Public Act 90-0740 of the 90th General Assembly

State of Illinois
Public Acts
90th General Assembly

[ Home ] [ Public Acts ] [ ILCS ] [ Search ] [ Bottom ]


Public Act 90-0740

HB2899 Enrolled                                LRB9008364RCks

    AN ACT to  amend  the  Unified  Code  of  Corrections  by
changing Sections 3-6-3 and 5-4-1.

    Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

    Section 5.  The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by
changing Sections 3-6-3 and 5-4-1 as follows:

    (730 ILCS 5/3-6-3) (from Ch. 38, par. 1003-6-3)
    Sec. 3-6-3.  Rules and Regulations for Early Release.
    (a)(1)  The Department  of  Corrections  shall  prescribe
    rules and regulations for the early release on account of
    good conduct of persons committed to the Department which
    shall be subject to review by the Prisoner Review Board.
         (2)  The  rules  and  regulations  on  early release
    shall provide, with respect to offenses committed  on  or
    after  the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1995,
    the following:
              (i)  that a prisoner who is serving a  term  of
         imprisonment  for  first degree murder shall receive
         no good conduct credit and shall  serve  the  entire
         sentence imposed by the court;
              (ii)  that  a  prisoner  serving a sentence for
         attempt to commit first degree murder,  solicitation
         of   murder,   solicitation   of  murder  for  hire,
         intentional homicide of an unborn  child,  predatory
         criminal  sexual  assault  of  a  child,  aggravated
         criminal  sexual  assault,  criminal sexual assault,
         aggravated kidnapping,  aggravated  battery  with  a
         firearm,  heinous  battery,  aggravated battery of a
         senior citizen, or aggravated  battery  of  a  child
         shall  receive no more than 4.5 days of good conduct
         credit for each month of  his  or  her  sentence  of
         imprisonment; and
              (iii)  that  a  prisoner serving a sentence for
         home invasion, armed robbery,  aggravated  vehicular
         hijacking,  aggravated  discharge  of  a firearm, or
         armed violence with a category I weapon or  category
         II  weapon,  when  the  court has made and entered a
         finding, pursuant to  subsection  (c-1)  of  Section
         5-4-1  of  this  Code,  that  the conduct leading to
         conviction for the enumerated  offense  resulted  in
         great bodily harm to a victim, shall receive no more
         than  4.5 days of good conduct credit for each month
         of his or her sentence of imprisonment.
         (2.1)  For all offenses, other than those enumerated
    in subdivision (a)(2) committed on or after the effective
    date of this amendatory Act of 1995, and other  than  the
    offense of reckless homicide as defined in subsection (e)
    of  Section 9-3 of the Criminal Code of 1961 committed on
    or after the effective date of  this  amendatory  Act  of
    1998,  the  rules  and  regulations  shall provide that a
    prisoner who is serving  a  term  of  imprisonment  shall
    receive  one  day  of good conduct credit for each day of
    his or her sentence of imprisonment or recommitment under
    Section 3-3-9. Each  day of  good  conduct  credit  shall
    reduce  by  one day the prisoner's period of imprisonment
    or recommitment under Section 3-3-9.
         (2.2)  A prisoner serving a  term  of  natural  life
    imprisonment  or  a  prisoner  who  has been sentenced to
    death shall receive no good conduct credit.
         (2.3)  The rules and regulations  on  early  release
    shall provide that a prisoner who is serving sentence for
    reckless homicide as defined in subsection (e) of Section
    9-3  of  the  Criminal Code of 1961 committed on or after
    the effective date of this amendatory Act of  1998  shall
    receive  no more than 4.5 days of good conduct credit for
    each month of his or her sentence of imprisonment.
