Bill Text: IL SB2018 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall establish a Life Skills Reentry Center for Women. Provides that the Life Skills Reentry Center for Women shall build valuable life skills and prepare women committed persons for reentry into society while maintaining safety and security. Provides that the Center shall focus on committed persons who are ready to make needed changes in order to successfully reintegrate into their community upon release from the custody of the Department of Corrections. Provides that the Center shall offer educational, job readiness, and cognitive behavior therapy courses to women committed persons who have one to 4 years remaining on their sentence and qualify for placement at the Center. Provides that the Chief Administrator for the Women's Division of the Department of Corrections shall determine eligibility of women committed persons for the program and shall assign eligible committed persons to the Center based upon the conduct of the women committed at other correctional institutions, their desire to rehabilitate, and the likelihood of their non-recidivism. Provides that the programs offered at the Center include: prevocational and reentry related life skills, adult basic education, high school equivalency courses, literacy courses, creative writing courses, training for vocations, including welding, manufacturing, restaurant management, and custodial maintenance. Provides that women assigned to the Center may participate in Alcoholics Anonymous, other 12-step programs for recovery from alcoholism or substance use disorder, worship and chaplaincy services, religious studies, family days, job partnership programs, substance use disorder therapy programs, critical thinking, cultural self-awareness programs, and various mental health services, including art therapy.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-15 - Chief Sponsor Changed to Sen. Don Harmon [SB2018 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB2018-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB2018 Introduced 2/9/2023, by Sen. Ann Gillespie SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
730 ILCS 5/3-2-2 from Ch. 38, par. 1003-2-2
730 ILCS 5/3-2-5.5
Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall establish a Life Skills Reentry Center for Women. Provides that the Life Skills Reentry Center for Women shall build valuable life skills and prepare women committed persons for reentry into society while maintaining safety and security. Provides that the Center shall focus on committed persons who are ready to make needed changes in order to successfully reintegrate into their community upon release from the custody of the Department of Corrections. Provides that the Center shall offer educational, job readiness, and cognitive behavior therapy courses to women committed persons who have one to 4 years remaining on their sentence and qualify for placement at the Center. Provides that the Chief Administrator for the Women's Division of the Department of Corrections shall determine eligibility of women committed persons for the program and shall assign eligible committed persons to the Center based upon the conduct of the women committed at other correctional institutions, their desire to rehabilitate, and the likelihood of their non-recidivism. Provides that the programs offered at the Center include: prevocational and reentry related life skills, adult basic education, high school equivalency courses, literacy courses, creative writing courses, training for vocations, including welding, manufacturing, restaurant management, and custodial maintenance. Provides that women assigned to the Center may participate in Alcoholics Anonymous, other 12-step programs for recovery from alcoholism or substance use disorder, worship and chaplaincy services, religious studies, family days, job partnership programs, substance use disorder therapy programs, critical thinking, cultural self-awareness programs, and various mental health services, including art therapy.
LRB103 28336 RLC 54715 b
A BILL FOR
SB2018 LRB103 28336 RLC 54715 b
AN ACT concerning criminal law.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by
changing Sections 3-2-2 and 3-2-5.5 as follows:
(730 ILCS 5/3-2-2) (from Ch. 38, par. 1003-2-2)
Sec. 3-2-2. Powers and duties of the Department.
(1) In addition to the powers, duties, and
responsibilities which are otherwise provided by law, the
Department shall have the following powers:
(a) To accept persons committed to it by the courts of
this State for care, custody, treatment, and
rehabilitation, and to accept federal prisoners and
noncitizens over whom the Office of the Federal Detention
Trustee is authorized to exercise the federal detention
function for limited purposes and periods of time.
(b) To develop and maintain reception and evaluation
units for purposes of analyzing the custody and
rehabilitation needs of persons committed to it and to
assign such persons to institutions and programs under its
control or transfer them to other appropriate agencies. In
consultation with the Department of Alcoholism and
Substance Abuse (now the Department of Human Services),

