100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB3710

 

Introduced 2/10/2017, by Rep. Elgie R. Sims, Jr.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
30 ILCS 105/5.878 new
730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-110 new
730 ILCS 5/5-8-9 new

    Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that in the case of a person who is, at the time of the effective date of the amendatory Act, incarcerated for a felony offense under the Cannabis Control Act, the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, or the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act that has been subsequently reclassified as a misdemeanor, the sentencing court, the Director of Corrections, or the incarcerated person may make a motion to recall the original sentence issued and re-sentence the person to a misdemeanor sentence. Creates the Justice Reinvestment Fund in the State treasury for: (1) addressing the destabilizing effects that high incarceration rates have had on families and communities; (2) targeting the community conditions that perpetuate the cycle of crime; (3) providing formerly incarcerated persons a better chance to succeed outside of prison; and (4) providing support to victims. Provides that on or before August 31, 2018, and on or before August 31 of the next 9 fiscal years thereafter, the Comptroller shall transfer from the General Revenue Fund to the Justice Reinvestment Fund 85% of the total savings calculated by the Sentencing Policy Advisory Council from the reduction of the prison population as a result of the reduced sentences provided by the amendatory Act. Amends the State Finance Act to make conforming changes.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3710LRB100 11050 RLC 21289 b

1    AN ACT concerning criminal law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
5Section 5.878 as follows:
 
6    (30 ILCS 105/5.878 new)
7    Sec. 5.878. The Justice Reinvestment Fund.
 
8    Section 10. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by
9adding Sections 5-4.5-110 and 5-8-9 as follows:
 
10    (730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-110 new)
11    Sec. 5-4.5-110. Resentencing as misdemeanants.
12    (a) In the case of a person who is, at the time of the
13effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General
14Assembly, incarcerated for a felony offense under the Cannabis
15Control Act, the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, or the
16Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act that has
17been subsequently reclassified as a misdemeanor, the
18sentencing court, the Director of Corrections, or the
19incarcerated person may make a motion to recall the original
20sentence issued and re-sentence the person to a misdemeanor
21under the penalty changes made by this amendatory Act of the

 

 

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1100th General Assembly in the Cannabis Control Act, the
2Illinois Controlled Substances Act, and the Methamphetamine
3Control and Community Protection Act. The sentencing court
4shall determine whether the petitioner qualifies for
5resentencing as a result of the reclassification of felony
6offenses as misdemeanors. If the petitioner qualifies for
7resentencing, the petitioner's felony sentence shall be
8recalled and the petitioner shall be re-sentenced to a
9misdemeanor under the Cannabis Control Act, the Illinois
10Controlled Substances Act, or the Methamphetamine Control and
11Community Protection Act, unless the court, in its discretion,
12determines that re-sentencing the petitioner would pose an
13unreasonable risk of danger to public safety. Under no
14circumstances shall re-sentencing result in a sentence that is
15longer than the original sentence.
16    (b) In the case of a person who has completed his or her
17sentence for a felony conviction under the Cannabis Control
18Act, the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, or the
19Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act, he or she
20may apply to have the felony conviction designated as a
21misdemeanor, or the sentencing court or the Director of
22Corrections may make a motion to have the felony conviction
23designated as a misdemeanor. All sentencing courts throughout
24this State shall provide applications for this purpose.
25    (c) If the original sentencing court is not available for
26re-sentencing under subsections (b) and (c) of this Section,

 

 

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1the presiding judge shall designate another judge to rule on
2the motion or application.
3    (d) Nothing in subsections (a) through (c) of this Section
4is intended to diminish or abrogate any rights or remedies
5otherwise available to the petitioner or applicant, or to any
6victims of the crimes that resulted in the felony convictions
7at issue.
 
8    (730 ILCS 5/5-8-9 new)
9    Sec. 5-8-9. Purpose.
10    (a) Purpose. From 1982 to 2013, Illinois' incarcerated
11population nearly tripled, with much of the expansion caused by
12the increased criminalization of public health concerns such as
13the effects of poverty, mental illness, and drug use, and the
14disproportionately aggressive enforcement of criminal laws
15within communities of color. These trends resulted in justice
16expenditures more than doubling, in real dollars, during this
17period. The General Assembly hereby declares it a priority to
18right-size our justice system and realign our spending
19priorities to maximize public health and safety. Through the
20creation of the Justice Reinvestment Fund in the State
21treasury, a substantial portion of the savings realized from
22reducing our incarceration rate, by re-classifying a series of
23non-violent felony offenses as misdemeanors, will be
24reinvested in addressing the root causes of crime, violence,
25and recidivism. Among a wide range of positive effects, this

 

 

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1initiative will create substantially healthier and safer
2communities across the State by:
3        (1) addressing the destabilizing effects that high
4    incarceration rates have had on families and communities;
5        (2) targeting the community conditions that perpetuate
6    the cycle of crime;
7        (3) providing formerly incarcerated persons a better
8    chance to succeed outside of prison; and
9        (4) providing support to victims.
10    (b) On or before July 31, 2018, and on or before July 31 of
11the next 9 fiscal years thereafter, the Sentencing Policy
12Advisory Council shall calculate the savings that accrued to
13the State during the preceding fiscal year, as compared to the
14fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, due to criminal justice
15reform efforts. The savings calculation shall be solely based
16on:
17        (1) the number of persons incarcerated in a Department
18    of Corrections facility during the fiscal year ending June
19    30, 2017 for the offenses that have been reclassified as a
20    result of criminal justice reform efforts enacted into law
21    by the General Assembly;
22        (2) the average length of stay in Department of
23    Corrections facilities for these offenses before they were
24    reclassified as misdemeanors;
25        (3) the marginal cost per inmate per year; and
26        (4) any reduction in fixed costs, overhead costs, or