         (3)  The rules and regulations  shall  also  provide
    that  the  Director  may  award up to 180 days additional
    good conduct credit for meritorious service  in  specific
    instances  as  the  Director deems proper; except that no
    more than 90 days of good conduct credit for  meritorious
    service shall be awarded to any prisoner who is serving a
    sentence  for conviction of first degree murder, reckless
    homicide while under the  influence  of  alcohol  or  any
    other  drug, aggravated kidnapping, kidnapping, predatory
    criminal sexual assault of a child,  aggravated  criminal
    sexual  assault,  criminal sexual assault, deviate sexual
    assault, aggravated  criminal  sexual  abuse,  aggravated
    indecent  liberties with a child, indecent liberties with
    a child, child pornography, heinous  battery,  aggravated
    battery  of a spouse, aggravated battery of a spouse with
    a  firearm,  stalking,  aggravated  stalking,  aggravated
    battery of a child, endangering the life or health  of  a
    child,  cruelty  to  a  child,  or narcotic racketeering.
    Notwithstanding the foregoing, good  conduct  credit  for
    meritorious service shall not be awarded on a sentence of
    imprisonment  imposed  for  conviction of: (i) one of the
    offenses  enumerated  in  subdivision  (a)(2)  when   the
    offense  is  committed  on or after the effective date of
    this amendatory Act of 1995 or (ii) reckless homicide  as
    defined  in subsection (e) of Section 9-3 of the Criminal
    Code of 1961 when the offense is committed  on  or  after
    the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1998.
         (4)  The  rules  and  regulations shall also provide
    that the good conduct  credit  accumulated  and  retained
    under  paragraph  (2.1) of subsection (a) of this Section
    by any inmate during specific periods of  time  in  which
    such  inmate  is  engaged  full-time  in  substance abuse
    programs,   correctional   industry    assignments,    or
    educational  programs  provided  by  the Department under
    this  paragraph  (4)  and  satisfactorily  completes  the
    assigned program as determined by the  standards  of  the
    Department,  shall  be multiplied by a factor of 1.25 for
    program participation before the effective date  of  this
    amendatory Act of 1993 and 1.50 for program participation
    on  or  after  that  date.    However, no inmate shall be
    eligible for the additional  good  conduct  credit  under
    this  paragraph (4) while assigned to a boot camp, mental
    health unit, or electronic detention, or if convicted  of
    an offense enumerated in paragraph (a)(2) of this Section
    that  is committed on or after the effective date of this
    amendatory Act of  1995,  or  if  convicted  of  reckless
    homicide  as  defined in subsection (e) of Section 9-3 of
    the Criminal Code of 1961 if the offense is committed  on
    or  after  the  effective  date of this amendatory Act of
    1998, or first degree murder, a Class X felony,  criminal
    sexual  assault, felony criminal sexual abuse, aggravated
    criminal sexual abuse, aggravated battery with a firearm,
    or any predecessor or successor offenses with the same or
    substantially the same elements, or any inchoate offenses
    relating to the foregoing offenses.  No inmate  shall  be
    eligible  for  the  additional  good conduct credit under
    this  paragraph  (4)  who  (i)  has  previously  received
    increased good conduct credit under  this  paragraph  (4)
    and  has subsequently been convicted of a felony, or (ii)
    has previously served more than  one  prior  sentence  of
    imprisonment  for  a  felony  in  an  adult  correctional
    facility.
         Educational,   vocational,   substance   abuse   and
    correctional  industry  programs under which good conduct
    credit may be increased under this paragraph (4) shall be
    evaluated by the Department on the  basis  of  documented
    standards.   The  Department  shall report the results of
    these  evaluations  to  the  Governor  and  the   General
    Assembly  by  September  30th  of each year.  The reports
    shall include data relating to the recidivism rate  among
    program participants.
         Availability  of  these programs shall be subject to
    the  limits  of  fiscal  resources  appropriated  by  the
    General Assembly for these  purposes.   Eligible  inmates
    who  are  denied immediate admission shall be placed on a
    waiting  list   under   criteria   established   by   the
    Department. The inability of any inmate to become engaged
    in  any  such  programs by reason of insufficient program
    resources or for any other reason established  under  the
    rules  and  regulations  of  the  Department shall not be
    deemed a cause of action under which  the  Department  or
    any  employee  or agent of the Department shall be liable
    for damages to the inmate.
