SPRINGFIELD – The number of inmates locked up in Illinois prisons is at an all-time high, according to an Associated Press analysis, that coincides with Gov. Pat Quinn’s battle with state employees over closing correctional facilities.

The Department of Corrections disputes the AP’s findings and says the number is about 100 inmates lower. But the department’s own numbers confirm that the prison population has grown to near-record highs despite its prediction of a decline in incarcerations.

The AP’s review of Corrections Department data show the population hit 49,154 over the weekend. That’s 19 inmates more than the previous record, which the agency said last week was set Oct. 6.