Rep. Elgie R. Sims, Jr.

Filed: 3/24/2017

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 3710

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 3710 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Purpose. From 1982 to 2013, Illinois'
5incarcerated population nearly tripled, with much of the
6expansion caused by the increased criminalization of public
7health concerns such as the effects of poverty, mental illness,
8and drug use, and the disproportionately aggressive
9enforcement of criminal laws within communities of color. These
10trends resulted in justice expenditures more than doubling, in
11real dollars, during this period. The General Assembly hereby
12declares it a priority to right-size our criminal justice
13system and realign our spending priorities to maximize public
14health and safety. Through the creation of the Justice
15Reinvestment Fund in the State treasury, a substantial portion
16of the savings realized from criminal justice reforms enacted
17into law will be reinvested in addressing the root causes of

 

 

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1crime, violence, and recidivism. Among a wide range of positive
2effects, this initiative will create substantially healthier
3and safer communities across the State by:
4        (1) addressing the destabilizing effects that high
5    incarceration rates have had on families and communities;
6        (2) targeting the community conditions that perpetuate
7    the cycle of crime;
8        (3) providing formerly incarcerated persons a better
9    chance to succeed outside of prison; and
10        (4) providing support to victims.
 
11    Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
12Section 5.878 as follows:
 
13    (30 ILCS 105/5.878 new)
14    Sec. 5.878. The Justice Reinvestment Fund.
 
15    Section 10. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by
16adding Section 5-8-9 as follows:
 
17    (730 ILCS 5/5-8-9 new)
18    Sec. 5-8-9. Justice Reinvestment Fund.
19    (a) On or before July 31, 2018, and on or before July 31 of
20the next 9 fiscal years thereafter, the Sentencing Policy
21Advisory Council shall calculate the savings that accrued to
22the State during the preceding fiscal year, as compared to the

 

 

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1fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, due to criminal justice
2reforms enacted into law. The savings calculation shall be
3solely based on:
4        (1) the number of persons incarcerated in a Department
5    of Corrections facility during the fiscal year ending June
6    30, 2017 for the offenses that have been reclassified to a
7    lower classification of offense as a result of criminal
8    justice reform efforts enacted into law by the General
9    Assembly;
10        (2) the average length of stay in Department of
11    Corrections facilities for these offenses before they were
12    reclassified;
13        (3) the marginal cost per inmate per year; and
14        (4) any reduction in fixed costs, overhead costs, or
15    administrative costs.
16    In making the calculations required by this subsection (a),
17the Sentencing Policy Advisory Council shall use actual data or
18best available estimates when actual data is not available. The
19State Comptroller shall certify the results of the calculation
20no later than August 15 of each fiscal year.
21    (b) On or before August 31, 2018, and on or before August
2231 of the next 9 fiscal years thereafter, the Comptroller shall
23transfer from the General Revenue Fund to the Justice
24Reinvestment Fund 85% of the total savings calculated under
25subsection (a) of this Section minus any necessary deductions
26under subsections (j) and (k) of this Section.

 

 

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1    (c) The Justice Reinvestment Fund is created as a special
2fund in the State treasury. The Fund shall be jointly
3administered by the Department of Human Services and the
4Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, and each
5county shall be entitled to a proportionate share of the annual
6funds available from the Justice Reinvestment Fund provided it
7meets the criteria described in subsection (d) of this Section.
8    (d) To receive funds under this Section, counties must meet
9the following criteria:
10        (1) They must submit an annual application in which
11    they specify how they will use the funds to improve public
12    health and safety through investments in evidence-based or
13    promising strategies in one or more of the following areas:
14            (A) living-wage job opportunities;
15            (B) training programs for jobs that pay a living
16        wage;
17            (C) drug treatment services;
18            (D) mental health services, including trauma
19        recovery services for crime victims;
20            (E) afterschool programs for children and youth;
21            (F) pre-K programs;
22            (G) summer and year-round jobs for youth;
23            (H) affordable housing opportunities;
24            (I) community economic development projects and
25        the creation or support of cooperative businesses;
26            (J) alternatives to justice-system involvement

 

 

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1        within schools and throughout the community, including
2        but not limited to restorative justice programs and
3        increased use of social workers, psychologists,
4        conflict mediators, mental health counselors, and drug
5        treatment counselors to address low-level offenses.
6        The application must specify how the funds will be
7    directed toward one or more of the following:
8            (A) the neighborhoods in the county that have the
9        largest number of former residents in jail or prison;
10            (B) the neighborhoods in the county that have the
11        largest number of crime victims;
12            (C) formerly incarcerated persons who are
13        re-entering the county from prison.
14    (e) If the criminal justice reforms enacted into law yield
15savings calculated under subsection (a) of this Section results
16in a down-sizing of the State prison system involving the
17discharge of any Department of Corrections employees, the
18Department of Human Services and the Illinois Criminal Justice
19Information Authority may deduct funds from the Justice
20Reinvestment Fund for purposes of assisting those discharged
21workers with transitional expenses related to job training,
22community economic development, education, and healthcare
23needs. The funds used for this purpose shall not account for
24more than 1% of the total funds deposited into the Justice
25Reinvestment Fund each year.
26    (f) Funds allocated to counties under this Section may be

 

 

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1used by counties for planning and administrative costs
2associated with implementing the provisions of criminal
3justice reforms enacted into law that yield savings calculated
4under subsection (a) of this Section. Counties shall not use
5the funds to supplant existing funds in the chosen programmatic
6areas.
7    (g) Counties receiving funds shall submit an annual report
8to the Department of Human Services and the Illinois Criminal
9Justice Information Authority detailing the uses of the funds
10and the impact they have had on public health and safety. The
11Department of Human Services and the Illinois Criminal Justice
12Information Authority shall assist counties in the filing of
13their annual reports by providing a template for the reports,
14including a listing of public health and safety metrics that
15correspond to each potential area of investment in this
16subsection (g). On an annual basis, the Department of Human
17Services and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information
18Authority shall provide a summary report to the Governor and
19the General Assembly that details the statewide impact of the
20Justice Reinvestment Fund on public health and safety.
21    (h) Funds left unclaimed due to a qualifying county failing
22to submit an application or meet the specified criteria shall
23be reallocated to the counties that, based on the determination
24of the Department of Human Services and the Illinois Criminal
25Justice Information Authority, have been most effective in
26using their funds to improve public health and safety.

 

 

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1    (i) The Comptroller shall annually conduct a randomized
2audit of up to 10% of the counties receiving grants to ensure
3the funds are disbursed and expended in accordance with the
4requirements specified herein. The Comptroller shall report
5his or her findings to the General Assembly and the public.
6    (j) Any costs incurred by the Comptroller and the
7Sentencing Policy Advisory Council in connection with the
8fulfillment of their duties described in this Section shall be
9deducted from the Justice Reinvestment Fund before the funds
10are disbursed under subsection (b) of this Section.
11    (k) Any administrative costs incurred by the Department of
12Human Services and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information
13Authority in fulfilling its duties under this this amendatory
14Act of the 100th General Assembly shall be deducted from the
15available pool of funds. The administrative costs shall not
16account for more than 5% of the total funds deposited into the
17Justice Reinvestment Fund each year.".