         (5)  Whenever  the  Department  is  to  release  any
    inmate earlier than it otherwise would because of a grant
    of good conduct credit for meritorious service  given  at
    any  time  during  the  term,  the  Department shall give
    reasonable advance notice of the impending release to the
    State's Attorney of the county where the  prosecution  of
    the inmate took place.
    (b)  Whenever  a  person  is  or has been committed under
several convictions, with separate sentences,  the  sentences
shall  be  construed  under  Section  5-8-4  in  granting and
forfeiting of good time.
    (c)  The Department shall prescribe rules and regulations
for revoking good conduct credit, or suspending  or  reducing
the  rate of accumulation of good conduct credit for specific
rule  violations,  during  imprisonment.   These  rules   and
regulations  shall  provide  that  no inmate may be penalized
more than one  year  of  good  conduct  credit  for  any  one
infraction.
    When  the  Department  seeks to revoke, suspend or reduce
the rate of accumulation of any good conduct credits  for  an
alleged  infraction  of  its  rules,  it  shall bring charges
therefor against the prisoner sought to  be  so  deprived  of
good  conduct  credits  before  the  Prisoner Review Board as
provided in subparagraph (a)(4)  of  Section  3-3-2  of  this
Code,  if  the  amount  of credit at issue exceeds 30 days or
when during any 12 month period,  the  cumulative  amount  of
credit revoked exceeds 30 days except where the infraction is
committed  or discovered within 60 days of scheduled release.
In those cases, the Department of Corrections may  revoke  up
to 30 days of good conduct credit. The Board may subsequently
approve  the revocation of additional good conduct credit, if
the Department seeks to revoke good conduct credit in  excess
of  30  days.   However,  the Board shall not be empowered to
review the Department's decision with respect to the loss  of
30  days  of good conduct credit within any calendar year for
any prisoner or to increase any  penalty  beyond  the  length
requested by the Department.
    The   Director  of  the  Department  of  Corrections,  in
appropriate cases, may restore up to  30  days  good  conduct
credits  which  have  been revoked, suspended or reduced. Any
restoration of good conduct credits  in  excess  of  30  days
shall  be  subject  to  review  by the Prisoner Review Board.
However, the Board may not restore  good  conduct  credit  in
excess of the amount requested by the Director.
    Nothing  contained  in  this  Section  shall prohibit the
Prisoner Review Board  from  ordering,  pursuant  to  Section
3-3-9(a)(3)(i)(B),  that  a  prisoner serve up to one year of
the sentence imposed by the court that was not served due  to
the accumulation of good conduct credit.
    (d)  If  a  lawsuit is filed by a prisoner in an Illinois
or  federal  court  against  the  State,  the  Department  of
Corrections, or the Prisoner Review Board, or against any  of
their  officers  or employees, and the court makes a specific
finding that a pleading, motion, or other paper filed by  the
prisoner  is  frivolous,  the Department of Corrections shall
conduct a hearing to revoke up to 180 days  of  good  conduct
credit  by bringing charges against the prisoner sought to be
deprived of the good  conduct  credits  before  the  Prisoner
Review  Board  as  provided in subparagraph (a)(8) of Section
3-3-2 of this Code. If the prisoner has not  accumulated  180
days  of good conduct credit at the time of the finding, then
the Prisoner Review Board may revoke all good conduct  credit
accumulated by the prisoner.
    For purposes of this subsection (d):
         (1)  "Frivolous"  means  that a pleading, motion, or
    other filing which purports to be a legal document  filed
    by  a  prisoner in his or her lawsuit meets any or all of
    the following criteria:
              (A)  it lacks an arguable basis either  in  law
         or in fact;
              (B)  it  is  being  presented  for any improper
         purpose, such as to harass or to  cause  unnecessary
         delay   or   needless   increase   in  the  cost  of
         litigation;
              (C)  the  claims,  defenses,  and  other  legal
         contentions therein are not  warranted  by  existing
         law or by a nonfrivolous argument for the extension,
         modification,  or  reversal  of  existing law or the
         establishment of new law;
              (D)  the   allegations   and   other    factual
         contentions  do  not have evidentiary support or, if
         specifically so identified, are not likely  to  have
         evidentiary  support  after a reasonable opportunity
         for further investigation or discovery; or
              (E)  the denials of factual contentions are not
         warranted on the evidence,  or  if  specifically  so
         identified,  are  not  reasonably based on a lack of
         information or belief.
