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Prison Conditions and Practices

In recent years, the Illinois Department of Corrections has been sued across multiple class action suits on issues ranging from inadequate medical care to physical and sexual abuse at the hands of militarized tactical squads. These suits point to the degrading and potentially criminal conditions in correctional facilities, which may end up costing taxpayers millions in payouts and settlements.

Research shows harsh conditions don’t reduce recidivism, and can actually have the opposite effect. And since most people who enter prison will one day be released, society is best served when time behind bars prepares these individuals to live responsibly once returned.

Investing in prison programming shown to reduce recidivism is one way to make prisons a pathway to rehabilitation, rather than an anchor that drags and keeps people down. Supporting programs that divert at-risk youth from criminal activity before they ever enter is another.

Whatever path is chosen, one thing is certain: the human, social, and economic costs of our current prison state are now intolerable, and change can’t wait any longer.

our work in prison conditions and practices

Restore Justice supports efforts to move towards Illinois corrections towards a model that values rehabilitation over punishment. This includes making healthcare more affordable for people who are incarcerated, allowing family and loved ones to visit them more often, and reducing the use of solitary confinement as a punitive measure.

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Sentencing

In Illinois, a number of sentencing laws converge to create a system that consistently applies extremely long prison terms. While touted as a strategy to make our justice system more fair and effective, research shows that policies like these lead to little to no reduction in crime, while contributing heavily to overcrowded prisons. Restore Justice supports policies that would eliminate or reduce mandatory minimums, roll back firearm enhancements, and otherwise change the laws that rigidly increase sentence lengths or restrict judges from applying appropriate sentences.

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Release

In 1978, Illinois abolished the practice of parole, or early conditional release. Then, in 1998, the state passed so-called “truth-in-sentencing” laws, which restrict the ability of many people who are incarcerated to earn time off their sentences. This means many people who enter prison in Illinois lack opportunities to work towards their release. Restore Justice supports efforts to give rehabilitated people more meaningful pathways to earn release. Currently, that means restoring Illinois to its pre-1978 parole-for-release system, rolling back “truth-in-sentencing” laws, and creating opportunities for people serving extreme sentences to have another look at their sentence.

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