Full Text of SR1001 103rd General Assembly
SR1001 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | | | SR1001 | | LRB103 40424 ECR 72740 r |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION | 2 | | WHEREAS, America was founded on the promise of new | 3 | | beginnings; and | 4 | | WHEREAS, Every year, more than 650,000 people are released | 5 | | from State and Federal prisons, some leaving with nothing more | 6 | | than a few dollars and a bus ticket to start their new lives; | 7 | | in total, over 70 million Americans have a criminal history | 8 | | record, potentially making it hard for them to secure a steady | 9 | | job, safe housing, affordable health care, a good education, | 10 | | or small business loans, all of which are important things to | 11 | | have when trying to build a good life; studies demonstrate | 12 | | that when these needs are met, not only are formerly | 13 | | incarcerated people empowered but crime is prevented and our | 14 | | communities are safer; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, That is why, last year, the Biden Administration | 16 | | released a comprehensive strategic plan to improve the | 17 | | criminal justice system and strengthen public safety, | 18 | | including over 100 concrete actions that the Administration is | 19 | | taking to boost public safety by improving rehabilitation in | 20 | | jails and prisons, helping people rebuild their lives, and | 21 | | reducing unnecessary interactions with the criminal justice | 22 | | system so police officers can focus on fighting crime; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, The Biden Administration has also invested nearly | 2 | | $1 billion in job training, addiction recovery, and reentry | 3 | | services across the country and has expanded access to Pell | 4 | | Grants so people can earn a college degree while they are | 5 | | incarcerated and can start over with new skills; the | 6 | | Administration is also helping formerly incarcerated people | 7 | | find good-paying jobs on projects to rebuild America funded by | 8 | | the historic infrastructure law and by expanding opportunities | 9 | | to serve in the Federal Government; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, At the same time, the Biden Administration has | 11 | | taken historic steps to end America's failed approach to | 12 | | marijuana; incarceration for marijuana possession alone has | 13 | | destroyed too many lives, particularly for Black and Brown | 14 | | Americans who have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at | 15 | | higher rates than other racial and ethnic groups; in 2022, | 16 | | President Biden asked the Secretary of Health and Human | 17 | | Services Xavier Becerra and Attorney General Merrick Garland | 18 | | to start formally reviewing how marijuana is scheduled under | 19 | | Federal law; he has issued categorical pardons for people | 20 | | convicted for simple marijuana possession and use under | 21 | | Federal and D.C. law while urging governors to do the same on | 22 | | the State level; it is unethical for a person to be in jail or | 23 | | prison for using or possessing marijuana alone; and | 24 | | WHEREAS, Meanwhile, the Biden Administration has made |
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| 1 | | historic investments to expand access to mental health and | 2 | | substance use services; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, The Biden Administration has also provided $400 | 4 | | million to prevent juvenile justice involvement and to make | 5 | | these systems more responsive to the needs of youth and over $3 | 6 | | billion in funding for education programs that provide | 7 | | support, services, and interventions to keep students | 8 | | positively engaged in their schools and communities; and | 9 | | WHEREAS, By working together to improve the criminal | 10 | | justice system, our communities will be safer, stronger, and | 11 | | more just; these efforts will make families and communities | 12 | | whole and help grow our economy, giving everyone a fair | 13 | | chance; therefore, be it | 14 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | 15 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare April of | 16 | | 2024 as Second Chance Month in the State of Illinois as it is | 17 | | imperative to recommit to building a criminal justice system | 18 | | that lives up to the ideals of new beginnings so that people | 19 | | returning to their communities from jail or prison have a fair | 20 | | shot at the American Dream. |
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