         (2)  "Lawsuit" means a petition for post  conviction
    relief   under  Article  122  of  the  Code  of  Criminal
    Procedure of 1963, a motion pursuant to Section 116-3  of
    the  Code  of Criminal Procedure of 1963, a habeas corpus
    action under Article X of the Code of Civil Procedure  or
    under  federal law (28 U.S.C. 2254), a petition for claim
    under the Court of Claims Act  or  an  action  under  the
    federal Civil Rights Act (42 U.S.C. 1983).
(Source:  P.A.  89-404,  eff. 8-20-95; 89-428, eff. 12-13-95;
89-462, eff.  5-29-96;  89-656,  eff.  1-1-97;  90-141,  eff.
1-1-98; 90-505, eff. 8-19-97; revised 10-7-97.)

    (730 ILCS 5/5-4-1) (from Ch. 38, par. 1005-4-1)
    Sec. 5-4-1.  Sentencing Hearing.
    (a)  Except  when  the  death  penalty  is  sought  under
hearing procedures otherwise specified, after a determination
of  guilt,  a  hearing  shall be held to impose the sentence.
However, prior to the imposition of sentence on an individual
being sentenced for an offense based  upon  a  charge  for  a
violation of Section 11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code or a
similar  provision  of a local ordinance, the individual must
undergo a professional evaluation to determine if an  alcohol
or  other  drug abuse problem exists and the extent of such a
problem.  Programs  conducting  these  evaluations  shall  be
licensed  by  the  Department of Human Services.  However, if
the individual is not a resident of Illinois, the court  may,
in its discretion, accept an evaluation from a program in the
state  of  such  individual's residence. The court may in its
sentencing order approve an eligible defendant for  placement
in  a  Department of Corrections impact incarceration program
as provided in Section 5-8-1.1.  At  the  hearing  the  court
shall:
         (1)  consider  the  evidence,  if any, received upon
    the trial;
         (2)  consider any presentence reports;
         (3)  consider the financial impact of  incarceration
    based  on  the  financial impact statement filed with the
    clerk of the court by the Department of Corrections;
         (4)  consider evidence and  information  offered  by
    the parties in aggravation and mitigation;
         (5)  hear arguments as to sentencing alternatives;
         (6)  afford  the defendant the opportunity to make a
    statement in his own behalf;
         (7)  afford the victim  of  a  violent  crime  or  a
    violation of Section 11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code,
    or a similar provision of a local ordinance, committed by
    the   defendant  the  opportunity  to  make  a  statement
    concerning the impact on the victim and to offer evidence
    in aggravation or mitigation; provided that the statement
    and evidence offered in aggravation  or  mitigation  must
    first  be  prepared  in  writing  in conjunction with the
    State's Attorney before it may be presented orally at the
    hearing. Any sworn testimony offered  by  the  victim  is
    subject  to  the  defendant's right to cross-examine. All
    statements and evidence offered under this paragraph  (7)
    shall become part of the record of the court; and
         (8)  in   cases  of  reckless  homicide  afford  the
    victim's spouse, guardians, parents  or  other  immediate
    family members an opportunity to make oral statements.
    (b)  All  sentences  shall  be imposed by the judge based
upon his independent assessment  of  the  elements  specified
above  and  any  agreement  as  to  sentence  reached  by the
parties.  The judge who presided at the trial  or  the  judge
who  accepted  the  plea  of guilty shall impose the sentence
unless he is no longer sitting as  a  judge  in  that  court.
Where  the judge does not impose sentence at the same time on
all defendants  who  are  convicted  as  a  result  of  being
involved  in  the  same offense, the defendant or the State's
attorney may advise the sentencing court of  the  disposition
of any other defendants who have been sentenced.
