* From a press release…
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.
* Click here for the EO. Not mentioned in the press release is the new commission’s goal: A 25 percent prisoner headcount reduction over ten years…
* The EO is receiving praise…
* Gov. Rauner also said he believed that his predecessor’s early release program was mismanaged and expressed confidence that he could pull this off. He said Sen. Kwame Raoul and other legislators had agreed to serve on the commission. Raw audio…
* Meanwhile…
Despite saying in December he was retiring after a 42-year career in prison work, the state’s top corrections official remains a contender to stay in his job.
Gov. Bruce Rauner said Wednesday that controversial Illinois Department of Corrections Director S.A. “Tony” Godinez is under consideration for the agency’s top post.
But, the new governor stopped short of giving the holdover from former Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration his full support.
“We are in discussions with a number of potential leaders of our corrections system. Our current leadership certainly is in the mix,” Rauner told reporters during an event at the Sangamon County Courthouse.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 12:47 pm:
Rauner Crew,
“More like this, please.” - OW
- Generation X - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 12:50 pm:
The first step should be legalization of marijuana.
Revenue- check
Lower prison headcount-check
Jobs-Check
Lower law enforcement costs-check
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 12:50 pm:
He should invite our former governors onto this commission. They have a lot of personal inside experiences with the criminal justice system and probably even know where the shivs are hidden.
- Cassiopeia - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 12:50 pm:
I do believe the Governor’s approach here is very good and long overdue. He is taking a bipartisan approach that has appeal to both liberals and conservatives, although for entirely different reasons.
- Concerned - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 12:52 pm:
Rauner finally does something I can agree with. Credit to Rauner where credit is due.
- illlinifan - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 12:53 pm:
This I agree with and is long overdue. To address issue they should also look at reforming sentencing requirements in the state and getting rid of or revising laws that put sentencing in place for some non-violent minor offenses. Kudos on this one.
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 12:54 pm:
Good job, from Rauner to Raoul. This area of reform can be tricky, but good on them for starting to tackle it.
Now let’s see what comes of this and what else they can work on together.
- Dan Bureaucrat - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 12:54 pm:
Excellent. No other word for it.
The problem is ALWAYS getting the legislature to follow the commission recommendations. That would be a good use of the $20 Million war chest.
- Stuff Happens - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 12:56 pm:
I wonder how much of this is dependent upon winning a MacArthur Foundation grant.
- Aldyth - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 12:56 pm:
This is something I can whole heartedly support. Congratulations on your first good decision in office, Governor Rauner.
- Keyser Soze - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 12:58 pm:
Bravo!
- Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:00 pm:
Meh. The commission is setup to be the fall guy for the recidivism that takes after the early releases. Remember this…
https://capitolfax.com/2014/09/20/quinn-hit-on-botched-early-prisoner-release-program/
- Cassandra - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:00 pm:
I certainly applaud this plan, and the target. It’s always good to have a target citizens can look at. The state will need to work with local police and state’s attorneys though-the ones who make the actual arrest and charge decisions respectively.
And there will likely be big pushback from communities which are heavily dependent on a large state prison population for their livelihood, even their survival. Because the largely uncovered (by mainstream press) economic and social problems of rural and semi-rural communities continue pretty much unabated in this 21st.
- yinn - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:00 pm:
Gov. Rauner’s appointment of John Howard Association’s John Maki to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority made me hopeful, and this latest move has pushed me into actual optimism. Well done.
- #5 - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:02 pm:
I’ll wait for results before getting too excited. I’ve seen too many blue-ribbon panels and commissions that did very little besides issue papers.
- Capitol Fax Follower - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:03 pm:
I whole-heartedly agree with what the governor proposes in this particular area. Long overdue and commend him for taking the initiative in this too-often neglected area. Recividism and over-crowding in prisons are a major problem. And I agree with some of the above commenters that too many are incarcenated for victimless crimes.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:11 pm:
I have thought for years that one of the basic policies of the Republicans Party was to ‘get tough on crime’. It appears that Rauner wants to throw that policy overboard in the face of the financial issues of the state. I wonder how this change will set with the Tea Party members who voted for him in his election bid?
