Bill Text: IL SB1968 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Engrossed

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Bill Title: Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that in imposing a sentence for a Class 3 or 4 felony, other than a violent crime as defined in the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act, the court shall determine and indicate in the sentencing order whether the defendant has 4 or more or fewer than 4 months remaining on his or her sentence accounting for time served. Provides that an offender sentenced to a term of imprisonment for a Class 3 or 4 felony, other than a violent crime as defined in the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act, in which the sentencing order indicates that the offender has less than 4 months remaining on his or her sentence accounting for time served may not be confined in the penitentiary system of the Department of Corrections but may be assigned to electronic home detention, an adult transition center, or another facility or program within the Department of Corrections. Effective January 1, 2020.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Failed) 2021-01-13 - Session Sine Die [SB1968 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-SB1968-Engrossed.html

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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 5-4-1 and 5-8-6 as follows:
(730 ILCS 5/5-4-1) (from Ch. 38, par. 1005-4-1)
Sec. 5-4-1. Sentencing hearing.
(a) Except when the death penalty is sought under hearing
procedures otherwise specified, after a determination of
guilt, a hearing shall be held to impose the sentence. However,
prior to the imposition of sentence on an individual being
sentenced for an offense based upon a charge for a violation of
Section 11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code or a similar
provision of a local ordinance, the individual must undergo a
professional evaluation to determine if an alcohol or other
drug abuse problem exists and the extent of such a problem.
Programs conducting these evaluations shall be licensed by the
Department of Human Services. However, if the individual is not
a resident of Illinois, the court may, in its discretion,
accept an evaluation from a program in the state of such
individual's residence. The court may in its sentencing order
approve an eligible defendant for placement in a Department of
Corrections impact incarceration program as provided in

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Section 5-8-1.1 or 5-8-1.3. The court may in its sentencing
order recommend a defendant for placement in a Department of
Corrections substance abuse treatment program as provided in
paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of Section 3-2-2 conditioned
upon the defendant being accepted in a program by the
Department of Corrections. At the hearing the court shall:
(1) consider the evidence, if any, received upon the
trial;
(2) consider any presentence reports;
(3) consider the financial impact of incarceration
based on the financial impact statement filed with the
clerk of the court by the Department of Corrections;
(4) consider evidence and information offered by the
parties in aggravation and mitigation;
(4.5) consider substance abuse treatment, eligibility
screening, and an assessment, if any, of the defendant by
an agent designated by the State of Illinois to provide
assessment services for the Illinois courts;
(5) hear arguments as to sentencing alternatives;
(6) afford the defendant the opportunity to make a
statement in his own behalf;
(7) afford the victim of a violent crime or a violation
of Section 11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, or a
similar provision of a local ordinance, the opportunity to
present an oral or written statement, as guaranteed by
Article I, Section 8.1 of the Illinois Constitution and

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provided in Section 6 of the Rights of Crime Victims and
Witnesses Act. The court shall allow a victim to make an
oral statement if the victim is present in the courtroom
and requests to make an oral or written statement. An oral
or written statement includes the victim or a
representative of the victim reading the written
statement. The court may allow persons impacted by the
crime who are not victims under subsection (a) of Section 3
of the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act to present
an oral or written statement. A victim and any person
making an oral statement shall not be put under oath or
subject to cross-examination. All statements offered under
this paragraph (7) shall become part of the record of the
court. In this paragraph (7), "victim of a violent crime"
means a person who is a victim of a violent crime for which
the defendant has been convicted after a bench or jury
trial or a person who is the victim of a violent crime with
which the defendant was charged and the defendant has been
convicted under a plea agreement of a crime that is not a
violent crime as defined in subsection (c) of 3 of the
Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act;
(7.5) afford a qualified person affected by: (i) a
violation of Section 405, 405.1, 405.2, or 407 of the
Illinois Controlled Substances Act or a violation of
Section 55 or Section 65 of the Methamphetamine Control and
Community Protection Act; or (ii) a Class 4 felony

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violation of Section 11-14, 11-14.3 except as described in
subdivisions (a)(2)(A) and (a)(2)(B), 11-15, 11-17, 11-18,
11-18.1, or 11-19 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the
Criminal Code of 2012, committed by the defendant the
opportunity to make a statement concerning the impact on
the qualified person and to offer evidence in aggravation
or mitigation; provided that the statement and evidence
offered in aggravation or mitigation shall first be
prepared in writing in conjunction with the State's
Attorney before it may be presented orally at the hearing.
Sworn testimony offered by the qualified person is subject
to the defendant's right to cross-examine. All statements
and evidence offered under this paragraph (7.5) shall
become part of the record of the court. In this paragraph
(7.5), "qualified person" means any person who: (i) lived
or worked within the territorial jurisdiction where the
offense took place when the offense took place; or (ii) is
familiar with various public places within the territorial
jurisdiction where the offense took place when the offense
took place. "Qualified person" includes any peace officer
or any member of any duly organized State, county, or
municipal peace officer unit assigned to the territorial
jurisdiction where the offense took place when the offense
took place;
(8) in cases of reckless homicide afford the victim's
spouse, guardians, parents or other immediate family

