101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB5256

 

Introduced , by Rep. Anne Stava-Murray

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
730 ILCS 5/3-3-5  from Ch. 38, par. 1003-3-5
730 ILCS 5/3-3-14 new

    Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that a committed person who has attained the age of 60 years and served at least 20 consecutive years of imprisonment or a committed person who has served 30 consecutive years of imprisonment may submit a petition to the Prisoner Review Board seeking parole. Provides for the requirements of the petition. Provides that victims' families shall be notified in a timely manner and provided opportunity to participate at the parole hearing concerning the petitioner's application for parole under this provision in accordance with the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act, the Open Parole Hearings Act, and this Code. Provides that Prisoner Review Board hearings under this provision shall be conducted by a panel of at least 8 members of the Board and a majority vote of the panel is required to grant the petition and release the petitioner on parole. Provides that if parole is denied, the petitioner shall be eligible to reapply for parole no later than 3 years after denial.


LRB101 18142 RLC 67582 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5256LRB101 18142 RLC 67582 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 Unified Code of Corrections is amended by
5changing Section 3-3-5 and adding Section 3-3-14 as follows:
 
6    (730 ILCS 5/3-3-5)  (from Ch. 38, par. 1003-3-5)
7    Sec. 3-3-5. Hearing and determination.
8    (a) The Prisoner Review Board shall meet as often as need
9requires to consider the cases of persons eligible for parole.
10Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) of subsection (a)
11of Section 3-3-2 or Section 3-3-14 of this Act, the Prisoner
12Review Board may meet and order its actions in panels of 3 or
13more members. The action of a majority of the panel shall be
14the action of the Board.
15    (b) If the person under consideration for parole is in the
16custody of the Department, at least one member of the Board
17shall interview him or her, and a report of that interview
18shall be available for the Board's consideration. However, in
19the discretion of the Board, the interview need not be
20conducted if a psychiatric examination determines that the
21person could not meaningfully contribute to the Board's
22consideration. The Board may in its discretion parole a person
23who is then outside the jurisdiction on his or her record

 

 

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1without an interview. The Board need not hold a hearing or
2interview a person who is paroled under paragraphs (d) or (e)
3of this Section or released on Mandatory release under Section
43-3-10.
5    (c) The Board shall not parole a person eligible for parole
6if it determines that:
7        (1) there is a substantial risk that he or she will not
8    conform to reasonable conditions of parole or aftercare
9    release; or
10        (2) his or her release at that time would deprecate the
11    seriousness of his or her offense or promote disrespect for
12    the law; or
13        (3) his or her release would have a substantially
14    adverse effect on institutional discipline.
15    (d) (Blank).
16    (e) A person who has served the maximum term of
17imprisonment imposed at the time of sentencing less time credit
18for good behavior shall be released on parole to serve a period
19of parole under Section 5-8-1.
20    (f) The Board shall render its decision within a reasonable
21time after hearing and shall state the basis therefor both in
22the records of the Board and in written notice to the person on
23whose application it has acted. In its decision, the Board
24shall set the person's time for parole, or if it denies parole
25it shall provide for a rehearing not less frequently than once
26every year, except that the Board may, after denying parole,

 

 

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1schedule a rehearing no later than 5 years from the date of the
2parole denial, if the Board finds that it is not reasonable to
3expect that parole would be granted at a hearing prior to the
4scheduled rehearing date. If the Board shall parole a person,
5and, if he or she is not released within 90 days from the
6effective date of the order granting parole, the matter shall
7be returned to the Board for review.
8    (f-1) If the Board paroles a person who is eligible for
9commitment as a sexually violent person, the effective date of
10the Board's order shall be stayed for 90 days for the purpose
11of evaluation and proceedings under the Sexually Violent
12Persons Commitment Act.
13    (g) The Board shall maintain a registry of decisions in
14which parole has been granted, which shall include the name and
15case number of the prisoner, the highest charge for which the
16prisoner was sentenced, the length of sentence imposed, the
17date of the sentence, the date of the parole, and the basis for
18the decision of the Board to grant parole and the vote of the
19Board on any such decisions. The registry shall be made
20available for public inspection and copying during business
21hours and shall be a public record pursuant to the provisions
22of the Freedom of Information Act.
23    (h) The Board shall promulgate rules regarding the exercise
24of its discretion under this Section.
25(Source: P.A. 98-558, eff. 1-1-14; 99-268, eff. 1-1-16; 99-628,
26eff. 1-1-17.)
 

 

 

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1    (730 ILCS 5/3-3-14 new)
2    Sec. 3-3-14. Long term imprisonment; petition for parole.
3    (a) A committed person who has attained the age of 60 years
4and served at least 20 consecutive years of imprisonment or a
5committed person who has served 30 consecutive years of
6imprisonment may submit a petition to the Prisoner Review Board
7seeking parole.
8    (b) The petition shall contain:
9        (1) a statement by the petitioner as to the reasons why
10    the petitioner believes he or she should be paroled,
11    including estimated costs of continuing imprisonment;
12        (2) documentation of the petitioner's rehabilitation
13    during the period of the petitioner's incarceration,
14    including remorse for his or her criminal behavior, if
15    applicable, and his or her commitment not to recidivate;
16        (3) character references and community support for the
17    petitioner's release;
18        (4) evidence of the petitioner's participation in
19    educational, vocational, substance abuse, behavior
20    modification programs, life skills courses, re-entry
21    planning, or correctional industry programs and
22    independent efforts at rehabilitation;
23        (5) evidence of the petitioner's employment history in
24    the correctional institution;
25        (6) the petitioner's criminal history;

 

 

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1        (7) the petitioner's disciplinary history while
2    incarcerated in the correctional institution; and
3        (8) the petitioner's plans for housing upon release
4    from incarceration.
5    If the programs described in paragraph (4) of this
6subsection (b) or employment opportunities were not available
7in the correctional institution, the Board shall not penalize
8the committed person in his or her petition for parole under
9this Section.
10    (c) Victims' families shall be notified in a timely manner
11and provided opportunity to participate at the parole hearing
12concerning the petitioner's application for parole under this
13Section in accordance with the Rights of Crime Victims and
14Witnesses Act, the Open Parole Hearings Act, and this Article.
15    (d) Prisoner Review Board hearings under this Section shall
16be conducted by a panel of at least 8 members of the Board and a
17majority vote of the panel is required to grant the petition
18and release the petitioner on parole.
19    (e) When parole is denied under this Section a written
20statement shall be submitted by the Board that shall include
21when the petitioner is eligible to reapply for parole under
22this Section; which hearing shall be held no later than 3 years
23after denial of parole.