- anon - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:12 pm:
Is there any chance of applying the same standard to Rauner’s new plan that was applied to early release under Quinn? In other words, if some formerly incarcerated person (FIP) gets out thanks to Rauner’s new policy, and then commits a heinous crime, will Rauner take the blame?
- Pot calling kettle - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:12 pm:
I agree with this move and more so. The goal needs to be a 33% reduction just to meet our capacity.
The danger, of course. is what happens when someone who was released early commits a serious crime? It will happen, and when it does, how do they respond? It is unfortunate that we have, in the past, allowed one bad actor to torpedo a whole program. A key component to a successful program will be to figure this out. I wish I had the answer.
- illinoisvoter - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:12 pm:
Do not know if the numbers and findings would
hold the same in Illinois as New York, but this
article from Slate last week should give us
pause before the applause since the research
locates the problem with violent offenders.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2015/02/mass_incarceration_a_provocative_new_theory_for_why_so_many_americans_are.single.html
- anon - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:14 pm:
This is the first thing I have agreed with Rauner on since he came out for same-day voter registration. It is certainly long overdue. Regardless of his motives, it is the right thing to do in a nation with the world’s highest incarceration rate.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:15 pm:
Sensible, smart.
- Juvenal - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:16 pm:
This mirrors an effort by Governor Daniels that stalled when he could not get his own party to support it.
Daniels was able to agree to get his own party to support increased funding for child welfare.
He is going to have to decide over the next couple of months how he prioritizes his top priorities.
- D.P.Gumby - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:17 pm:
Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Let’s hope the good words result in good works.
- Juan MacLean - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:18 pm:
Totally agree with the idea - but you don’t need to play fast and loose with the facts to make a case. The “designed to house” assumes one inmate per cell - which is not a practice anywhere in the nation. Yes the prisons are full - but you don’t need to exaggerate your point. Lastly - grammar y’all. “Over capacity” or “at overcapacity.” Typos and grammatical errors in press releases happen all the time - but the media won’t use your quote if they have to insert a (sic).
- anon - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:20 pm:
Here is what the 2012 IL GOP platform has to say:
“A majority of the crime committed in Illinois is by repeat offenders. We need to ensure that crime is aggressively prosecuted and prison sentences are carried out.”
Repealing the overreliance upon incarceration is not something espoused by many Republicans.
- SkeptiCal - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:20 pm:
Shades of a young Jim Thompson.
- Stuff Happens - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:26 pm:
Here’s the MacArthur Foundation news that I referenced earlier — they announced this morning that they are giving $75 million to twenty jurisdictions that look for alternatives to jail time.
http://hort.li/1E_c
- A guy - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:27 pm:
You’re gonna like some stuff and dislike other stuff. This is a good move that should benefit every person in the state in some way. Tough on crime has come to mean lock everybody up. Tough on Justice, could mean something else. Let’s hope so. Glad to see so many in favor of this.
- crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:27 pm:
Right track, insufficient grit. Rauner’s panel will manage to get done in 10 meetings what the joint legislative committee couldn’t do in 5? Right.
- Wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:30 pm:
All for it, long overdue.
Like Nixon to China, tough to get all “soft on crime” on a suburban Republican.
Given that the United States has about five percent of the worlds population but 25 percent of those in prison, I imagine 25 percent over 10 years isn’t overly ambitious.
Technical parole violations would seem to be low-hanging fruit. According to the IDOC annual report, in FY 13 they accounted for about 20 percent of new admissions into the system.
Also according to the annual report, 770 system inmates — 1.6 percent of the total. — are locked up for violations of the Cannabis Control Act.
I don’t sleep better at night knowing that. In fact, I’m more likely to lose sleep over that.
- Realreporter - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:33 pm:
Rauner’s big idea? Open the prisons and let um run out. Ugh. Really?
- crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:41 pm:
“I imagine 25 percent over 10 years isn’t overly ambitious.”
No, it isn’t.
