Insights & Information

In Illinois, 17-year-olds charged with felony crimes are tried in adult courts. However, new legislation introduced by State Representative Barbara Flynn Currie would raise the age of juvenile court to 18 for all offenses except when those youth are transferred to adult courts(serious, violent felonies are automatically transferred to adult court). IACJ encourages you to contact your State Representative and urge him or her to support HB 2404. Click here to access a fact sheet and other pertinent information from the Juvenile Justice Initiative.

As the U.S. House of Representatives begins work on its FY14 justice appropriations bill, Illinois Congressman Danny Davis is urging his colleagues to support continued funding for the Second Chance Act. The Act represents an evidence-based approach to improving outcomes for people returning to communities from prisons and jails; it authorizes federal grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, housing, family programming, mentoring, victim support, and other services that can help reduce recidivism. Congressman Davis has begun circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter throughout the House, which which will be sent to the chair and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies in the Committee of Appropriations. Please urge your Congressional Representative to support continued funding for the Second Chance Act in FY14 and ask them to sign on to this letter. To contact your representative through the Council of State Governments Justice Center's web-based Legislative Action Center, click here.

The United States Commission on Civil Rights is seeking public comments regarding the impact of a criminal record on the ability to obtain employment, especially for Black and Latino workers. Advocates are encouraged to send comments to publiccomments@usccr.gov by January 21, 2013. The Commission will use these comments to inform a report and recommendations on the need to address barriers to employment created by a criminal record. Click here for more information about the Commission and its request.

On Wednesday, the Illinois Senate voted to override Governor Quinn’s line item veto that would defund Tamms Supermax, IYC Murphysboro, and IYC Joliet facilities. The Illinois House of Representatives may vote on the measure soon. Several groups have come out to support the Governor's line item reduction and vetoes by urging Representatives to vote no on the veto override of SB2474. Click here and here for more information.

With the release of budget recommendations for State fiscal year 2013, Governor Quinn announced budget cuts for the Illinois Department of Corrections. The budget proposal includes the closing of six adult transitional centers, including Safer Foundation's Crossroads Adult Transitional Centers. There facilities provide re-entry support for individuals with criminal records. The Safer Foundation encourages anyone in support of saving Crossroads to send letters, contact lawmakers, and to sign their online petition. For more information, click here.

Recently, President Obama released his fiscal year 2013 budget. In the budget, he recommended allocating $80 million in funding to support the Second Chance Act, which was signed into law in April 2008. The Second Chance Act focuses on improving outcomes for individuals released from prison or jail and returning to their communities. It awards federal grants to various government and nonprofit agencies and organizations to provide assistance with employment, substance abuse treatment, housing, and other services to promote a reduction in recidivism. If you would like to support funding for the Second Chance Act, contact your congressional delegation to ask them for their support, and share this message with other members of your community.  You can draft your own letter or use a customizable template put together by the Council of State Governments' Justice Center.

Before Illinois' meritorious good time (MGT) program was suspended in 2010, individuals serving time in Illinois prisons for non-violent offenses could have up to 180 days of incarceration deducted as a reward for good behavior. MGT was halted when it became clear that some individuals were being released before they had spent sufficient time in IDOC. This issue has since been resolved, and Illinois law now requires inmates to serve at least 60 days in prison before they can receive any good time credit.

Since MGT was suspended, Illinois has increased its prison population by 4,000. At a time when other states are successfully and responsibly reducing their prison populations, Illinois currently houses a record-high 49,000 people in state prisons. Medium and minimum-security facilities, which primarily hold low-level, non-violent offenders, face the most severe crowding. These conditions impede rehabilitation efforts and create dangerous environments for both staff and inmates. MGT is widely recognized as a necessary corrections management tool; it is supported by research as an effective incentive for good behavior. The current situation of incarcerating more people for longer periods of time is extremely expensive to Illinois taxpayers. As Illinois is facing historic budget shortfalls, the reinstatement of MGT would help save scarce public dollars.

If you would like to add your voice to the growing numbers advocating the program's responsible reinstitution, click here for a letter you can personalize and mail to Governor Quinn.

The Second Chance Act is federal legislation passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and signed into law in April 2008. It employs an evidence-based approach to improving outcomes for people returning to communities from prisons and jails by authorizing federal grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, housing, family programming, mentoring, victims support, and other services that can help reduce recidivism. Recently, the Senate eliminated funding for the Second Chance Act in their version of the FY 12 funding bill for the Department of Justice. In July, the House Appropriations Committee provided $70 million in their fiscal year 2012 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill. Although funding was eliminated in the Senate bill, there is still time to restore funding for the program when the House and Senate Appropriations Committees attempt to resolve differences between the two spending bills. There is still time to ensure that the Second Chance Act is funded in FY 2012. The Senate and House are working on FY12 funding now. To contact your Members of Congress and ask them to support funding for Second Chance Act, click here.

Of major concern to many Americans, youth drug use has undergone significant increases after a decade of decline, due in part to decreases in perceptions of harm and increases in availability. Meanwhile, funding for explicit drug prevention has been cut, despite evidence that effective drug prevention can lead to reductions in use. The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) has circulated a petition to ensure drug prevention is on the White House’s We the People website, which provides a forum for petitions. Of the drug-related petitions on the site, 12 are currently in support of marijuana legalization and decriminalization, yet no other petitions currently support drug prevention. Twenty-five-thousand signatures are needed by November 4, and all individuals older than 13 are eligible to sign the petition. Click here to sign the petition.

U.S. Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) has introduced the National Criminal Justice Commission Act (S. 306) to create a bipartisan Commission to review criminal justice policies and make recommendations for reform. On Wednesday, October 5th, you can participate with organizations across the nation in calling Senate leadership, Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Mitch McConnel (R-KY), to ask them to prioritize and support the passage of the National Criminal Justice Act. Tell them that the Commission's national review of criminal justice policy and practices will result in increased public safety and lower costs to taxpayers. If you have any questions, contact the Legal Action Center's Mark O’Brien, mobrien@lac.org, or The Sentencing Project's Kara Gotsch, kgotsch@sentencingproject.org.