    (c)  In imposing a sentence for a violent crime or for an
offense  of  operating  or  being  in  physical  control of a
vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, any other  drug
or any combination thereof, or a similar provision of a local
ordinance,  when such offense resulted in the personal injury
to someone other than the defendant, the  trial  judge  shall
specify  on  the record the particular evidence, information,
factors in mitigation and aggravation or other  reasons  that
led to his sentencing determination. The full verbatim record
of  the  sentencing  hearing shall be filed with the clerk of
the court and shall be a public record.
    (c-1)  In  imposing  a  sentence  for  the   offense   of
aggravated   kidnapping  for  ransom,  home  invasion,  armed
robbery, aggravated vehicular hijacking, aggravated discharge
of a firearm, or armed violence with a category I  weapon  or
category  II  weapon, the trial judge shall make a finding as
to whether the conduct leading to conviction for the  offense
resulted  in  great  bodily harm to a victim, and shall enter
that finding and the basis for that finding in the record.
    (c-2)  If the defendant is  sentenced  to  prison,  other
than  when  a  sentence  of  natural  life  imprisonment or a
sentence of death is imposed, at the  time  the  sentence  is
imposed the judge shall state on the record in open court the
approximate  period  of  time  the  defendant  will  serve in
custody according to the then  current  statutory  rules  and
regulations  for  early  release  found  in Section 3-6-3 and
other related provisions of this  Code.   This  statement  is
intended  solely to inform the public, has no legal effect on
the defendant's actual release, and may not be relied  on  by
the defendant on appeal.
    The  judge's statement, to be given after pronouncing the
sentence, other than when the sentence is imposed for one  of
the offenses enumerated in paragraph (a)(3) of Section 3-6-3,
shall include the following:
    "The purpose of this statement is to inform the public of
the  actual  period of time this defendant is likely to spend
in prison as a result of this sentence.  The actual period of
prison time served is determined by the statutes of  Illinois
as  applied  to  this  sentence by the Illinois Department of
Corrections and the Illinois Prisoner Review Board.  In  this
case,  assuming the defendant receives all of his or her good
conduct credit, the period of estimated actual custody is ...
years and ... months, less up to  180  days  additional  good
conduct  credit  for  meritorious service.  If the defendant,
because of his or her own misconduct  or  failure  to  comply
with  the  institutional  regulations, does not receive those
credits, the actual time served in  prison  will  be  longer.
The  defendant  may  also  receive an additional one-half day
good  conduct  credit  for  each  day  of  participation   in
vocational,   industry,   substance  abuse,  and  educational
programs as provided for by Illinois statute."
    When the sentence is imposed  for  one  of  the  offenses
enumerated  in  paragraph (a)(3) of Section 3-6-3, other than
when  the  sentence  is  imposed  for  one  of  the  offenses
enumerated in paragraph (a)(2) of Section 3-6-3 committed  on
or  after  the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1995,
and other than when the  sentence  is  imposed  for  reckless
homicide  as  defined in subsection (e) of Section 9-3 of the
Criminal Code of 1961 if the  offense  was  committed  on  or
after  the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1998, the
judge's  statement,  to  be  given  after   pronouncing   the
sentence, shall include the following:
    "The purpose of this statement is to inform the public of
the  actual  period of time this defendant is likely to spend
in prison as a result of this sentence.  The actual period of
prison time served is determined by the statutes of  Illinois
as  applied  to  this  sentence by the Illinois Department of
Corrections and the Illinois Prisoner Review Board.  In  this
case,  assuming the defendant receives all of his or her good
conduct credit, the period of estimated actual custody is ...
years and ... months, less up  to  90  days  additional  good
conduct  credit  for  meritorious service.  If the defendant,
because of his or her own misconduct  or  failure  to  comply
with  the  institutional  regulations, does not receive those
credits, the actual time served in  prison  will  be  longer.
The  defendant  may  also  receive an additional one-half day
good  conduct  credit  for  each  day  of  participation   in
vocational,   industry,   substance  abuse,  and  educational
programs as provided for by Illinois statute."
