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| | HB0698 Engrossed | | LRB100 07831 RLC 17899 b |
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| 1 | | AN ACT concerning criminal law.
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| 2 | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| 3 | | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | | Section 5. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by |
| 5 | | adding Article 12.5 to Chapter III as follows:
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| 6 | | (730 ILCS 5/Ch. III Art. 12.5 heading new) |
| 7 | | ARTICLE 12.5. PRISONER ENTREPRENEUR EDUCATION PROGRAM
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| 8 | | (730 ILCS 5/3-12.5-1 new) |
| 9 | | Sec. 3-12.5-1. Short title. This Article may be cited as |
| 10 | | the Prisoner Entrepreneur Education Program Law.
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| 11 | | (730 ILCS 5/3-12.5-5 new) |
| 12 | | Sec. 3-12.5-5. Purpose; Program. The Prisoner Entrepreneur |
| 13 | | Education
Program shall be established as a 5-year pilot |
| 14 | | project to be
instituted within the Department of Corrections. |
| 15 | | The
goal of the Prisoner Entrepreneur Education Program is to
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| 16 | | provide inmates with useful business skills for use after
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| 17 | | release from prison in an effort to reduce recidivism rates for
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| 18 | | self-motivated individuals. The Prisoner Entrepreneur |
| 19 | | Education
Program shall consist of a rigorous curriculum, and |
| 20 | | participants
shall be taught business skills, such as computer |
| 21 | | skills,
budgeting, creating a business plan, public speaking, |
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| | HB0698 Engrossed | - 2 - | LRB100 07831 RLC 17899 b |
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| 1 | | and
realistic goal setting. Inmates who successfully complete |
| 2 | | the
Prisoner Entrepreneur Education Program shall be awarded a
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| 3 | | Certificate of Completion.
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| 4 | | (730 ILCS 5/3-12.5-10 new) |
| 5 | | Sec. 3-12.5-10. Selection. Inmates may be selected to
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| 6 | | participate in the pre-release Prisoner Entrepreneur Education |
| 7 | | Program only
if all of the following conditions are met: |
| 8 | | (1) the inmate is within 3 years of being released
from |
| 9 | | custody of the Department of Corrections; |
| 10 | | (2) the inmate has not been disciplined by the
Department |
| 11 | | of Corrections within the past year; |
| 12 | | (3) the inmate has a high school diploma or GED; |
| 13 | | (4) the inmate has never been convicted of an offense |
| 14 | | described in Subdivision 5 of Article 11 of the Criminal Code |
| 15 | | of 2012 (major sex offenses), Subdivision 10 of Article 11 of |
| 16 | | the Criminal Code of 2012 (vulnerable victim sex offenses), |
| 17 | | Section 11-20.1 of Subdivision 20 of Article 11 of the Criminal |
| 18 | | Code of 2012 (child pornography offenses), or similar offenses |
| 19 | | under the Criminal Code of 1961; |
| 20 | | (5) the inmate is not currently affiliated with a gang;
and |
| 21 | | (6) the inmate is committed to personal change.
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| 22 | | (730 ILCS 5/3-12.5-11 new) |
| 23 | | Sec. 3-12.5-11. Curriculum; employment; retention of |
| 24 | | rights; certificate of completion. |
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| | HB0698 Engrossed | - 3 - | LRB100 07831 RLC 17899 b |
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| 1 | | (a) The Prisoner Entrepreneur Education Program shall |
| 2 | | consist of a rigorous curriculum, and participants shall be |
| 3 | | taught business skills, such as computer skills, budgeting, |
| 4 | | creating a business plan, public speaking, and realistic goal |
| 5 | | setting. |
| 6 | | (b) The curriculum shall not include the employment of |
| 7 | | participants as employees under the Department of Corrections |
| 8 | | or any for-profit or not-for-profit organization unless: |
| 9 | | (1) the participant receives a wage equal to or greater |
| 10 | | than the prevailing market rate for the services performed |
| 11 | | during the course of the employment; |
| 12 | | (2) the employment is reasonably related to the purpose |
| 13 | | and curriculum of the Prisoner Entrepreneur Education |
| 14 | | Program; and |
| 15 | | (3) the participant consents in writing to the terms, |
| 16 | | provisions, working conditions, and wages of the |
| 17 | | employment. |
| 18 | | (c) Participants shall retain rights, control, and |
| 19 | | possession of all products created by the participant during |
| 20 | | the course of the Prisoner Entrepreneur Education Program. Such |
| 21 | | rights shall include intellectual property rights and rights in |
| 22 | | trade secrets. Nothing in this amendatory Act of the 100th |
| 23 | | General Assembly shall be construed to give the Department of |
| 24 | | Corrections any right to sell, use, distribute, market, |
| 25 | | possess, or otherwise control any product created by a |
| 26 | | participant during the course of the Prisoner Entrepreneur |
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| 1 | | Education Program, without the participant's written consent. |
| 2 | | (d) Participants who successfully complete the Prisoner |
| 3 | | Entrepreneur Education Program shall be awarded a Certificate |
| 4 | | of Completion.
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| 5 | | (730 ILCS 5/3-12.5-15 new) |
| 6 | | Sec. 3-12.5-15. Post-release assistance. Subject to
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| 7 | | appropriation by the General Assembly, the Prisoner |
| 8 | | Entrepreneur
Education Program may establish post-release |
| 9 | | assistance to
individuals awarded a Certificate of Completion. |
| 10 | | Post-release assistance may include drafting a resume and cover |
| 11 | | letter,
searching for employment, networking events, or mock |
| 12 | | interviews.
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| 13 | | (730 ILCS 5/3-12.5-20 new) |
| 14 | | Sec. 3-12.5-20. Power of Department. The Department of
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| 15 | | Corrections shall adopt rules
as the Director deems necessary |
| 16 | | to carry out the
purposes of this Article.
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| 17 | | (730 ILCS 5/3-12.5-25 new) |
| 18 | | Sec. 3-12.5-25. Funding. The funding for the Prisoner
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| 19 | | Entrepreneur Education Program shall be subject to |
| 20 | | appropriation by the General Assembly.
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| 21 | | (730 ILCS 5/3-12.5-30 new) |
| 22 | | Sec. 3-12.5-30. Repeal. This Article is repealed 5 years |