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members an opportunity to make oral statements;
(9) in cases involving a felony sex offense as defined
under the Sex Offender Management Board Act, consider the
results of the sex offender evaluation conducted pursuant
to Section 5-3-2 of this Act; and
(10) make a finding of whether a motor vehicle was used
in the commission of the offense for which the defendant is
being sentenced.
(b) All sentences shall be imposed by the judge based upon
his independent assessment of the elements specified above and
any agreement as to sentence reached by the parties. The judge
who presided at the trial or the judge who accepted the plea of
guilty shall impose the sentence unless he is no longer sitting
as a judge in that court. Where the judge does not impose
sentence at the same time on all defendants who are convicted
as a result of being involved in the same offense, the
defendant or the State's Attorney may advise the sentencing
court of the disposition of any other defendants who have been
sentenced.
(b-1) In imposing a sentence of imprisonment or periodic
imprisonment for a Class 3 or Class 4 felony for which a
sentence of probation or conditional discharge is an available
sentence, if the defendant has no prior sentence of probation
or conditional discharge and no prior conviction for a violent
crime, the defendant shall not be sentenced to imprisonment
before review and consideration of a presentence report and

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determination and explanation of why the particular evidence,
information, factor in aggravation, factual finding, or other
reasons support a sentencing determination that one or more of
the factors under subsection (a) of Section 5-6-1 of this Code
apply and that probation or conditional discharge is not an
appropriate sentence.
(c) In imposing a sentence for a violent crime or for an
offense of operating or being in physical control of a vehicle
while under the influence of alcohol, any other drug or any
combination thereof, or a similar provision of a local
ordinance, when such offense resulted in the personal injury to
someone other than the defendant, the trial judge shall specify
on the record the particular evidence, information, factors in
mitigation and aggravation or other reasons that led to his
sentencing determination. The full verbatim record of the
sentencing hearing shall be filed with the clerk of the court
and shall be a public record.
(c-1) In imposing a sentence for the offense of aggravated
kidnapping for ransom, home invasion, armed robbery,
aggravated vehicular hijacking, aggravated discharge of a
firearm, or armed violence with a category I weapon or category
II weapon, the trial judge shall make a finding as to whether
the conduct leading to conviction for the offense resulted in
great bodily harm to a victim, and shall enter that finding and
the basis for that finding in the record.
(c-2) If the defendant is sentenced to prison, other than

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when a sentence of natural life imprisonment or a sentence of
death is imposed, at the time the sentence is imposed the judge
shall state on the record in open court the approximate period
of time the defendant will serve in custody according to the
then current statutory rules and regulations for sentence
credit found in Section 3-6-3 and other related provisions of
this Code. This statement is intended solely to inform the
public, has no legal effect on the defendant's actual release,
and may not be relied on by the defendant on appeal.
The judge's statement, to be given after pronouncing the
sentence, other than when the sentence is imposed for one of
the offenses enumerated in paragraph (a)(4) of Section 3-6-3,
shall include the following:
"The purpose of this statement is to inform the public of
the actual period of time this defendant is likely to spend in
prison as a result of this sentence. The actual period of
prison time served is determined by the statutes of Illinois as
applied to this sentence by the Illinois Department of
Corrections and the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. In this
case, assuming the defendant receives all of his or her
sentence credit, the period of estimated actual custody is ...
years and ... months, less up to 180 days additional earned
sentence credit. If the defendant, because of his or her own
misconduct or failure to comply with the institutional
regulations, does not receive those credits, the actual time
served in prison will be longer. The defendant may also receive

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an additional one-half day sentence credit for each day of
participation in vocational, industry, substance abuse, and
educational programs as provided for by Illinois statute."
When the sentence is imposed for one of the offenses
enumerated in paragraph (a)(2) of Section 3-6-3, other than
first degree murder, and the offense was committed on or after
June 19, 1998, and when the sentence is imposed for reckless
homicide as defined in subsection (e) of Section 9-3 of the
Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 if the
offense was committed on or after January 1, 1999, and when the
sentence is imposed for aggravated driving under the influence
of alcohol, other drug or drugs, or intoxicating compound or
compounds, or any combination thereof as defined in
subparagraph (F) of paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of Section
11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, and when the sentence is
imposed for aggravated arson if the offense was committed on or
after July 27, 2001 (the effective date of Public Act 92-176),
and when the sentence is imposed for aggravated driving under
the influence of alcohol, other drug or drugs, or intoxicating
compound or compounds, or any combination thereof as defined in
subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of Section
11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code committed on or after
January 1, 2011 (the effective date of Public Act 96-1230), the
judge's statement, to be given after pronouncing the sentence,
shall include the following:
"The purpose of this statement is to inform the public of