- Peters Post - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:53 pm:
Really applaud the effort to reform the whole incarceration process. OTH there is a theory coming out of sociology that functional societies have 5% of their population in Institutions ie prisons, mental hospital, sanatoriums and the like. For social stability some of us have to be locked up. While this may not be correct, incarceration reform without real mental health reform will be only a short term fix if a fix at all. The prison system is our largest mental health provider and this cannot be sustained.
- In the know - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 1:59 pm:
Lets just hope we are driven by facts. Per SPAC, the average Idoc drug offender has 18 arrests (which would include various diversion programs drug courts)5 convictions with 2 or 3 felony convictions. Other than public corruption cases, there are no first time nonviolent offenders in our prisons. There are things that can be done, but the public had better b careful what they ask for. Repeat DUI is a nonviolent offense. Home burglary is nonviolent. I V n child porn and felony gun possession are technically nonviolent. Food for thought
- Left Leaner - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:02 pm:
Long overdue. Bravo.
But the little cynic in me wonders how this plays into a desire to privatize the DOC.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:06 pm:
Here’s one on the positive side of the scoreboard.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:08 pm:
Legalize and tax marijuana, treat other minor drug offenses as a public health issue rather than a criminal one. Put our focus back on violent criminals instead of nonviolent addicts.
- Urban Girl - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:13 pm:
Not a Rauner fan; a big fan of this action.
To echo OW, more please. This is a way to shake up Illinois.
My cynical side fears that it is a way to court favor with legislators of color, but that no real reform will result.
- Skirmisher - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:14 pm:
Well, it is about time! What we have now is a travesty. I just hope the Governor actually goes full speed ahead on this and doesn’t let the usual political forces stall him.
- Been There - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:20 pm:
===I have thought for years that one of the basic policies of the Republicans Party was to ‘get tough on crime’.====
It probably had to wait until there was a repub governor or one of the chambers flipped before this could happen. Tough on crime always makes for good commercials and mailers.
On the other hand those that have to eventually vote for this are probably already thinking of how that negative mail piece looks.
- Former IDOC Worker - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:23 pm:
I agree with #5 too many boards and commissions who do nothing but push papers. The IDOC needs a complete overhaul with some younger and fresher leadership. Too much “business as usual at this agency”
- Name Withheld - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:23 pm:
I applaud this idea - because it not only reduces the cost of Illinois for incarceration since there are fewer prisoners, but it’s also stabilizes the prison staffing situation by (hopefully) reducing the need for overtime by the already-understaffed prison guards.
This is something else he talked about during the debates and it’s good (in this case) to see him moving forward with it.
- Downstate Illinois - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:27 pm:
It’s not a matter of being soft on crime. It’s encouraging the higher crime rates that are likely to follow. Violent crime rates have been coming down for the last few decades. To say that doesn’t have anything to do with higher incarceration rates is foolish.
- anon - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:28 pm:
Rauner may try work it to spare legislators from voting on it. Obviously it could be a terrible vote for any target. As Mautino’s close re-election demonstrated, even those who aren’t targets could be in trouble when enough cash is dumped in. Mautino might have been history if his opponent had a couple of inflammatory mailings about votes to reduce prison sentences on bad guys. That’s a political reality not likely to be lost on members from either side.
- walker - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:29 pm:
Yes. All for it.
- Millennium - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:33 pm:
–Gov. Rauner’s appointment of John Howard Association’s John Maki to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority made me hopeful–
These issues are exactly what ICJIA and the Sentencing Policy Advisory Council have already developed solutions for. Instead of create another group that meets periodically to share ideas, use the recommendations of what exists. Sam Gaddy was appointed to her current position from SPAC, so just use their research for policy.
- DuPage - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:37 pm:
Overcrowding? A commission to reduce prison population? We have heard it all before. They built a brand new facility out in western Illinois and then sold it because they did not want to pay for guards.
What should be done is more boot camps and home confinement with electronic monitoring.
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:40 pm:
Like Commissioner Boykin says, the key is follow through and attention to detail. Lots of blue ribbon committees have come and gone while singing the same old song.
