SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Illinois is set to drastically improve the mandatory supervised release system under a new state law. Lawmakers and advocates believe the current system frequently turns into a revolving door leading people back to prison.
More than 100,000 people are currently on probation, parole, or mandatory supervised release in Illinois. However, Gov. JB Pritzker said Friday that roughly 25% of those Illinoisans return to prison within three years of release due to non-criminal violations.
"That's not a system designed to improve public safety," Pritzker said. "That's not a system that's promoting rehabilitation. It's a system that values reincarceration."
The new law will expand job training and education opportunities for people to help move them out of supervised release sooner. Sponsors said this change will reward people for accountability and encourage self-improvement.
"Policy is real because people have decided to lean in and they decided to lift up their voices, lift up their power, and lift up their experiences," said Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria).
The plan will standardize timelines to review probation and encourage law enforcement to recommend early termination of supervised release. Rapper Meek Mill helped Illinois lawmakers pass the monumental proposal with his organization REFORM Alliance.
"All I had was music, and I helped inspire a lot of people and get them through a lot of times," Mill explained. "But now, I've got something real that I can actually say that I do besides I got my mom out of the hood. I actually help change laws and help get people out of prison that don't belong in prison."
Mill has become a strong advocate for criminal justice reform following his own frustrating experiences in the system. The rapper was convicted on drug and firearm changes in 2008, but Mill was placed on a lengthy probation despite serving eight months in prison for those charges. Mill was arrested twice in 2017 for popping a wheelie on a motorcycle in New York City and getting into an altercation in a Missouri airport. While both of those questionable charges were dismissed, a Philadelphia judge sentenced Mill to two to four years in prison for violating his probation.
The celebrity was released on bail, but Mill stressed that he knows so many other Black and brown people face similar issues and can't pay their way out.
"When I was on probation, the system did much more to hold me back than help me succeed," Mill said. "And my experience is just a reflection of millions of other stories that go untold."
Senate Bill 423 will also update state law regarding drug testing prior to parole hearings, as drug tests will only be required if there is reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use.
"Centering those closest to the problems as the experts by community, in community, and for community comes up with the best solutions that have the best outcomes," said Avalon Betts-Gaston, director of the Illinois Alliance for Reentry and Justice.
IDOC implemented its mail scanning emergency rule August 14 to prevent drugs from entering facilities, leaving lawmakers confused about the long delay before prisoners actually started to receive mail on tablets.
The plan also requires the Prisoner Review Board to provide a list of steps or requirements a person must complete or meet to be granted early discharge. People on parole or mandatory supervised release can petition the Review Board to grant them early discharge once they meet those requirements.
"Bettering yourself, taking the steps to grow, and learning how to productively contribute to your community, well that's nearly impossible if you don't have the road map or support structure to help you move forward," said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton.
This legislation passed unanimously out of the House and Senate this spring. The new law takes effect on January 1.Â
"This is common sense evidence-based criminal justice reform that improves public safety, decreases taxpayer costs, and lowers the likelihood of reincarceration," Pritzker said.
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