Support Elder Parole HB2399/SB2333
Chief Sponsors: Sen. Villanueva, Sen. Peters, Rep. Ammons, Rep. Stava Murray
The Earned Reentry Bill gives people with long-term sentences the opportunity for regular review by the Prisoner Review Board, thus shifting the focus of the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) from warehousing to rehabilitation.
Illinois prisons hold thousands of people serving life and de-facto life sentences. In 1978, parole was eliminated by statute, leaving the state with no process to review incarcerated people for early release based on their demonstrated rehabilitation. Most states have a parole procedure for reviewing and releasing people with long-term sentences who are ready to rejoin society. Illinois does not. If nothing changes, Illinois taxpayers will continue to be billed for geriatric prisons and thousands of Illinoisans will be required to grow old and die behind bars, with no periodic review of whether their continued incarceration serves any purpose.
The Earned Reentry Bill has been endorsed by over 10,000 individuals and more than 50 organizations. The bill establishes that a person is eligible to be reviewed for Earned Reentry by the Prisoner Review Board when they have served at least 20 years in prison. During the first 3 years of the bill's implementation, persons 50 years of age and older will be prioritized for review and reentry.
Benefits:
The Earned Reentry Bill gives people with long-term sentences the opportunity for regular review by the Prisoner Review Board, thus shifting the focus of the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) from warehousing to rehabilitation.
Illinois prisons hold thousands of people serving life and de-facto life sentences. In 1978, parole was eliminated by statute, leaving the state with no process to review incarcerated people for early release based on their demonstrated rehabilitation. Most states have a parole procedure for reviewing and releasing people with long-term sentences who are ready to rejoin society. Illinois does not. If nothing changes, Illinois taxpayers will continue to be billed for geriatric prisons and thousands of Illinoisans will be required to grow old and die behind bars, with no periodic review of whether their continued incarceration serves any purpose.
The Earned Reentry Bill has been endorsed by over 10,000 individuals and more than 50 organizations. The bill establishes that a person is eligible to be reviewed for Earned Reentry by the Prisoner Review Board when they have served at least 20 years in prison. During the first 3 years of the bill's implementation, persons 50 years of age and older will be prioritized for review and reentry.
Benefits:
- Allow individuals who have aged out of crime an opportunity to return to productive lives
- Reunite families and help children to heal from parental incarceration
- Take into account the drastic drop in recidivism rates that occurs after young adulthood
- Avoid the unnecessary incarceration of elderly people by reviewing the sentences of people who are rehabilitated before they become old and infirm. This population often has multiple health conditions and disabilities, making their incarceration very expensive—currently costing the state about 25 million dollars
Past Action
On March 7, 2020, the Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois sent a letter to Rob Jeffreys, Acting Director Illinois Department of Corrections and Jim Kaitschuk, Executive Director Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, expressing deep concern, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, over the lives of those incarcerated in jails and prisons and urging release and a plan to contain the virus. Since then, facilities have shown their inability to create safe conditions, so we are even more concerned as people contract Covid-19 and die in custody. We need your advocacy in asking for release of people in prisons and jails. The Illinois Department of Corrections has released 1,000 prisoners, most of them already scheduled for release, and the releases have disparately favored white people, keeping more Black and Latinx people in custody. About 10,000 to 15,000 people are eligible for release according to existing legislation and the Governor’s orders.
According to the June report by Restore Justice Illinois, “More than 36,000 people were in prison in Illinois as of March 31 (most recent complete data), yet only 900 had been tested for Covid as of June 9—less than 3 percent. In spite of the fact that there are large outbreaks among incarcerated people and staff at Stateville and East Moline, as well as at Cook County Jail, testing of incarcerated people remains well below the level required to control viral spread, and the protocols for contact tracing have not been made publicly available.” The Marshall Project as of June 27 reported 322 positive cases in Illinois prisons. The John Howard Association June report on their survey of people in custody found that 13% or 1,877 people reported they had sought healthcare because of COVID-19 in the last week and had not received a response.
....
We are not powerless in this struggle. Your voice matters!
In faithful engagement,
Rev Allison Farnum
Director, Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of IL
The COVID-19 Pandemic has highlighted the many needs of those who are recently released or still inside. Though there are immediate needs that must be addressed, our organization still holds onto to a long-term religious vision where the humanity of all is recognized and liberation/reconciliation is possible for all people.
Get Involved! For action you can take, visit the Illinois Prison Project, who is keeping a running list of ways we can stay engaged in our vision of liberation in these difficult times.
Here are the many ways we are joining with area organizations to amplify the needs and voices of those who are locked up.
Now, more than ever, there have been many asks of officials to release those locked up over public health concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic. We as an organization have signed onto several letters and participated in these advocacy efforts:
On March 7, 2020, the Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois sent a letter to Rob Jeffreys, Acting Director Illinois Department of Corrections and Jim Kaitschuk, Executive Director Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, expressing deep concern, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, over the lives of those incarcerated in jails and prisons and urging release and a plan to contain the virus. Since then, facilities have shown their inability to create safe conditions, so we are even more concerned as people contract Covid-19 and die in custody. We need your advocacy in asking for release of people in prisons and jails. The Illinois Department of Corrections has released 1,000 prisoners, most of them already scheduled for release, and the releases have disparately favored white people, keeping more Black and Latinx people in custody. About 10,000 to 15,000 people are eligible for release according to existing legislation and the Governor’s orders.