 

 

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1    administrative costs.
2    In making the calculations required by this subsection (b),
3the Sentencing Policy Advisory Council shall use actual data or
4best available estimates when actual data is not available. The
5State Comptroller shall certify the results of the calculation
6no later than August 15 of each fiscal year.
7    (c) On or before August 31, 2018, and on or before August
831 of the next 9 fiscal years thereafter, the Comptroller shall
9transfer from the General Revenue Fund to the Justice
10Reinvestment Fund 85% of the total savings calculated under
11subsection (b) of this Section minus any necessary deductions
12under subsections (n) and (o) of this Section.
13    (d) The Justice Reinvestment Fund shall be jointly
14administered by the Department of Human Services and the
15Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, and each
16county shall be entitled to a proportionate share of the annual
17funds available provided it meets the criteria described in
18subsection (f) of this Section.
19    (e) To receive funds under this Section, counties must meet
20the following criteria:
21        (1) They must submit an annual application in which
22    they specify how they will use the funds to improve public
23    health and safety through investments in evidence-based or
24    promising strategies in one or more of the following areas:
25            (A) living-wage job opportunities;
26            (B) training programs for jobs that pay a living

 

 

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1        wage;
2            (C) drug treatment services;
3            (D) mental health services, including trauma
4        recovery services for crime victims;
5            (E) afterschool programs for children and youth;
6            (F) pre-K programs;
7            (G) summer and year-round jobs for youth;
8            (H) affordable housing opportunities;
9            (I) community economic development projects and
10        the creation or support of cooperative businesses;
11            (J) alternatives to justice-system involvement
12        within schools and throughout the community, including
13        but not limited to restorative justice programs and
14        increased use of social workers, psychologists,
15        conflict mediators, mental health counselors, and drug
16        treatment counselors to address low-level offenses.
17        The application must specify how the funds will be
18    directed toward one or more of the following:
19            (A) the neighborhoods in the county that have the
20        largest number of former residents in jail or prison;
21            (B) the neighborhoods in the county that have the
22        largest number of crime victims;
23            (C) formerly incarcerated persons who are
24        re-entering the county from prison.
25    (f) In the event that this amendatory Act of the 100th
26General Assembly results in a down-sizing of the State prison

 

 

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1system involving the discharge of any Department of Corrections
2employees, the Department of Human Services and the Illinois
3Criminal Justice Information Authority are authorized to
4deduct funds from the Justice Reinvestment Fund for purposes of
5assisting those discharged workers with transitional expenses
6related to job training, community economic development,
7education, and healthcare needs. The funds used for this
8purpose shall not account for more than 1% of the total funds
9deposited into the Justice Reinvestment Fund each year.
10    (g) Funds allocated to counties under this Section may be
11used by counties for planning and administrative costs
12associated with implementing the provisions of this amendatory
13Act of the 100th General Assembly. Counties shall not use the
14funds to supplant existing funds in the chosen programmatic
15areas.
16    (h) Counties receiving funds shall submit an annual report
17to the Department of Human Services and the Illinois Criminal
18Justice Information Authority detailing the uses of the funds
19and the impact they have had on public health and safety. The
20Department of Human Services and the Illinois Criminal Justice
21Information Authority shall assist counties in the filing of
22their annual reports by providing a template for the reports,
23including a listing of public health and safety metrics that
24correspond to each potential area of investment in this
25subsection (h). On an annual basis, the Department of Human
26Services and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information

 

 

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1Authority shall provide a summary report to the Governor and
2the General Assembly that details the statewide impact of the
3Justice Reinvestment Fund on public health and safety.
4    (i) Funds left unclaimed due to a qualifying county failing
5to submit an application or meet the specified criteria shall
6be reallocated to the counties that, based on the determination
7of the Department of Human Services and the Illinois Criminal
8Justice Information Authority, have been most effective in
9using their funds to improve public health and safety.
10    (j) The Comptroller shall annually conduct a randomized
11audit of up to 10% of the counties receiving grants to ensure
12the funds are disbursed and expended in accordance with the
13requirements specified herein. The Comptroller shall report
14his or her findings to the General Assembly and the public.
15    (k) Any costs incurred by the Comptroller and the
16Sentencing Policy Advisory Council in connection with the
17fulfillment of their duties described in this Section shall be
18deducted from the Justice Reinvestment Fund before the funds
19are disbursed under subsection (c) of this Section.
20    (l) Beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018,
21the Sentencing Policy Advisory Council shall deduct any
22additional costs incurred by the state court system in
23fulfilling its duties under Section 5-4.5-110 of this Code
24during the preceding year from the Justice Reinvestment Fund
25before the funds are disbursed under subsection (c) of this
26Section. The administrative costs shall not account for more

 

 

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1than 2% of the total funds to be deposited into the Justice
2Reinvestment Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, and
3shall not account for more than 1% of the total funds to be
4deposited into the Justice Reinvestment Fund for each fiscal
5year thereafter.
6    (m) Any administrative costs incurred by the Department of
7Human Services and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information
8Authority in fulfilling its duties under this this amendatory
9Act of the 100th General Assembly shall be deducted from the
10available pool of funds. The administrative costs shall not
11account for more than 5% of the total funds deposited into the
12Justice Reinvestment Fund each year.