Public Act 096-0068
 		





SB1404 Enrolled
LRB096 10080 RCE 20245 b






    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.