements of Qualifications. The live procurement page states that interested firms must be prequalified before submission and advises that the prequalification process can take up to 45 days.
Two multi-security-level facilities are planned
The RISE IDOC initiative calls for two new correctional facilities on IDOC property in Crest Hill.
The men’s facility is planned for approximately 1,500 beds, with infrastructure supporting future expansion to approximately 1,950 beds. The women’s facility is planned for approximately 800 beds.
Swipe horizontally to review the full table.
| Project element | Current state plan |
|---|---|
| Men’s facility | 1,500 beds, expandable to 1,950 |
| Women’s facility | 800 beds |
| Men’s preliminary area | Approximately 1.01 million square feet |
| Women’s preliminary area | Approximately 505,000 square feet |
| Delivery model | One Progressive Design-Build Entity for both facilities |
The RFQ describes rehabilitative and gender-responsive environments intended to support successful community reentry. The facilities are expected to incorporate housing, programming, education and vocational functions, medical and mental-health services and other correctional-support infrastructure.
Reentry and rehabilitation are part of the infrastructure strategy
The project is not framed solely around replacement bed capacity. Illinois describes RISE IDOC as an effort to create safe, accessible and restorative correctional environments while strengthening rehabilitative opportunities through education, programming and innovation.
CDB project materials also identify occupational training, educational and vocational partnerships, workforce development and reunification programs as components supporting reintegration into the community and reentry initiatives.
The state says the new facilities are intended to address system-wide needs that include an aging population in custody, increased mental-health demands, trauma-informed design and gender responsiveness.
The procurement reaches into the wider corrections vendor ecosystem
The immediate competition is for the Progressive Design-Build Entity rather than for every individual technology, service or equipment package that may ultimately be required. The RFQ nevertheless establishes a project environment extending well beyond conventional building construction.
Its scope includes medical and mental-health environments, education and vocational spaces, correctional programming, security systems and digital project delivery. The RFQ also addresses security electronics, commissioning, project-management information systems, digital delivery and asset-information management.
The RISE IDOC program will use Autodesk Forma as its centralized digital environment for multidisciplinary coordination, project controls, documentation, workflows, design coordination, collaboration, reporting and decision tracking, according to the RFQ.
One Progressive Design-Build Entity will lead both facilities
CDB intends to contract the two facilities through one Progressive Design-Build Entity. The state will evaluate qualifications, develop a shortlist and then evaluate additional finalist materials before interviewing and selecting a PDBE.
The RFQ anticipates multiple guaranteed maximum price packages as design and preconstruction progress. CDB says this structure is intended to support schedule efficiencies through early-release packages while maintaining the overall target budget.
Swipe horizontally to review the procurement timeline.
| Milestone | Date / status |
|---|---|
| RFQ published | August 6, 2026 |
| CDB general vendor outreach | August 26, 2026 |
| RISE IDOC RFQ informational meeting | August 27, 2026 · 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. CT |
| Statements of Qualifications due | September 25, 2026 · 2:00 p.m. |
| Estimated project duration | 48–60 months following authorization to proceed |
*The RFQ estimates project duration at approximately 48–60 months following authorization to proceed.
What vendors should watch next
The near-term checkpoints are the August 26 general outreach event, the August 27 RFQ informational meeting and the September 25 SOQ deadline. Firms considering participation should review CDB’s prequalification requirements and the RFQ directly rather than relying on summaries of eligibility or submission requirements.
For the wider corrections-services and justice-technology market, selection of the Progressive Design-Build Entity will be an important later-stage checkpoint because that team will sit at the center of design, construction, systems integration and subcontracting for the two-facility program.
With approximately 1.5 million square feet contemplated across the preliminary facility programs and approximately 2,300 initial beds, the procurement represents a major multiyear corrections-infrastructure program with direct intersections across behavioral health, education, workforce preparation, reentry-oriented programming and secure institutional technology.
Official sources
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Institutional Sponsorship →Editorial note: OACRA News & Policy Review is published by OACRA LLC, an independent private organization. OACRA is not a government agency and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the State of Illinois or the agencies covered. Procurement amounts, project scope, dates and status in this article are based on official Illinois Capital Development Board materials reviewed August 24, 2026. Interested firms should rely on the official RFQ and CDB procurement page for current requirements, amendments and deadlines.
