Full Text of SR0255 97th General Assembly
SR0255 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | SR0255 | | LRB097 12131 RLC 56170 r |
|
| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois Disproportionate Justice Impact | 3 | | Study Commission was created in October of 2008 by Public Act | 4 | | 95-995, in response to evidence of disproportionately high | 5 | | rates of drug-related arrests, sentences, and incarceration | 6 | | among minority communities in Illinois; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois Disproportionate Justice Impact | 8 | | Study Commission was charged to study the nature and extent of | 9 | | the harm caused to minority communities through the practical | 10 | | application of State drug laws; and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois Disproportionate Justice Impact | 12 | | Study Commission was directed to offer recommendations to | 13 | | address the disproportionate impact that even seemingly | 14 | | neutral laws can have on minority communities; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois Disproportionate Justice Impact | 16 | | Study Commission conducted original research with data | 17 | | provided by the Illinois State Police and the Office of the | 18 | | Clerk of Cook County, reviewed Illinois' drug laws, and | 19 | | reviewed academic and professional literature on the | 20 | | consequences of high rates of incarceration; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois Disproportionate Justice Impact |
| | | SR0255 | - 2 - | LRB097 12131 RLC 56170 r |
|
| 1 | | Study Commission held public hearings in Chicago, Joliet and | 2 | | East St. Louis, Illinois, in 2010, receiving the opinions and | 3 | | recommendations of citizens from all walks of life, including | 4 | | elected officials, researchers, service providers, policy | 5 | | experts, and formerly incarcerated persons; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Based on the research it conducted and the | 7 | | information it received, the Illinois Disproportionate Justice | 8 | | Impact Study Commission issued its Final Report to the General | 9 | | Assembly in December, 2010, containing the Commission's | 10 | | recommendations intended to increase fairness and equality in | 11 | | the dispensation of justice relative to drug-related offenses | 12 | | and to mitigate the impact of disproportionate involvement in | 13 | | the criminal justice system among minority communities; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, The Illinois Disproportionate Justice Impact | 15 | | Study Commission made, as its Recommendation 3, the | 16 | | recommendation that Illinois should review its "drug-free zone | 17 | | laws", including the accomplishment of their intended purpose | 18 | | together with their potential unintended consequences; | 19 | | therefore, be it | 20 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL | 21 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that there is created a | 22 | | Drug-Free Zone Laws Task Force; and be it further
|
| | | SR0255 | - 3 - | LRB097 12131 RLC 56170 r |
|
| 1 | | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall have 8 voting members | 2 | | who shall serve without compensation and shall be appointed as | 3 | | follows: | 4 | | (1) 2 members of the Senate, appointed by the President | 5 | | of the Senate, one of whom shall be chosen by the President | 6 | | of the Senate to serve as the Chairperson; | 7 | | (2) 2 members of the public, appointed by the President | 8 | | of the Senate; | 9 | | (3) 2 members of the Senate, appointed by the Senate | 10 | | Minority Leader; and | 11 | | (4) 2 members of the public, appointed by the Senate | 12 | | Minority Leader; and be it further
| 13 | | RESOLVED, That all actions of the Task Force require the | 14 | | affirmative vote of at least 5 voting members; and be it | 15 | | further | 16 | | RESOLVED, That the following persons shall serve without | 17 | | compensation as ex-officio, non-voting members of the Task | 18 | | Force: | 19 | | (1)
the Director of the Illinois Department of | 20 | | Corrections, or his or her designee; | 21 | | (2) the Director of the Illinois Department of State | 22 | | Police, or his or her designee; and | 23 | | (3) the Executive Director of the Illinois Criminal | 24 | | Justice Information Authority, or his or her designee; and |
| | | SR0255 | - 4 - | LRB097 12131 RLC 56170 r |
|
| 1 | | be it further
| 2 | | RESOLVED, That the Center for Excellence in Criminal | 3 | | Justice at the Great Lakes Addiction Technology Transfer Center | 4 | | at Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of | 5 | | Illinois at Chicago shall provide staff and administrative | 6 | | support services to the Task Force; and be it further
| 7 | | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall hold one or more public | 8 | | hearings, at which public testimony shall be heard, regarding | 9 | | the practical impact of Illinois' "drug-free zone laws", | 10 | | specifically Section 407 of the Illinois Controlled Substances | 11 | | Act; and be it further | 12 | | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall review existing and new | 13 | | research evaluating: | 14 | | (1) the actual effectiveness of Section 407 of the | 15 | | Illinois Controlled Substances Act with its stated intent | 16 | | of shielding children from drug sales; and | 17 | | (2) the actual and potential unintended consequences | 18 | | of Section 407 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act | 19 | | beyond its stated intent; and be it further | 20 | | RESOLVED, That based on the testimony received and the | 21 | | research reviewed, the Task Force shall recommend specific | 22 | | amendments to Section 407 of the Illinois Controlled Substances |
| | | SR0255 | - 5 - | LRB097 12131 RLC 56170 r |
|
| 1 | | Act to preserve its protective intent while mitigating its | 2 | | disproportionate impact on minority communities; and be it | 3 | | further
| 4 | | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall report its findings and | 5 | | recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly in a | 6 | | final report which shall be filed on or before January 1, 2013.
|
|