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the Department of Corrections shall develop a master plan
for the screening and evaluation of persons committed to
its custody who have alcohol or drug abuse problems, and
for making appropriate treatment available to such
persons; the Department shall report to the General
Assembly on such plan not later than April 1, 1987. The
maintenance and implementation of such plan shall be
contingent upon the availability of funds.
(b-1) To create and implement, on January 1, 2002, a
pilot program to establish the effectiveness of
pupillometer technology (the measurement of the pupil's
reaction to light) as an alternative to a urine test for
purposes of screening and evaluating persons committed to
its custody who have alcohol or drug problems. The pilot
program shall require the pupillometer technology to be
used in at least one Department of Corrections facility.
The Director may expand the pilot program to include an
additional facility or facilities as he or she deems
appropriate. A minimum of 4,000 tests shall be included in
the pilot program. The Department must report to the
General Assembly on the effectiveness of the program by
January 1, 2003.
(b-5) To develop, in consultation with the Illinois
State Police, a program for tracking and evaluating each
inmate from commitment through release for recording his
or her gang affiliations, activities, or ranks.

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(c) To maintain and administer all State correctional
institutions and facilities under its control and to
establish new ones as needed. Pursuant to its power to
establish new institutions and facilities, the Department
may, with the written approval of the Governor, authorize
the Department of Central Management Services to enter
into an agreement of the type described in subsection (d)
of Section 405-300 of the Department of Central Management
Services Law. The Department shall designate those
institutions which shall constitute the State Penitentiary
System. The Department of Juvenile Justice shall maintain
and administer all State youth centers pursuant to
subsection (d) of Section 3-2.5-20.
Pursuant to its power to establish new institutions
and facilities, the Department may authorize the
Department of Central Management Services to accept bids
from counties and municipalities for the construction,
remodeling, or conversion of a structure to be leased to
the Department of Corrections for the purposes of its
serving as a correctional institution or facility. Such
construction, remodeling, or conversion may be financed
with revenue bonds issued pursuant to the Industrial
Building Revenue Bond Act by the municipality or county.
The lease specified in a bid shall be for a term of not
less than the time needed to retire any revenue bonds used
to finance the project, but not to exceed 40 years. The

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lease may grant to the State the option to purchase the
structure outright.
Upon receipt of the bids, the Department may certify
one or more of the bids and shall submit any such bids to
the General Assembly for approval. Upon approval of a bid
by a constitutional majority of both houses of the General
Assembly, pursuant to joint resolution, the Department of
Central Management Services may enter into an agreement
with the county or municipality pursuant to such bid.
(c-5) To build and maintain regional juvenile
detention centers and to charge a per diem to the counties
as established by the Department to defray the costs of
housing each minor in a center. In this subsection (c-5),
"juvenile detention center" means a facility to house
minors during pendency of trial who have been transferred
from proceedings under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 to
prosecutions under the criminal laws of this State in
accordance with Section 5-805 of the Juvenile Court Act of
1987, whether the transfer was by operation of law or
permissive under that Section. The Department shall
designate the counties to be served by each regional
juvenile detention center.
(d) To develop and maintain programs of control,
rehabilitation, and employment of committed persons within
its institutions.
(d-5) To provide a pre-release job preparation program

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for inmates at Illinois adult correctional centers.
(d-10) To provide educational and visitation
opportunities to committed persons within its institutions
through temporary access to content-controlled tablets
that may be provided as a privilege to committed persons
to induce or reward compliance.
(e) To establish a system of supervision and guidance
of committed persons in the community.
(f) To establish in cooperation with the Department of
Transportation to supply a sufficient number of prisoners
for use by the Department of Transportation to clean up
the trash and garbage along State, county, township, or
municipal highways as designated by the Department of
Transportation. The Department of Corrections, at the
request of the Department of Transportation, shall furnish
such prisoners at least annually for a period to be agreed
upon between the Director of Corrections and the Secretary
of Transportation. The prisoners used on this program
shall be selected by the Director of Corrections on
whatever basis he deems proper in consideration of their
term, behavior and earned eligibility to participate in
such program - where they will be outside of the prison
facility but still in the custody of the Department of
Corrections. Prisoners convicted of first degree murder,
or a Class X felony, or armed violence, or aggravated
kidnapping, or criminal sexual assault, aggravated

