HB2747 Engrossed LRB095 01002 RLC 21004 b

1     AN ACT concerning corrections, which may be referred to as
2 the Access to Religious Ministry Act of 2008.
 
3     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
 
5     Section 5. The County Jail Act is amended by adding Section
6 26 as follows:
 
7     (730 ILCS 125/26 new)
8     Sec. 26. Detainees in immigration custody; religious
9 worker access to jails.
10     (a) Any county jail in the State of Illinois for which an
11 intergovernmental agreement has been entered into with United
12 States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for detention
13 of immigration-related detainees shall be required to provide
14 to religious workers reasonable access to such jail. Such
15 access shall be consistent with the safety, security, and the
16 orderly operation of the facility.
17     (b) For purposes of this Section, "reasonable access" means
18 the ability of the religious worker to enter the jail facility
19 to be available to meet with immigration detainees who wish to
20 consult with the religious worker regarding their spiritual
21 needs. Such access shall be at times set by the sheriff or his
22 or her designee. The facility shall provide advance notice to
23 the immigration detainees of the times during which religious

 

 

HB2747 Engrossed - 2 - LRB095 01002 RLC 21004 b

1 workers shall be available for consultation under this Section,
2 and shall not limit the access of detainees to such religious
3 workers without good cause. Consultations with religious
4 workers under this Section shall not be counted against the
5 visitation time or number of visits to which a detainee is
6 otherwise entitled under the facility's visitation policies.
7     (c) The sheriff or his or her designee shall have the right
8 to screen and approve individuals seeking access to immigration
9 detainees at the facility under this Act to ensure that such
10 individuals are in fact bona fide clergy, members of religious
11 orders, or lay volunteers representing established and
12 reputable religious institutions.