Work over prison: Illinois should expand record sealing
Research shows that recidivism rates drop for ex-offenders who are able to find steady employment.
General Assembly passes SB 19, which would hinder care for IDOC inmates and saddle taxpayers with unnecessary costs
Senate Bill 19 could prevent the state from providing the best, most cost-effective medical services for inmates in the Illinois Department of Corrections, and it forces the state to pay for employees that may not be necessary.
Which Illinois county is most likely to lock you up?
Research shows Hardin, Macon and Marion Counties lead the state in prison admissions per 10,000 residents.
Illinois voters from all political parties favor reducing state prison population
A recent Illinois Policy Institute-commissioned poll finds 4 in 5 registered Illinois voters – including overwhelming majorities of Republicans, Independents and Democrats – support reforms to reduce the number of nonviolent offenders in prison.
Rauner reaffirms commitment to criminal-justice reform
Gov. Bruce Rauner highlights the continued need for criminal-justice reform to save taxpayer dollars and restore opportunity. To get there, Illinois must embrace reforms that enable ex-offenders to provide for themselves and their families once they’ve served their sentences.
Illinois leads nation in overcrowded prisons
Illinois prisons held 150 percent of their maximum capacity in 2014, the highest rate of crowding of any prison system in the country, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Incarceration perpetuates poverty cycle
The Illinois Department of Corrections reports that 62 percent of inmates are parents.
Illinois can cut crime and prison-population growth at the same time
States across the country have made major gains on both fronts.
