101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB2400

 

Introduced , by Rep. Arthur Turner

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
730 ILCS 5/3-14-1.1 new

    Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that a committed person who is at least 50 years of age and who has served at least 30 consecutive years of imprisonment in a Department of Corrections institution or facility may petition the Department for participation in the Pathway to Community Program, which is a 5-year pilot program within the Department of Corrections. Provides that a maximum of 15 males and a maximum of 15 females may be selected for the Program. Excludes from the Program persons convicted of first degree murder of a peace officer or firefighter and sexual predators. Establishes eligibility requirements for the Program. Provides that before a participant is selected for the Program, the petitioner shall successfully complete an atonement and restorative justice program prepared by the Department. Following completion of this program of atonement and restorative justice, the Department shall notify the victim and the family members of the victim of the petitioner's offense and to afford them the opportunity to participate in the Department's final selection process for the Pathway to Community Program. Up to $1,000 of trauma-informed victim services or trauma-certified professional therapy shall be provided by the Department to family members of the victim of the petitioner's offense. Provides that optional participation by family members of the victim of petitioner's offense shall be provided by the Department at no cost to the family members of the victim. Provides that time served in the Program shall be credited toward time served on the sentence. Provides that the Program is terminated 6 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act.


LRB101 07237 RLC 52275 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB2400LRB101 07237 RLC 52275 b

1    AN ACT concerning criminal law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. This Act may be referred to as the Pathway to
5Community Act.
 
6    Section 5. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by
7adding Section 3-14-1.1 as follows:
 
8    (730 ILCS 5/3-14-1.1 new)
9    Sec. 3-14-1.1. Pathway to Community Program.
10    (a) In this Section:
11        "Committed person" means a currently incarcerated
12    person, other than a committed person who has been
13    convicted of the first degree murder of a peace officer or
14    fire fighter or other than a sexual predator as defined in
15    Section 2 of the Sex Offender Registration Act, who (i) is
16    at least 50 years of age and (ii) has served at least 30
17    consecutive years of imprisonment in a facility or
18    institution of the Department of Corrections.
19        "Family member" means a spouse, parent, child, or
20    sibling.
21        "Program" means the Pathway to Community Program
22    created in this Section.

 

 

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1    (b) There is created a 5-year pilot program, the Pathway to
2Community Program, within the Department of Corrections. A
3committed person may petition the Department of Corrections for
4participation in the Pathway to Community Program as provided
5in this Section. If a committed person files a petition, the
6Department shall make an exhaustive effort to find and notify
7the victim and the family members of the victim of the
8petitioner's offense.
9    (c) The petition shall contain a statement by the
10petitioner that he or she is qualified to participate in the
11Program, together with the petitioner's plans for reentry,
12including, but not limited to, information about where the
13petitioner will live, how the petitioner will be supported
14financially, and any plans for the petitioner's ongoing medical
15care if necessary. The petition may also contain supporting
16statements or documentation related to the factors listed in
17paragraphs (1) through (7) of subsection (d) of this Section.
18    (d) The petition shall, in the first instance, be screened
19by the Department of Corrections, which shall determine whether
20to recommend that the petitioner be considered for
21participation in the Program. In so doing, the Department shall
22draw on information in the petition and on its own resources,
23including its use of tools that assesses the petitioner's
24risks, assets, and needs to determine whether the petitioner
25may be released and, if so, under what specific conditions set
26by the Department. Among other factors, in making this

 

 

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1determination the Department shall consider the following:
2        (1) the petitioner's successful participation in
3    programs designed to restore him or her to a useful and
4    productive life upon release (including educational
5    programs and programs designed to deal with substance abuse
6    or other issues) or, if the programs are not available,
7    information demonstrating that the petitioner has engaged
8    in self-education programs, correspondence courses, or
9    other self-improvement efforts;
10        (2) the genuine reform and changed behavior the
11    petitioner has demonstrated over a period of years;
12        (3) the petitioner's remorse for the consequences of
13    his or her criminal conduct;
14        (4) the petitioner's ability to socialize with others
15    in an acceptable manner;
16        (5) the petitioner's renunciation of criminal activity
17    and gang affiliation if the petitioner was a member of a
18    gang;
19        (6) an appropriate plan for living arrangements,
20    financial support, and any medical care that will be needed
21    when the petitioner returns to society; and
22        (7) input from the victim of the petitioner's offense
23    and from their family members.
24    (e) No more than 15 committed persons who are male and no
25more than 15 committed persons who are female shall be selected
26by the Department for participation in the Program. Before a

 

 

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1participant is selected for the Program, the petitioner shall
2successfully complete an atonement and restorative justice
3program prepared by the Department. Following completion of
4this program of atonement and restorative justice, the
5Department shall notify the victim and the family members of
6the victim of the petitioner's offense and to afford them the
7opportunity to participate in the Department's final selection
8process for the Pathway to Community Program. Up to $1,000 of
9trauma-informed victim services or trauma-certified
10professional therapy shall be provided by the Department to
11family members of the victim of the petitioner's offense.
12Insurance policies of the family members of the victim of the
13petitioner's offense or family members financial resources
14shall first be used to pay the costs of these services or
15therapy. Optional participation by family members of the victim
16of petitioner's offense shall be provided by the Department at
17no cost to the family members of the victim.
18    (f) Time served in the Program shall be credited toward
19time served on the sentence. The end date of the period of
20mandatory supervised release shall remain the same as it would
21have been had the petitioner not been given early supervised
22release, and the petitioner shall remain under supervision of
23the Department until that date, except that the Department may
24enter an order releasing and discharging the petitioner from
25mandatory supervised release if it determines that he or she is
26likely to remain at liberty without committing another offense.

 

 

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1Discharge of the petitioner from mandatory supervised release
2does not discharge the petitioner's sentence, if time to be
3served remains; nor does it deprive the Department of
4jurisdiction over the petitioner, if time to be served remains.
5    (g) Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act
6of the 101st General Assembly, notwithstanding any other law to
7the contrary, all persons serving sentences in the Department
8who meet the requirements of subsection (b) of this Section are
9eligible to petition to participate in the Program. The
10Department shall establish a system to allow for the orderly
11disposition of the applications of those presently
12incarcerated as they become eligible.
13    (h) Each participant in the Program shall have a volunteer
14sponsor and shall remain in the custody of the Department of
15Corrections throughout his or her participation in the Program.
16    (i) After 5 years of participation in the Program, the
17participant may petition the Governor for executive clemency
18under Section 3-3-13 of this Code.
19    (j) The Department shall select a panel of independent
20researchers to assess the effectiveness of the Program and to
21make annual recommendations to the Governor and General
22Assembly as to whether the Program should be extended.
23    (k) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
24contrary, this Section shall control any release under this
25Program.
26    (l) This Section is repealed after 6 years from the

 

 

HB2400- 6 -LRB101 07237 RLC 52275 b

1effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General
2Assembly.