Friday, Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 423, implementing mandatory supervised release (MSR) reforms, including amending the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act. According to the press release, “The legislation, which goes into effect January 1, 2024, will promote public safety and community success by implementing criminal justice reforms.”

The press release also stated, “This legislation supports the reintegration of individuals into the community while lowering the possibility of recidivism, increasing public safety, and lowering taxpayer costs.” Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, state and local officials, advocates, and artist and activist, Meek Mill, who has long been a proponent for criminal justice reform, joined Pritzker.

The Illinois Department of Corrections, the Prisoner Review Board, the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts, Reform Alliance, and the Illinois Sheriff’s Association, in addition to multiple community groups, drafted the legislation. The justice reforms include:

• Improving education credits that incentivize people on parole or Mandatory Supervised Release (MSR) to obtain a degree, career certificate, or vocational technical certificate.
• Streamlining early termination processes and increasing government transparency by standardizing review timelines, encouraging officers to recommend early termination for people who have a track record of success, and providing clear feedback for those denied.
• Tailoring Supervision to an individualized approach to each person’s unique circumstances, focusing on addressing root causes of crime and enhancing public safety. It also limits unnecessary drug testing, saving resources and reducing work interruptions.
• Expanding virtual reporting permanently for remote check-ins for all forms of supervision in Illinois, reducing disruption to work or childcare responsibilities, and removing barriers to success.

The press release also stated, “These actions build on Illinois’ nation-leading criminal justice reform practices. In Illinois alone, more than 100,000 individuals are currently serving time on probation, parole, or mandatory supervised release—and more than 25% return to prison within three years of their release due to non-criminal technical violations such as missing a meeting with a probation officer. The new, evidence-based provisions will create a more transparent supervision system that will lower recidivism, support communities, and reduce supervisor caseloads to better serve the individuals most at risk while still holding individuals responsible.” The original sponsors of the SB0423 include Sen. Bill Cunningham and Sen. Mary Edly-Allen.

“When I was on probation, the system did much more to hold me back than help me succeed,” said REFORM Alliance co-founder Meek Mill. “And my experience is just a reflection of millions of other stories that go untold. So it’s an honor to be a part of making the system work better for families in Illinois and across the country. Speaker Pro Tem Jehan Gordon-Booth and Governor Pritzker, we thank you for your leadership.”

“Today, I will sign legislation that focuses our Mandatory Supervised Release system on creating successful outcomes for those who were formerly incarcerated and improves the safety and peace of our communities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “It’s a system that is evidence-based and transparent — which is just what our families and neighborhoods deserve. This bill speaks to the promise of Illinois: a promise of equity, empathy, public safety, and true justice.”

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