HJ0096LRB098 21178 RLC 59377 r

1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The criminal laws of the State of Illinois seek to
3prescribe penalties which are proportionate to the seriousness
4of offenses and the differences in rehabilitation
5possibilities among individual offenders; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The General Assembly recognizes that the data
7collected and analyzed by State agencies, including the
8Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council, and independent
9entities have demonstrated that the State of Illinois
10experiences overcrowding in prison and jail populations, a
11continued high rate of recidivism of approximately 50%, and
12levels of crime that plague Illinois communities; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The General Assembly recognizes that the State of
14Illinois currently spends $1.3 billion per year on imprisonment
15of adults and approximately $86,861 per year to detain a single
16juvenile; and
 
17    WHEREAS, It is in the interest of public safety and the
18public good of the State to examine the current Illinois
19criminal justice system and develop comprehensive,
20evidence-based methods to more effectively and
21cost-efficiently sanction criminal offenses and improve
22outcomes, while holding offenders accountable; therefore, be

 

 

HJ0096- 2 -LRB098 21178 RLC 59377 r

1it
 
2    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
3NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
4SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Joint Criminal Justice
5Reform Committee is created to examine the impact of the
6current sentencing structure, ensure that the enforcement and
7punishment of crimes do not disproportionately or unfairly
8affect certain racial, ethnic, or minority groups, and develop
9solutions to address the issues that exist within the system;
10and be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That the Committee shall consist of 10 members of
12the General Assembly appointed as follows:
13        (1) 3 appointed by the Speaker of the House of
14    Representatives, one of whom shall serve as
15    co-chairperson;
16        (2) 3 appointed by the President of the Senate, one of
17    whom shall serve as a co-chairperson;
18        (3) 2 appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
19    Representatives; and
20        (4) 2 appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;
21    and be it further
 
22    RESOLVED, That the Committee shall hold public hearings, at
23the call of the co-chairpersons, to receive testimony from the

 

 

HJ0096- 3 -LRB098 21178 RLC 59377 r

1public regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of Illinois
2criminal justice system, and the impact of the current
3sentencing scheme; and be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That the Committee shall submit a report to the
5General Assembly no later than December 1, 2014.