- QCLib - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:40 pm:
What’s the catch? Rauner has conditioned me to always expect a catch. An excuse to lay off 20% of the state COs and reduce pay by 30% for the rest?
I’ll wait to give my applause when I see the results.
- walker - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:44 pm:
If Rauner want to get the best in Illinois for this commission, two former House members come to mind: Dennis Reboletti and Cook Co. Commissioner John Fritchey.
Both have experience, and real wisdom in this area. They know how to compromise, and can translate commission findings into actual legislation.
- Last Bull Moose - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 2:57 pm:
I too applaud the move.
For faster results, first strengthen the probation staff, then add capability to speed probation hearings. Might even be able to use the Governor’s power to pardon and commute sentences to move people out after a solid review.
Make sure everything is in place before the first release. Also, watch for people within DOC who might sabotage the process.
Good luck
- Southern illinoisan - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 3:03 pm:
Establishing a commission to review the problems in the Il criminal justice system is a good idea. It acknowledges that there are problems that need fixing. Rauner indicating that Godinez is being considered to remain in charge of IDOC is a bad idea! Why would you want to keep a director that has been in charge for several years and has done nothing to address problems within the IDOC ? That’s not change, that is more of the same…
- Willie Stark - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 3:24 pm:
QClib: of course there’s a catch and, as it is going to go for the foreseeable future, it’s about creating new opportunities for profits and predation. Sure, perhaps reduce incarceration rates (that’s good, you can see the appeal), but privatize the probation process and alternative to incarceration (but, still stay tough on crime!). The Atlantic wrote about this a week ago:
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/02/the-private-probation-problem-is-worse-than-anyone-thought/283589/
- Cassandra - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 3:33 pm:
I wouldn’t put it all on DOC. Folks go to jail because the police arrest them, the ASA’s charge them, and the judges/juries convict and sentence them. DOC just houses them. DOC has some control over length of stay, but really, the big reform has to come at the front end, and that means us. We, or a lot of us, are the ones demanding more police, more surveillance, more laws, more arrests, longer sentences. Even the racial and economic disproportionality of the jail population doesn’t seem to give us much pause.
- gg - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 3:35 pm:
They need jobs to stay out.
- Cook County Commoner - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 4:32 pm:
What’s the point? Aren’t there mountains of studies out there already on the topic of sentencing, rehabilitation and recidivism?
The US leads industrialized nations in incarceration per 100,000 citizens. And Illinois is in the middle of the pack of all states for incarceration. From one point of view, Illinois is doing okay compared to other states, and its problem is insufficient funds to build more prisons.
But if you want to approach it from the idealist’s point of view, do you really need a commission to tell you what causes incarceration and recidivism? Poor education, poor family decisions and an economy that offers few jobs at good pay for the marginally educated are at the heart of this.
Nibbling at the boarders of sentencing and even marijuana legalization may drop the incarceration numbers a bit, but I suspect the incarceration numbers would pick up in time unless serious structural change is implemented to address an economy that needs fewer and fewer folks to produce necessary goods and services.
- Rusty618 - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 4:48 pm:
The Murphysboro boot camp was designed as an alternative to long incarcerations for juveniles. Yes, it might have been tough, but it was designed to straighten the kids out before they get into worse trouble. I wonder if reopening this is in Rauner’s plan?
- DuPage Dave - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 6:05 pm:
To reduce the prison population by 25 percent (an admirable goal, I believe), Rauner is going to have to sign off on releasing some people from prison ahead of schedule. This did not play out well for Quinn, as many will recall.
So we can look forward to the day when we hear on the news “Joe Schmoe, who was released from prison under Gov. Rauner’s reduction plan, today was arrested for….”
- x ace - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 9:33 pm:
Unfair Shifting of Costs to Counties
More County Time ; More Crime
Bad Move
- lost in the weeds - Wednesday, Feb 11, 15 @ 9:45 pm:
Need to address the root causes of the high incarceration rate. Thing about this it is to be done over ten years. Certainly addressing root causes will take time for some of the causes.