CREATE RETROACTIVE RESENTENCING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS – HB 3332

House Sponsor: Representative Theresa Mah

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Bill Status

Passed House Committee

Bill overview

HB 3332 would create a limited opportunity for people 20 and younger at the time of their offense to petition the court for their sentence to be reviewed. People who were 20 and younger could petition for a sentencing review after serving 10, 20, or 30 years, depending on their conviction.

BACKGROUND

Recent laws, Public Act 102-1128 (2023) and Public Act 100-1182 (2019) created the first new parole opportunities in Illinois since our state abolished parole in 1978. Together, the laws ensure no children 17 and younger can receive a life without parole sentence; they also extend parole consideration to most people 18-20.

Since these youthful parole laws were not retroactive, people who were sentenced as children and young adults before 2019 are still serving life without parole sentences. There is currently no legal mechanism to reconsider their sentence.

HB 3332 is a fair, cost-effective, age-appropriate way to ensure children and young adults are held accountable for the harm they have caused while offering them an opportunity to redeem themselves.

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Restore Justice focuses on sentencing, prison conditions and practices, and pathways to release.

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