In order for Illinois’ prisons to be safe for adults and youth in its custody, as well as the staff and administrators that work inside them, immediate improvements in conditions, treatment, accountability, communication, and structural changes must be made. Noting that IDOC and IDJJ are different in size, scope and where each system is on a continuum of change, JHA offers the following recommendations to achieve a safer system that will produce better individual outcomes and increased public safety.
Read MoreOn September 6th, Governor Rauner signed Executive Order 2017-05, establishing the Governor’s Opioid Prevention and Intervention Task Force. Concurrently, the Governor’s Office issued the State of Illinois Opioid Action Plan. The purpose of the new Task Force is to implement the Action Plan with the stated goals of preventing further spread of the opioid crisis, treating and promoting the recovery of individuals with opioid use disorder, and responding effectively to avert opioid overdose deaths.
Read MoreJHA has long urged Illinois to revisit the effectiveness of our sex offender management laws and address barriers to reentry. These issues were stressed in JHA’s 2013 report on the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) facility Big Muddy River Correctional Center, where more than 50% of the population, nearly 1,000 men, are identified as sex offenders, including the civilly committed Sexually Dangerous Persons (SDP) population.
Read MoreJHA believes that the State of Illinois should provide a state identification card to all people leaving the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections and the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice at no cost to the incarcerated individual.
Read MoreIn July of 2017 the Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act, S. 1524, was introduced by U.S. Senators Corey Booker (NJ), Kamala Harris (CA), Elizabeth Warren (MA) and Illinois’ senior Senator Richard Durbin. As Illinois’ only independent, non-partisan prison watchdog and advocate for a fair, humane and effective criminal justice system, the John Howard Association of Illinois (JHA) applauds this step.
Read MoreThe John Howard Association applauds Governor Bruce Rauner for signing Senate Bill 1413 into law. This new law allows men and women to receive their birth certificate for no fee upon their release from the Department of Corrections, which removes one of the largest obstacles for returning citizens to obtain state identification cards once they leave prison.
Read MoreIn the past few years Illinois has made great strides in reforming the state’s juvenile justice system. Agency leaders, legislators, stakeholders and advocates have worked together to integrate new research, evidenced-based best practices, and a renewed commitment to improve rehabilitative outcomes in our juvenile justice system.
Read MoreIllinois, the fifth largest state in the United States, is on the verge of entering a third year without a state budget; this is the longest any state has gone without a budget in modern history. As May 2017 draws to a close, the State is running a deficit of close to $6 billion, owes approximately $14.5 billion in overdue bills and will owe an estimated $800 million in late fees and interest payments on these overdue bills.
Read MoreRaising the threshold amount for felony theft will allow Illinois to direct resources into communities and away from our costly and impaired prison system. Incarceration is an expensive and frequently ineffective response to crime that Illinois can no longer afford.
Read MoreThe John Howard Association commends the Governor’s Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform for their work on the final report which was issued today. The recommendations include important ways we can reduce the inmate population in Illinois, as well as increase the likelihood of reentry success as prisoners return home.
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