The feds have launched a brand-new investigation into the workers' compensation system in the Land of Corruption... er ... Lincoln.

After months of news reports about the abuse of the workers' compensation system by employees at a downstate prison, there's finally some news that should cheer Illinois taxpayers.

Federal investigators have entered the case, issuing a blizzard of subpoenas to a variety of state agencies and seeking the records (including emails) of state employees who appear to be up to their necks in this mess.

No longer will Illinois residents have to rely on the state to investigate this situation.

Gov. Pat Quinn was quick to express his pleasure that the U.S. Attorney's Office from the Central and Southern Districts of Illinois are working together on the probe.

"We want to make sure that everything is done right when it comes to workman's compensation," said Quinn.

But the record belies Quinn's claims that the state wants to ferret out any monkey business. None of this would be happening if not for the dogged reporting of the Belleville News-Democrat, which has published an intermittent series of stories outlining suspected abuse of the system by both state employees and state workers' compensation hearing officers.

Public officials moved only after the News-Democrat let the cat out of the bag. The Legislature initiated a forensic audit of the workers' compensation program, Quinn appointed a Springfield lawyer to investigate and state fraud investigators stirred from their sleep to take a look at some suspicious claims.

But, remember, that was after the newspaper alerted the public.

The News-Democrat recently reported the contents of emails between various state officials who were aware of the problem but did nothing to stop it.

That indifference reflects the problem with government when it comes to ensuring that public programs work as intended. It reminds again that people are naive if they expect good things to happen when they grant more power and great responsibility to public bureaucracies.

The federal investigation focuses on the workers' compensation epidemic at the downstate Menard Correctional Center, where nearly 400 employees complained of injuries and collected more than $10 million since 2008. Among those whose cases are under review are the prison warden and many high-ranking officers.

The News-Democrat reported one case of a prison employee on permanent disability who was photographed by state investigators doing heavy work outside his residence. Photographs were ignored by state officials. It was only after the News-Democrat reported on the matter that a fraud investigation was opened.

This will not be a quick investigation. Federal investigators pursue cases of this nature methodically, and they must review a ton of paperwork. But when this case breaks, it will be an eye-opener for taxpayers that will show not just how vulnerable the workers' compensation system is to fraud but the degree to which the people in charge of administering it have been corrupted by the lure of easy money obtained at taxpayer expense.