SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Illinois House Democrats want to cut back on recidivism by creating a new state agency. Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago) said Thursday that this change could help formerly incarcerated people have a better chance at life and make a positive impact on society.

Slaughter expects the agency would require roughly $75 million per year. He explained the Illinois Department of Returning Residents Affairs would be responsible for helping people get access to housing, potential jobs, and financial assistance. 

The Safer Foundation told the House Restorative Justice Committee that the potential department would have 13 hubs around the state to help those in need.

"Those community-based organizations would employ a navigator who would be assigned to a return resident to access their specific needs and to get them hooked up with the specific services that are in their communities instead of requiring our returning residents to be able to find those services on their own," said public policy analyst Mark McCombs. 

Slaughter explained the governor would appoint a formerly incarcerated person with lived experience to lead this department. This agency would be responsible for creating and administering a new state program providing a second chance for returning residents.

"The second chance state program is a holistic person-centered comprehensive public health approach to public safety that restores community cohesion and creates stable and healthy communities," Slaughter said. "The program will provide services to justice-involved residents at the point of arrest, during detention and court cases, while incarcerated in prison, and upon release and return into the community." 

This proposal could also require the state to establish a returning residents inter-agency council to identify how officials and agencies can designate, allocate or coordinate resources to support returning residents. The agency director would chair the council and work alongside members appointed by the governor, Attorney General, Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, and representatives from 25 state agencies. Sheriffs from the 13 counties where hubs are located would also have the opportunity to appoint someone to serve on the council. The state associations for court clerks, state's attorneys, and police chiefs could have a seat at the table as well.

Illinois prison

Sponsors said it's important that families stay connected with their loved ones and the state should not make that process harder.

Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) asked Slaughter if the Pritzker administration expressed an opinion on the creation of this new agency. Slaughter said he has talked about the idea several times with the administration and they support the policy.

"The policy perspective is certainly in alignment with, I think, their goals on criminal justice and public safety," Slaughter said. "Obviously as it relates to the budget discussions, that just is similar with every single other thing that we're doing with the budget. It kind of fell into our dialogue and what we're talking about. I think that they were certainly being receptive that when you're talking about reform and transformation, these reforms need investment."

House Bill 1245 passed out of the Restorative Justice Committee on a partisan 6-3 vote. The proposal now heads to the House floor. 

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