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criminal sexual abuse or a subsequent conviction for
criminal sexual abuse, or forcible detention, or arson, or
a prisoner adjudged a Habitual Criminal shall not be
eligible for selection to participate in such program. The
prisoners shall remain as prisoners in the custody of the
Department of Corrections and such Department shall
furnish whatever security is necessary. The Department of
Transportation shall furnish trucks and equipment for the
highway cleanup program and personnel to supervise and
direct the program. Neither the Department of Corrections
nor the Department of Transportation shall replace any
regular employee with a prisoner.
(g) To maintain records of persons committed to it and
to establish programs of research, statistics, and
planning.
(h) To investigate the grievances of any person
committed to the Department and to inquire into any
alleged misconduct by employees or committed persons; and
for these purposes it may issue subpoenas and compel the
attendance of witnesses and the production of writings and
papers, and may examine under oath any witnesses who may
appear before it; to also investigate alleged violations
of a parolee's or releasee's conditions of parole or
release; and for this purpose it may issue subpoenas and
compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of
documents only if there is reason to believe that such

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procedures would provide evidence that such violations
have occurred.
If any person fails to obey a subpoena issued under
this subsection, the Director may apply to any circuit
court to secure compliance with the subpoena. The failure
to comply with the order of the court issued in response
thereto shall be punishable as contempt of court.
(i) To appoint and remove the chief administrative
officers, and administer programs of training and
development of personnel of the Department. Personnel
assigned by the Department to be responsible for the
custody and control of committed persons or to investigate
the alleged misconduct of committed persons or employees
or alleged violations of a parolee's or releasee's
conditions of parole shall be conservators of the peace
for those purposes, and shall have the full power of peace
officers outside of the facilities of the Department in
the protection, arrest, retaking, and reconfining of
committed persons or where the exercise of such power is
necessary to the investigation of such misconduct or
violations. This subsection shall not apply to persons
committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice under the
Juvenile Court Act of 1987 on aftercare release.
(j) To cooperate with other departments and agencies
and with local communities for the development of
standards and programs for better correctional services in

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this State.
(k) To administer all moneys and properties of the
Department.
(l) To report annually to the Governor on the
committed persons, institutions, and programs of the
Department.
(l-5) (Blank).
(m) To make all rules and regulations and exercise all
powers and duties vested by law in the Department.
(n) To establish rules and regulations for
administering a system of sentence credits, established in
accordance with Section 3-6-3, subject to review by the
Prisoner Review Board.
(o) To administer the distribution of funds from the
State Treasury to reimburse counties where State penal
institutions are located for the payment of assistant
state's attorneys' salaries under Section 4-2001 of the
Counties Code.
(p) To exchange information with the Department of
Human Services and the Department of Healthcare and Family
Services for the purpose of verifying living arrangements
and for other purposes directly connected with the
administration of this Code and the Illinois Public Aid
Code.
(q) To establish a diversion program.
The program shall provide a structured environment for

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selected technical parole or mandatory supervised release
violators and committed persons who have violated the
rules governing their conduct while in work release. This
program shall not apply to those persons who have
committed a new offense while serving on parole or
mandatory supervised release or while committed to work
release.
Elements of the program shall include, but shall not
be limited to, the following:
(1) The staff of a diversion facility shall
provide supervision in accordance with required
objectives set by the facility.
(2) Participants shall be required to maintain
employment.
(3) Each participant shall pay for room and board
at the facility on a sliding-scale basis according to
the participant's income.
(4) Each participant shall:
(A) provide restitution to victims in
accordance with any court order;
(B) provide financial support to his
dependents; and
(C) make appropriate payments toward any other
court-ordered obligations.
(5) Each participant shall complete community
service in addition to employment.

