Reform Coming to Illinois Criminal Justice System?

The criminal justice system in Illinois is in need of an overhaul and Governor Bruce Rauner has stepped up to push forward reform. Just earlier today, he launched a commission to begin reforming various areas of the system, from initial sentencing to arrest procedures. Currently, the prison system is extremely overcrowded and does not work to help individuals acclimate effectively back into society, resulting in frequent returns to prison for criminals.

The governor unveiled his ambitious executive order in Sangamon County earlier today, stating that the commission will begin to work on creating comprehensive strategies that will benefit the system.

Adult Redeploy Program to be Expanded

Though the governor will be pushing the commission to work on a wide range of issues within the system, he commented that Illinois has simply fallen short of helping offenders successfully return to society. Without improvement in this area, repeat offenders will continue to increase, only adding to the vicious cycle for many individuals.

That is why a primary focus will be placed on reducing the percentage of repeat offenders, which now stands at around 48 percent of adults who are in the system and 54 percent of juveniles. The commission will build upon the adult redeploy program, which has reportedly had a proven track record for rehabilitation thus far. This is rooted in the idea of giving these individuals a second chance, rather than throwing them back into the cycle.

Furthermore, prisons are reportedly operating at more than 150 percent of their designed capacity, demonstrating a practical need to reduce the number of offenders within the system. Currently, the official report from the commission is slated to come out on July 1, though the governor believes it could be produced faster if collected data can point to solutions earlier on.