Even a very small reduction in recidivism – just 5 percent – would save Illinois taxpayers nearly $187 million over nine years. But if Illinois’ recidivism rate stays the same, taxpayers will pay approximately $5.7 billion for recidivism costs over the next five years.
Without a job, an ex-offender is likely to re-enter the system. Finding work breaks that cycle. Illinois needs major re-entry reforms that remove barriers to employment and work – and give ex-offenders a chance at success.
HB 5973 would remove significant occupational-licensing barriers that make it harder for former offenders to support themselves and their families.
“The gang initiation happened when I was 12 years old. That was my fist experience with drug and alcohol abuse, and from that day until I was 28 I struggled with addiction. “In spite of that struggle I was still the president of my grammar school and my high school, and I started my career...
Letting nonviolent former offenders petition to have their records sealed and protecting businesses from negligent-hiring lawsuits would do more to encourage hiring ex-offenders than “ban the box” alone.
“The reason why I wear the jumpsuit is symbolic. “And it’s stark, but this is the thing: You see me today dressed in this business suit. I can go anywhere downtown. The way I talk, the way I look, I will have no problems. No one’s going to ask me to get on the ground....
Illinois needs much more in the way of reforms if state politicians are going to truly fix the state’s broken criminal-justice system.
A new study by The Pew Charitable Trusts shows states that adjusted their felony theft laws have not seen an increase in crime. To save on corrections costs, Illinois should update its theft thresholds, too.
“Families are the hidden victims of incarceration. “Statistics show that children of people who are incarcerated have a higher rate of incarceration later in life. It does affect them … “Of course if someone does something truly terrible they should be locked up. But you and I both know if you look at the pie chart of...
Experts analyze policy recommendations designed to make Illinois’ criminal-justice system fairer and more cost-effective.
“The first time I did heroin I was 16 years old … “Your first time you feel invincible, [like] you can do anything, you’re talkative, a little sleepy, best mood you’ve ever had. Instantly I knew this is probably something I’m going to want to do over and over and over again. “My parents, my...
“I don’t want to give up on people, and I don’t want them to give up on themselves. “Sometimes [ex-offenders] have been given up on so many times: by family, by friends, by teachers, that we’re the first people that don’t give up on them. And if we don’t give up on them and we...
“We have individuals who commit violent crimes that have to be punished. We’ve got people who commit financial crimes that destroy people, we have to prosecute them aggressively. “But someone who is recreationally using drugs, we’ve always criminalized it and now we’ve seen that we’ve been banging our heads against a wall and it doesn’t...