SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A proposal to increase transparency within the Illinois parole and mandatory supervised release system passed out of the Senate Friday.
The plan quickly gained bipartisan support after Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) filed the bill language Monday. This was a rare situation as Senate Bill 423 is an agreed plan between criminal justice reform groups and law enforcement.
Cunningham told his colleagues Friday that the plan could expand the education and training credits for people involved in mandatory supervised release. He said the state should encourage this so people can have job training and receive educational credits to move them out of supervised release sooner and help them become productive citizens.
The legislation would also update state law regarding drug testing prior to parole hearings, as drug tests would only be required if there is reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use.
"This is a really important piece of reform legislation that will help modernize mandatory supervised release here in the state and I would appreciate the chamber's support," Cunningham said.
Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) speaks during floor debate on Senate Bill 423 on May 5, 2023.
Leaders from AFSCME Council 31 are concerned that the bill requires parole officers to complete quarterly reports for the Department of Corrections.
"We have concerns about the timeline and just wanted to make sure that our folks, the parole agents we represent, have adequate time to do the work," Adrienne Alexander, the intergovernmental affairs director for AFSCME Council 31 said Thursday. "We're not opposed to the concept of the bill and look forward to quickly working so we can get that floor amendment agreed to."
However, Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield) said he appreciates that Democrats are willing to continue conversations to address AFSCME's concerns when the bill arrives in the House.
McClure encouraged fellow Republicans to support the bill because it is backed by the Illinois Sheriffs' Association.
The proposal passed out of the Senate on a 51-2 vote. Senate Bill 423 will head to the House next week.
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