Signed by Governor JB Pritzker

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes specific rehabilitation classes as a means of reducing prison sentences.

Highlights:

• Authorizes the Department of Corrections to award sentence credit accumulated prior to the effective date of this act to an inmate serving a sentence for an offense committed prior to June 19, 1998, if the Department determines that the inmate is entitled to this sentenced credit, based upon the following conditions (Sec. 5):

• Documentation provided by the Department that the inmate engaged in any full-time substance abuse programs, corrections industry assignments, educational programs, behavior modification programs, life skills courses, or re-entry planning provided by the Department and satisfactorily completed the assigned program as determined by Department standards during the inmate’s current term of incarceration; or 

• The inmate’s own testimony in the form of an affidavit or documentation, or a third party’s documentation or testimony in the form of an affidavit that the inmate likely engaged in full-time substance abuse programs, correctional industry assignments, educational programs, behavior modification programs, life skills courses, or re-entry planning provided by the Department and satisfactorily completed the assigned program as determined by Department standards during the inmate’s current term of incarceration.

• Authorizes an inmate to receive 90 days of sentence credit if they can provide documentation that they are entitled to sentence credit in excess of 45 days of participation in those programs, but if the inmate cannot provide documentation of more than 45 days of participation in those programs they will receive 45 days of sentence credit (Sec. 5).

• Authorizes an additional 180 days of sentence credit to be awarded to any prisoner who obtains a bachelor’s degree while they are committed to the Department or while they were held in pre-trial detention prior to the current commitment to the Department (Sec. 5).

• Authorizes an additional 180 days of sentence credit to be awarded to any prisoner who obtains a master’s or professional degree while the prisoner is committed to the Department or while they were held in pre-trial detention prior to the current commitment to the Department (Sec. 5).

• Specifies that if the inmate has been convicted of a sex offense, sentencing credits will be awarded by the Department only if the previously mentioned conditions are met (Sec. 5).

• Specifies that no inmate serving a term of natural life imprisonment will receive sentence credits (Sec. 5).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes specific rehabilitation classes as a means of reducing prison sentences.

Highlights:

• Authorizes the Department of Corrections to award sentence credit accumulated prior to the effective date of this act to an inmate serving a sentence for an offense committed prior to June 19, 1998, if the Department determines that the inmate is entitled to this sentenced credit, based upon the following conditions (Sec. 5):

• Documentation provided by the Department that the inmate engaged in any full-time substance abuse programs, corrections industry assignments, educational programs, behavior modification programs, life skills courses, or re-entry planning provided by the Department and satisfactorily completed the assigned program as determined by Department standards during the inmate’s current term of incarceration; or 

• The inmate’s own testimony in the form of an affidavit or documentation, or a third party’s documentation or testimony in the form of an affidavit that the inmate likely engaged in full-time substance abuse programs, correctional industry assignments, educational programs, behavior modification programs, life skills courses, or re-entry planning provided by the Department and satisfactorily completed the assigned program as determined by Department standards during the inmate’s current term of incarceration.

• Authorizes an inmate to receive 90 days of sentence credit if they can provide documentation that they are entitled to sentence credit in excess of 45 days of participation in those programs, but if the inmate cannot provide documentation of more than 45 days of participation in those programs they will receive 45 days of sentence credit (Sec. 5).

• Authorizes an additional 180 days of sentence credit to be awarded to any prisoner who obtains a bachelor’s degree while they are committed to the Department or while they were held in pre-trial detention prior to the current commitment to the Department (Sec. 5).

• Authorizes an additional 180 days of sentence credit to be awarded to any prisoner who obtains a master’s or professional degree while the prisoner is committed to the Department or while they were held in pre-trial detention prior to the current commitment to the Department (Sec. 5).

• Specifies that if the inmate has been convicted of a sex offense, sentencing credits will be awarded by the Department only if the previously mentioned conditions are met (Sec. 5).

• Specifies that no inmate serving a term of natural life imprisonment will receive sentence credits (Sec. 5).

Full Bill Text