SPRINGFIELD - Pontiac prison workers, their families and community supporters descended on the Illinois Statehouse on Wednesday hoping to convince Gov. Rod Blagojevich to back off his plan to close the maximum security facility.

Blagojevich was not present for the show of force among guards, community leaders and other prison employees. He was in California, attending a conference, and wasn't expected back in Illinois until the rally was over.

Protesters took notice of his absence.

"Where's Rod? Save our jobs," the crowd of about 700 people chanted.

The event, which drew supporters from around the state, is aimed at stopping Blagojevich's efforts to close Pontiac to open a mostly unused prison in Thomson, north of the Quad-Cities.

School children from area elementary schools submitted packets of letters to the governor, asking him to stop the closure. One called Blagojevich a "mean man," and another said the closure will "affect our town, big time."

Pontiac officials say the loss of the 570 jobs in Livingston County will devastate the region. And, employees say being forced to move to work at another prison will hurt them because it will be tough to sell their houses in an already down economy.

"The stress level is pretty high," said correctional officer Bruce Brand, a 22-year veteran of the prison. "Everyone is just trying to do the best for their families."

The governor said closing the 137-year-old prison will save an estimated $4 million. Aides say the savings could be higher if the 1,600-bed facility is completely emptied by Dec. 31.

A spokesman did not respond to a request for comment regarding the rally.

In the run-up to closing Pontiac, however, the department has been shuffling prisoners between facilities to make room for the transition.

Union officials say the transfers are destabilizing the state's sprawling prison system. For example, medium security prisoners in Pontiac have been sent to minimum security lockups in East Moline and Taylorville.

"The closing of Pontiac will make the Department of Corrections less safe," said Anders Lindall, spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

The rally drew the mayor of Vandalia, Ricky Gottman, whose community successfully fended off a 2003 effort by Blagojevich to close the minimum security prison there.

Pontiac Mayor Scott McCoy thanked Gottman for attending. "We all have to stick together," McCoy urged the crowd.

Elaine Cornejo, a teacher at the minimum security prison in Robinson, said she attended the rally because closing Pontiac has already sent shock waves through the entire prison system via the mass inmate transfers.

"The ripple effect of this is affecting me, too," Cornejo said.

The event came a day after a Johnson County judge barred the department from transferring more inmates out of Pontiac in the buildup toward a Dec. 31 closure.

The court case is among three being pursued by AFSCME in an attempt to halt the closure.

kurt.erickson@lee.net|789-0865