SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois House passed a bill Friday morning to help provide more educational opportunities for young people serving time in the Department of Corrections.
This legislation calls on the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice to establish an emerging adults program for 18 to 21-year-olds in prisons.
These individuals could be transported to a juvenile justice center in Harrisburg, Illinois to participate in therapy sessions, case management, vocational training and higher education opportunities.
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"This bill provides that when those folks do return home, this population will be able to return home with a diploma and with some skills that will enable them to reintegrate into community and find successful opportunities in the future," said Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago).
Although, some Republicans in both chambers are concerned that the Department of Corrections and Department of Juvenile Justice may have trouble coordinating transportation and security for individuals moving to the Harrisburg facility.
Senate Bill 426 passed unanimously out of the House and now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk for his signature of approval. The measure previously passed out of the Senate on a 41-15 vote.
"According to DJJ, they anticipate starting with 20 emerging adults when the program is initiated," said Sen. Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines). "It has the capacity to scale up to approximately 50 to 60 adults from IDOC within the first year of operation based on current facility staffing and budget."
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