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The Lincoln Developmental Center, first called the Illinois Asylum for Feeble-Minded Children, had a sordid history before former Gov. George Ryan closed it in 2002. Founded in 1877, it was an institution for developmentally challenged children and became the largest employer in Logan County. Ryan was pressured to shut it down by those advocating for the developmentally disabled after abuse and neglect, including preventable deaths, were reported. The state now has plans to repurpose part of the abandoned facility and turn it into a youth detention center for up to 30 youth. It would be the first so-called Illinois Youth Center opened under Gov. JB Pritzker s 21st Century Illinois Transformation Model – a plan that promises to make major changes to the state s juvenile justice system in coming years.