Bill Text: IL HR0498 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges the Governor's Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform to study issues and permit, to the extent that such a determination is appropriate, the mentioned members of the vulnerable population to have a chance to relieve themselves of the stigma of being convicted felons and to have a chance to obtain jobs by having their records sealed.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6)
Status: (Passed) 2015-05-30 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Esther Golar [HR0498 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2015-HR0498-Introduced.html
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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, Illinois citizens who have been convicted of Class | ||||||
| 3 | X felonies and other felony offenses
are unfairly denied | ||||||
| 4 | opportunities to obtain jobs even after complying with all | ||||||
| 5 | sentencing and
post-sentencing requirements; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, African-American men are disproportionately | ||||||
| 7 | affected by policies because too many of
them are disqualified | ||||||
| 8 | from job opportunities and other opportunities; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Under the current system, being a formerly | ||||||
| 10 | incarcerated person essentially amounts to a
life sentence of | ||||||
| 11 | being a second class citizen;
and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, Formerly incarcerated citizens depend on the | ||||||
| 13 | benevolence of school administrators,
employers, landlords, | ||||||
| 14 | and more individuals in order to properly participate in | ||||||
| 15 | society; and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, There is no current means to rid oneself of the | ||||||
| 17 | stigma associated with being an ex-felon; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, Formerly incarcerated citizens should be | ||||||
| 19 | empowered to determine their own destinies; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Formerly incarcerated citizens should be given | ||||||
| 2 | the same opportunities as other Illinois
Citizens to choose | ||||||
| 3 | where they live, work, and attend school; and
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| 4 | WHEREAS, Formerly incarcerated citizens should be provided | ||||||
| 5 | with the incentive to conform their
behavior to society's | ||||||
| 6 | standard, which will increase public safety; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, A person should not have to continue to pay for | ||||||
| 8 | something he or she may have done
years ago after complying | ||||||
| 9 | with all sentencing requirements;
and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, Having job opportunities and having one's record | ||||||
| 11 | sealed will reduce recidivism; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, Innocent individuals are also hurt by current | ||||||
| 13 | policies because sometimes the
innocent get convicted or plead | ||||||
| 14 | guilty to felonies; and
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| 15 | WHEREAS, Discriminatory policies created by | ||||||
| 16 | administrators, employers, and legislators amount to
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| 17 | post-incarceration sentencing equating to double jeopardy; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, If a person is no longer incarcerated, he or she | ||||||
| 19 | is not serving a de jure life sentence,
so it is immoral to be | ||||||
| 20 | serving a de facto life sentence (void of sufficient job | ||||||
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| 1 | opportunities); and
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The lack of sufficient criminal sealing | ||||||
| 3 | protections entails the creation of a permanently
dependent | ||||||
| 4 | class of individuals; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Many of those individuals cannot earn a living and | ||||||
| 6 | are forced to prey upon those who do or to earn a living by | ||||||
| 7 | obtaining entitlements or sponging off law-abiding citizens; | ||||||
| 8 | therefore, be it
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| 9 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 10 | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
| 11 | urge the Governor's Commission on Criminal Justice and | ||||||
| 12 | Sentencing Reform
(Executive Order 15-14) to study issues and | ||||||
| 13 | permit, to the extent that such a determination is
appropriate, | ||||||
| 14 | the mentioned members of the vulnerable population to have a | ||||||
| 15 | chance to relieve
themselves of the stigma of being convicted | ||||||
| 16 | felons and to have a chance to obtain jobs by having
their | ||||||
| 17 | records sealed (and through any other means) so long as they | ||||||
| 18 | comply with the following
steps:
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| 19 | 1) Complete parole/probation;
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| 20 | 2) Complete any required drug treatment program, anger | ||||||
| 21 | management program,
psychological testing, and anything | ||||||
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| 1 | else required;
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| 2 | 3) Obtain a G.E.D., high school diploma, or something | ||||||
| 3 | equivalent to the mentioned;
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| 4 | 4) Employed, actively seeking employment, enrolled in | ||||||
| 5 | vocational training, or enrolled
in a college program;
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| 6 | 5) Does not have any felony conviction for a period of time | ||||||
| 7 | commensurate with the
severity of their convictions (e.g., | ||||||
| 8 | for 1, 3, 5, or 7 years, etc.)
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| 9 | 6) So long as a formerly incarcerated Illinois citizen | ||||||
| 10 | successfully complies with the
above steps, unless he or | ||||||
| 11 | she is a registered sex offender, then his or her record | ||||||
| 12 | must
forever be sealed unless he or she commits another | ||||||
| 13 | felony; and
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| 14 | 7) A person who is a registered sex offender must have his | ||||||
| 15 | or her situation reviewed by
a review board to determine | ||||||
| 16 | whether the person may have his or her record sealed; and | ||||||
| 17 | be it further
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| 18 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 19 | presented to the Governor's Commission on Criminal Justice and | ||||||
| 20 | Sentencing Reform.
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