Public Act 0068 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1404 Enrolled LRB096 10080 RCE 20245 b

Public Act 096-0068

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Department of Human Services Act is amended by adding Section 1-35 as follows:

(20 ILCS 1305/1-35 new)

Sec. 1-35. Families of incarcerated parents. The Department of Human Services and the Illinois Department of Corrections shall work cooperatively with community organizations and service providers to identify local providers of services and to develop informational materials for families and children of incarcerated parents.

The Department of Human Services shall develop informational materials for families and children of incarcerated parents. The materials shall be designed to inform children and families of incarcerated parents about the social services that are available to them, including visitation programs, family counseling, mentoring, school-based programs, and other programs identified by community organizations that work with families of prisoners. The materials shall be designed to reduce stigma and to provide support for children of incarcerated parents. The materials shall (i) provide telephone and Internet contacts for the children's caregivers with further information and (ii) assist the children's caregivers in locating and accessing services for the children. The Department shall make this information available through its website and through its existing toll-free telephone numbers.

The Department of Corrections shall provide the materials to inmates during orientation. The Department of Corrections shall provide one sealed envelope containing the public information to the inmate so that the inmate may address it to the inmate's children's caregiver. The Department of Corrections shall mail that envelope to the address provided by the inmate. The cost of postage will be charged to the inmate's trust account. If the inmate is indigent, the Department of Corrections shall pay the postage fees for mailing the informational material to the inmate's children's caregiver. The informational materials shall also be made available within the Department of Corrections' facility visiting rooms and waiting areas.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.