    When the sentence is imposed  for  one  of  the  offenses
enumerated  in  paragraph (a)(2) of Section 3-6-3, other than
first degree murder, and the  offense  was  committed  on  or
after  the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1995, and
when the sentence is imposed for reckless homicide as defined
in subsection (e) of Section 9-3 of the Criminal Code of 1961
if the offense was committed on or after the  effective  date
of  this amendatory Act of 1998, the judge's statement, to be
given after  pronouncing  the  sentence,  shall  include  the
following:
    "The purpose of this statement is to inform the public of
the  actual  period of time this defendant is likely to spend
in prison as a result of this sentence.  The actual period of
prison time served is determined by the statutes of  Illinois
as  applied  to  this  sentence by the Illinois Department of
Corrections and the Illinois Prisoner Review Board.  In  this
case, the defendant is entitled to no more than 4 1/2 days of
good  conduct credit for each month of his or her sentence of
imprisonment.  Therefore, this defendant will serve at  least
85%  of his or her sentence.  Assuming the defendant receives
4 1/2 days credit for each month of his or her sentence,  the
period  of  estimated  actual  custody  is  ... years and ...
months.   If  the  defendant,  because  of  his  or  her  own
misconduct  or  failure  to  comply  with  the  institutional
regulations receives lesser credit, the actual time served in
prison will be longer."
    When a sentence of  imprisonment  is  imposed  for  first
degree  murder  and the offense was committed on or after the
effective date of this amendatory Act of  1995,  the  judge's
statement,  to be given after pronouncing the sentence, shall
include the following:
    "The purpose of this statement is to inform the public of
the actual period of time this defendant is likely  to  spend
in prison as a result of this sentence.  The actual period of
prison  time served is determined by the statutes of Illinois
as applied to this sentence by  the  Illinois  Department  of
Corrections  and the Illinois Prisoner Review Board.  In this
case, the defendant is not entitled to good  conduct  credit.
Therefore,  this  defendant  will  serve  100%  of his or her
sentence."
    (d)  When the defendant is committed to the Department of
Corrections, the State's Attorney shall and counsel  for  the
defendant may file a statement with the clerk of the court to
be  transmitted  to  the department, agency or institution to
which the defendant is committed to furnish such  department,
agency or institution with the facts and circumstances of the
offense  for which the person was committed together with all
other factual information accessible to them in regard to the
person prior  to  his  commitment  relative  to  his  habits,
associates,  disposition  and  reputation and any other facts
and circumstances which may aid such  department,  agency  or
institution  during  its  custody  of such person.  The clerk
shall within 10 days  after  receiving  any  such  statements
transmit a copy to such department, agency or institution and
a copy to the other party, provided, however, that this shall
not  be  cause  for  delay  in  conveying  the  person to the
department, agency  or  institution  to  which  he  has  been
committed.
    (e)  The  clerk  of  the  court  shall  transmit  to  the
department,  agency  or  institution,  if  any,  to which the
defendant is committed, the following:
         (1)  the sentence imposed;
         (2)  any statement by the court  of  the  basis  for
    imposing the sentence;
         (3)  any presentence reports;
         (4)  the number of days, if any, which the defendant
    has  been  in  custody  and  for  which he is entitled to
    credit against the sentence, which information  shall  be
    provided to the clerk by the sheriff;
         (4.1)  any  finding of great bodily harm made by the
    court with respect to an offense enumerated in subsection
    (c-1);
         (5)  all statements filed under  subsection  (d)  of
    this Section;
         (6)  any   medical   or  mental  health  records  or
    summaries of the defendant;
         (7)  the  municipality  where  the  arrest  of   the
    offender  or  the commission of the offense has occurred,
    where such municipality has a  population  of  more  than
    25,000 persons;
         (8)  all  statements made and evidence offered under
    paragraph (7) of subsection (a) of this Section; and
         (9)  all additional matters which the court  directs
    the clerk to transmit.
(Source: P.A. 89-404, eff. 8-20-95; 89-507, eff. 7-1-97.)

[ Top ]