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Bill Status

Passed House Committee

Introduced In Senate

LIMIT THE USE OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY THEORY – SB 2067/HB 2324

House Sponsor: Representative Lakesia Collins

Senate Sponsor: Celina Villanueva

Accountability Theory Explainer Download the fact sheet.

SB 2067/HB 2324

SB 2067/HB 2324 would ensure people convicted under accountability are charged and sentenced based on their actual involvement.

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Bill overview

This bill:

  1. Creates an accountability offense for people who didn’t intend to facilitate the crime.
  2. Prevents a person who was not part of the original plan from being charged with another person’s unintended crimes.
  3. Provides a sentencing structure for a person who is an accessory or participant (charged through accountability) in a crime, rather than the primary.

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BACKGROUND

Under Illinois’ accountability theory, you can be charged with and convicted of a crime you did not plan, agree to, participate in, or intend to commit, even if:

  • You weren’t present.
  • You didn’t know the crime would happen.
  • The primary person responsible was acquitted or never charged.

Accountability Theory:

  • Criminalizes survivors of gender-based violence and holds them responsible for the actions of their abusive partners, even when they face threats.
  • Disproportionately affects youth because they are more likely to act in groups and are more susceptible to peer pressure.
  • Is currently impossible to quantify because Illinois does not identify or track when a person is charged using accountability.

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

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