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(6) Participants shall take part in such
counseling, educational, and other programs as the
Department may deem appropriate.
(7) Participants shall submit to drug and alcohol
screening.
(8) The Department shall promulgate rules
governing the administration of the program.
(r) To enter into intergovernmental cooperation
agreements under which persons in the custody of the
Department may participate in a county impact
incarceration program established under Section 3-6038 or
3-15003.5 of the Counties Code.
(r-5) (Blank).
(r-10) To systematically and routinely identify with
respect to each streetgang active within the correctional
system: (1) each active gang; (2) every existing
inter-gang affiliation or alliance; and (3) the current
leaders in each gang. The Department shall promptly
segregate leaders from inmates who belong to their gangs
and allied gangs. "Segregate" means no physical contact
and, to the extent possible under the conditions and space
available at the correctional facility, prohibition of
visual and sound communication. For the purposes of this
paragraph (r-10), "leaders" means persons who:
(i) are members of a criminal streetgang;
(ii) with respect to other individuals within the

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streetgang, occupy a position of organizer,
supervisor, or other position of management or
leadership; and
(iii) are actively and personally engaged in
directing, ordering, authorizing, or requesting
commission of criminal acts by others, which are
punishable as a felony, in furtherance of streetgang
related activity both within and outside of the
Department of Corrections.
"Streetgang", "gang", and "streetgang related" have the
meanings ascribed to them in Section 10 of the Illinois
Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act.
(s) To operate a super-maximum security institution,
in order to manage and supervise inmates who are
disruptive or dangerous and provide for the safety and
security of the staff and the other inmates.
(t) To monitor any unprivileged conversation or any
unprivileged communication, whether in person or by mail,
telephone, or other means, between an inmate who, before
commitment to the Department, was a member of an organized
gang and any other person without the need to show cause or
satisfy any other requirement of law before beginning the
monitoring, except as constitutionally required. The
monitoring may be by video, voice, or other method of
recording or by any other means. As used in this
subdivision (1)(t), "organized gang" has the meaning

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ascribed to it in Section 10 of the Illinois Streetgang
Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act.
As used in this subdivision (1)(t), "unprivileged
conversation" or "unprivileged communication" means a
conversation or communication that is not protected by any
privilege recognized by law or by decision, rule, or order
of the Illinois Supreme Court.
(u) To establish a Women's and Children's Pre-release
Community Supervision Program for the purpose of providing
housing and services to eligible female inmates, as
determined by the Department, and their newborn and young
children.
(u-5) To issue an order, whenever a person committed
to the Department absconds or absents himself or herself,
without authority to do so, from any facility or program
to which he or she is assigned. The order shall be
certified by the Director, the Supervisor of the
Apprehension Unit, or any person duly designated by the
Director, with the seal of the Department affixed. The
order shall be directed to all sheriffs, coroners, and
police officers, or to any particular person named in the
order. Any order issued pursuant to this subdivision
(1)(u-5) shall be sufficient warrant for the officer or
person named in the order to arrest and deliver the
committed person to the proper correctional officials and
shall be executed the same as criminal process.

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(u-6) To appoint a point of contact person who shall
receive suggestions, complaints, or other requests to the
Department from visitors to Department institutions or
facilities and from other members of the public.
(v) To do all other acts necessary to carry out the
provisions of this Chapter.
(2) The Department of Corrections shall by January 1,
1998, consider building and operating a correctional facility
within 100 miles of a county of over 2,000,000 inhabitants,
especially a facility designed to house juvenile participants
in the impact incarceration program.
(3) When the Department lets bids for contracts for
medical services to be provided to persons committed to
Department facilities by a health maintenance organization,
medical service corporation, or other health care provider,
the bid may only be let to a health care provider that has
obtained an irrevocable letter of credit or performance bond
issued by a company whose bonds have an investment grade or
higher rating by a bond rating organization.
(4) When the Department lets bids for contracts for food
or commissary services to be provided to Department
facilities, the bid may only be let to a food or commissary
services provider that has obtained an irrevocable letter of
credit or performance bond issued by a company whose bonds
have an investment grade or higher rating by a bond rating
organization.

