SPRINGFIELD – Governor
Bruce Rauner signed Executive Order 15-14 today, which establishes the Illinois
State Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform.
The commission will
examine the current criminal justice system and sentencing structure to develop
comprehensive and evidence-based strategies to improve public safety. It will
analyze all aspects of the current system from the initial arrest to re-entry
into the community. Some areas the commission will specifically examine are
ensuring there is uniformity in sentencing structure, sentencing practices,
community supervision and the use of alternatives to
prison.
“Illinois is in
desperate need of criminal justice reform. Our prisons are overcapacity and too
many offenders are returning to prison,” Gov. Rauner said.
“We need to take a comprehensive, holistic approach to our justice
system.”
The Department of
Corrections (DOC) is operating at more than 150 percent of the inmates it was
designed to house, which threatens the safety of inmates and staff. It also
undermines the DOC’s ability to rehabilitate. Many of those inmates often return
to prison; the recidivism rate in Illinois hovers around 50 percent.
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