A new report says the number of violent incidents has declined inside Illinois’ largest maximum security prison.  The Springfield bureau of Lee Enterprises newspapers reports the assessment of Menard Correctional Center comes from the John Howard Association.  They’re a nonpartisan correctional-system watchdog.  The group says the 3,700-inmate facility was on full or partial lockdown 122 days in 2013.  That’s less than half of the 250 days that were reported in 2012.  Still, John Howard officials say they’re still concerned about an increase in the number of serious assaults on staff at the facility in Chester in southwest Illinois.  There were eight such assaults in 2013, up from five the previous year.  The group says the facility also needs “serious maintenance.”