According to the June report by Restore Justice Illinois, “More than 36,000 people were in prison in Illinois as of March 31 (most recent complete data), yet only 900 had been tested for Covid as of June 9—less than 3 percent. In spite of the fact that there are large outbreaks among incarcerated people and staff at Stateville and East Moline, as well as at Cook County Jail, testing of incarcerated people remains well below the level required to control viral spread, and the protocols for contact tracing have not been made publicly available.” The Marshall Project as of June 27 reported 322 positive cases in Illinois prisons. The John Howard Association June report on their survey of people in custody found that 13% or 1,877 people reported they had sought healthcare because of COVID-19 in the last week and had not received a response.
....
We are not powerless in this struggle. Your voice matters!
- Take a moment to sign this petition. No Covid “Death Sentences” in Illinois Prisons. This is a quick and easy gesture that, collectively, will make a difference.
- Call the Governor (217-782-0244) and Lt. Governor (217-558-3085) to ask for wide-scale release to reduce the spread of Covid and save lives. Here is a short script: “The Illinois Department of Corrections has the legal authority to release 10,000 to 15,000 people in custody to make social distancing and appropriate medical care possible. I ask you to release prisoners, to stop quarantining them under dangerous conditions, and to test, trace and provide PPE.”
- Set up a short phone visit or Zoom call with your Illinois Representative and Illinois Senator and ask them to support mass release, with the points above. Remind them that we can prevent further spikes by the simple action of releasing all eligible people in custody. During your meditation and prayer times, do not forget to hold those who are locked up in IL prisons and jails in your heart.
In faithful engagement,
Rev Allison Farnum
Director, Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of IL
The COVID-19 Pandemic has highlighted the many needs of those who are recently released or still inside. Though there are immediate needs that must be addressed, our organization still holds onto to a long-term religious vision where the humanity of all is recognized and liberation/reconciliation is possible for all people.
Get Involved! For action you can take, visit the Illinois Prison Project, who is keeping a running list of ways we can stay engaged in our vision of liberation in these difficult times.
Here are the many ways we are joining with area organizations to amplify the needs and voices of those who are locked up.
Now, more than ever, there have been many asks of officials to release those locked up over public health concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic. We as an organization have signed onto several letters and participated in these advocacy efforts:
- Sent March 7, 2020, letter to IDOC Acting Director Rob Jeffreys and IL Sheriff’s Association urging a one-time review of all people in custody who are elderly or ill, with an eye toward providing medical furloughs or compassionate release to as many of them as possible.
- Organized area congregations to provide immediate financial support to prisoners in Illinois who are part of the Church of the Larger Fellowship. UUPMI has committed $200 to provide financial support to individual prisoners in this effort.
- Signed on to Restore Justice Illinois and Illinois Prison Project open letter to Kim Foxx
- Signed on to Chicago Appleseed open letter outlining ten points to provide safety to justice-involved youth and adults in custody and under community supervision.
- Signed on to letter to Cardinal Cupich urging him to join advocates who are asking Governor J. B. Pritzker to act to release elderly and at-risk people in prison.
- Signed on to Chicago Urban League letter to Gov. to reduce harm of COVID-19 for people with substance abuse disorders.
- Children and Family Justice Center/Northwestern University letter to IL Supreme Court Chief Justice Burke, Chief Judge Evans, Presiding Judge Toomin, Public Defender Campanelli, and State’s Attorney urging release of all youth in the Cook County Detention Center who both the Office of the State’s Attorney and Public Defender have evaluated and determined can be safely returned home.
- April 13, 2020 - Signed on to open letter to the National Governors’ Association, U.S. Conference of Mayors, and National Sheriffs’ Association demanding free calls in state prisons and local jails, sponsored by Color of Change, National Council of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, Just Leadership USA, and others.
- April 7-10, 2020- UUPMI leadership in both the CCJ Decarcerate IL car action and the Stateville car action
- Signed on to a letter from Love & Protect pushing for their release of two individuals on medical furlough pending a decision on clemency.
- Signed on to Restore Justice Illinois' letter to the Governor urging greater transparency in reporting testing and deaths in IDOC facilities.
- May 1,2020 UUPMI leadership at May Day Funeral Procession for Decarceration: Blood On Our Hands with Parole Illinois
- May 9, 2020 UUPMI leadership at Free Our Moms Day Mobile and Virtual Vigil with Moms United Against Violence and Incarceration
- Signed onto the 2020 Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly's Action of Immediate Witness, Amen to Uprising
- Signed on to Chicago 400 letter to Gov. Pritzker to alleviate residency restrictions
- Signed on to updated Pretrial Fairness and Bail Reform initiative (bill forthcoming)
- Signed on to Evanston Defunding police document