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(5) On and after the date 6 months after August 16, 2013
(the effective date of Public Act 98-488), as provided in the
Executive Order 1 (2012) Implementation Act, all of the
powers, duties, rights, and responsibilities related to State
healthcare purchasing under this Code that were transferred
from the Department of Corrections to the Department of
Healthcare and Family Services by Executive Order 3 (2005) are
transferred back to the Department of Corrections; however,
powers, duties, rights, and responsibilities related to State
healthcare purchasing under this Code that were exercised by
the Department of Corrections before the effective date of
Executive Order 3 (2005) but that pertain to individuals
resident in facilities operated by the Department of Juvenile
Justice are transferred to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
(6) The Department of Corrections shall establish a Life
Skills reentry Center for Women. The Life Skills reentry
Center for Women shall build valuable life skills and prepare
women committed persons for reentry into society while
maintaining safety and security. The Center shall focus on
committed persons who are ready to make needed changes in
order to successfully reintegrate into their community upon
release from the custody of the Department of Corrections. The
Center shall offer educational, job readiness, and cognitive
behavior therapy courses to women committed persons who have
one to 4 years remaining on their sentence and qualify for
placement at the Center. The Chief Administrator for the

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Women's Division shall determine eligibility of women
committed persons for the program and shall assign eligible
committed persons to the Center based upon the conduct of the
women committed at other correctional institutions, their
desire to rehabilitate, and the likelihood of their
non-recidivism. The programs offered at the Center include:
prevocational and reentry related life skills, adult basic
education, high school equivalency courses, literacy courses,
creative writing courses, training for vocations, including
welding, manufacturing, restaurant management, and custodial
maintenance. Women assigned to the Center may participate in
Alcoholics Anonymous, other 12-step programs for recovery from
alcoholism or substance use disorder, worship and chaplaincy
services, religious studies, family days, job partnership
programs, substance use disorder therapy programs, critical
thinking, cultural self-awareness programs, and various mental
health services, including art therapy.
(Source: P.A. 101-235, eff. 1-1-20; 102-350, eff. 8-13-21;
102-535, eff. 1-1-22; 102-538, eff. 8-20-21; 102-813, eff.
5-13-22; 102-1030, eff. 5-27-22.)
(730 ILCS 5/3-2-5.5)
Sec. 3-2-5.5. Women's Division.
(a) As used in this Section:
"Gender-responsive" means taking into account gender
specific differences that have been identified in

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women-centered research, including, but not limited to,
socialization, psychological development, strengths, risk
factors, pathways through systems, responses to treatment
intervention, and other unique gender specific needs
facing justice-involved women. Gender responsive policies,
practices, programs, and services shall be implemented in
a manner that is considered relational, culturally
competent, family-centered, holistic, strength-based, and
trauma-informed.
"Trauma-informed practices" means practices
incorporating gender violence research and the impact of
all forms of trauma in designing and implementing
policies, practices, processes, programs, and services
that involve understanding, recognizing, and responding to
the effects of all types of trauma with emphasis on
physical, psychological, and emotional safety.
(b) The Department shall create a permanent Women's
Division under the direct supervision of the Director. The
Women's Division shall have statewide authority and
operational oversight for all of the Department's women's
correctional centers and women's adult transition centers.
(c) The Director shall appoint a Chief Administrator for
the Women's Division who has received nationally recognized
specialized training in gender-responsive and trauma-informed
practices. The Chief Administrator shall be responsible for:
(1) management and supervision of all employees

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assigned to the Women's Division correctional centers and
adult transition centers;
(2) development and implementation of evidence-based,
gender-responsive, and trauma-informed practices that
govern Women's Division operations and programs;
(3) development of the Women's Division training,
orientation, and cycle curriculum, which shall be updated
as needed to align with gender responsive and
trauma-informed practices;
(4) training all staff assigned to the Women's
Division correctional centers and adult transition centers
on gender-responsive and trauma-informed practices;
(5) implementation of validated gender-responsive
classification and placement instruments;
(6) implementation of a gender-responsive risk,
assets, and needs assessment tool and case management
system for the Women's Division; and
(7) collaborating with the Chief Administrator of
Parole to ensure staff responsible for supervision of
females under mandatory supervised release are
appropriately trained in evidence-based practices in
community supervision, gender-responsive practices, and
trauma-informed practices; and
(8) supervising the Department of Corrections Life
Skills reentry Center for Women.
(Source: P.A. 102-687, eff. 12-17-21.)