Plans to reopen part of the shuttered Dwight Correctional Center as an overflow jail appear to be stalled now that Livingston County Sheriff Martin Meredith, who pushed for the prison's revival, announced last week that he will step down October 1.

Under the plan, one of the newer cellblocks at Dwight, a former women's prison located in central Illinois, would be used to hold inmates from Cook County and other parts of the state.

Livingston County Board Chairman Marty Fannin told The Pantagraph that Meredith stepping down from his post could be "the kiss of death" for the proposal. He added that talks regarding the project are on hold until the sheriff's replacement is announced. The Livingston County Board has 60 days to decide who will fill Meredith's position through the end of his term, which expires January 2015.

Dwight closed in March as part of a state move to cut costs. The state's cost-savings plan also included the shut down of the Tamms supermax prison in southern Illinois and a juvenile justice center in Murphysboro, among other correctional facilities.