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| Public Act 103-0541 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Higher | ||||
Education in Prison Act. | ||||
Section 5. Higher education in prison programs. | ||||
(a) In this Section, "higher education" means | ||||
post-secondary academic education at the undergraduate or | ||||
graduate level in a community college or university setting. | ||||
(b) On or before September 1 of the year following the | ||||
effective date of this Act and each subsequent September 1, | ||||
the Department of Corrections shall release a report, to be | ||||
published on the Department of Corrections's Internet website, | ||||
detailing the following information pertaining to higher | ||||
education within Department institutions and facilities: | ||||
(1) the number of unique individuals involved in adult | ||||
basic education, high school equivalency, and credit and | ||||
non-credit bearing higher education programs over the | ||||
course of the fiscal year; | ||||
(2) the racial, ethnic, age, and gender breakdown of | ||||
committed persons participating in higher education | ||||
programs; | ||||
(3) the length of sentence and length of remaining | ||||
sentence of persons enrolled in higher education programs; | ||
(4) the number of committed persons who are on waiting | ||
lists for participation in all educational programs, | ||
including adult basic education, high school equivalency, | ||
and higher education, and the average length of time spent | ||
on each waiting list, including a breakdown by length of | ||
remaining sentence; | ||
(5) the total amount of earned program sentence credit | ||
awarded to committed persons for participating in higher | ||
education programs and the percentage of committed persons | ||
participating in higher education programs that are | ||
awarded earned program sentence credit; | ||
(6) the number, category, and ultimate resolution of | ||
grievances related to higher education programs; | ||
(7) a financial statement that includes annual and | ||
monthly expenditures of Department of Corrections | ||
institutions and facilities on adult basic education, high | ||
school equivalency, and higher education programs; and | ||
(8) an explanation of how participation in adult basic | ||
education, high school equivalency, and higher education | ||
programs is factored into a committed persons' risk | ||
assessment score. | ||
Personal, identifiable information shall be redacted to | ||
protect privacy. | ||
The report must be filed with the Governor and General | ||
Assembly. | ||
(c) The data provided in the report under subsection (b) | ||
shall include an aggregate chart at the Department level and | ||
individual reports by each correctional institution or | ||
facility of the Department of Corrections. | ||
(d) To facilitate the collection of information on higher | ||
education in prison (HEP) programs, each 4-year public or | ||
private institution of higher education with HEP degree or | ||
certificate programs shall provide the Board of Higher | ||
Education with student-level information as part of its | ||
regular agency data-collection processes. Each public | ||
community college with HEP degree or certificate programs | ||
shall provide the Illinois Community College Board with | ||
student-level information as part of its regular agency | ||
data-collection processes. Upon request, the student-level | ||
information shall include the correctional facility in which | ||
the HEP program is being offered. The information provided to | ||
the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community | ||
College Board shall include HEP enrollment and completion data | ||
disaggregated by variables, including but not limited to, | ||
race, ethnicity, gender, age, and type of degree or | ||
certificate. The Board of Higher Education and the Illinois | ||
Community College Board shall annually make HEP program data | ||
publicly available on their Internet websites.
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