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the actual period of time this defendant is likely to spend in
prison as a result of this sentence. The actual period of
prison time served is determined by the statutes of Illinois as
applied to this sentence by the Illinois Department of
Corrections and the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. In this
case, the defendant is entitled to no more than 4 1/2 days of
sentence credit for each month of his or her sentence of
imprisonment. Therefore, this defendant will serve at least 85%
of his or her sentence. Assuming the defendant receives 4 1/2
days credit for each month of his or her sentence, the period
of estimated actual custody is ... years and ... months. If the
defendant, because of his or her own misconduct or failure to
comply with the institutional regulations receives lesser
credit, the actual time served in prison will be longer."
When a sentence of imprisonment is imposed for first degree
murder and the offense was committed on or after June 19, 1998,
the judge's statement, to be given after pronouncing the
sentence, shall include the following:
"The purpose of this statement is to inform the public of
the actual period of time this defendant is likely to spend in
prison as a result of this sentence. The actual period of
prison time served is determined by the statutes of Illinois as
applied to this sentence by the Illinois Department of
Corrections and the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. In this
case, the defendant is not entitled to sentence credit.
Therefore, this defendant will serve 100% of his or her

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sentence."
When the sentencing order recommends placement in a
substance abuse program for any offense that results in
incarceration in a Department of Corrections facility and the
crime was committed on or after September 1, 2003 (the
effective date of Public Act 93-354), the judge's statement, in
addition to any other judge's statement required under this
Section, to be given after pronouncing the sentence, shall
include the following:
"The purpose of this statement is to inform the public of
the actual period of time this defendant is likely to spend in
prison as a result of this sentence. The actual period of
prison time served is determined by the statutes of Illinois as
applied to this sentence by the Illinois Department of
Corrections and the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. In this
case, the defendant shall receive no earned sentence credit
under clause (3) of subsection (a) of Section 3-6-3 until he or
she participates in and completes a substance abuse treatment
program or receives a waiver from the Director of Corrections
pursuant to clause (4.5) of subsection (a) of Section 3-6-3."
(c-4) Before the sentencing hearing and as part of the
presentence investigation under Section 5-3-1, the court shall
inquire of the defendant whether the defendant is currently
serving in or is a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United
States. If the defendant is currently serving in the Armed
Forces of the United States or is a veteran of the Armed Forces

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of the United States and has been diagnosed as having a mental
illness by a qualified psychiatrist or clinical psychologist or
physician, the court may:
(1) order that the officer preparing the presentence
report consult with the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs, Illinois Department of Veterans'
Affairs, or another agency or person with suitable
knowledge or experience for the purpose of providing the
court with information regarding treatment options
available to the defendant, including federal, State, and
local programming; and
(2) consider the treatment recommendations of any
diagnosing or treating mental health professionals
together with the treatment options available to the
defendant in imposing sentence.
For the purposes of this subsection (c-4), "qualified
psychiatrist" means a reputable physician licensed in Illinois
to practice medicine in all its branches, who has specialized
in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and nervous disorders
for a period of not less than 5 years.
(c-6) In imposing a sentence, the trial judge shall
specify, on the record, the particular evidence and other
reasons which led to his or her determination that a motor
vehicle was used in the commission of the offense.
(c-7) In imposing a sentence for a Class 3 or 4 felony,
other than a violent crime as defined in Section 3 of the

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Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act, the court shall
determine and indicate in the sentencing order whether the
defendant has 4 or more or fewer than 4 months remaining on his
or her sentence accounting for time served.
(d) When the defendant is committed to the Department of
Corrections, the State's Attorney shall and counsel for the
defendant may file a statement with the clerk of the court to
be transmitted to the department, agency or institution to
which the defendant is committed to furnish such department,
agency or institution with the facts and circumstances of the
offense for which the person was committed together with all
other factual information accessible to them in regard to the
person prior to his commitment relative to his habits,
associates, disposition and reputation and any other facts and
circumstances which may aid such department, agency or
institution during its custody of such person. The clerk shall
within 10 days after receiving any such statements transmit a
copy to such department, agency or institution and a copy to
the other party, provided, however, that this shall not be
cause for delay in conveying the person to the department,
agency or institution to which he has been committed.
(e) The clerk of the court shall transmit to the
department, agency or institution, if any, to which the
defendant is committed, the following:
(1) the sentence imposed;
(2) any statement by the court of the basis for

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imposing the sentence;
(3) any presentence reports;
(3.5) any sex offender evaluations;
(3.6) any substance abuse treatment eligibility
screening and assessment of the defendant by an agent
designated by the State of Illinois to provide assessment
services for the Illinois courts;
(4) the number of days, if any, which the defendant has
been in custody and for which he is entitled to credit
against the sentence, which information shall be provided
to the clerk by the sheriff;
(4.1) any finding of great bodily harm made by the
court with respect to an offense enumerated in subsection
(c-1);
(5) all statements filed under subsection (d) of this
Section;
(6) any medical or mental health records or summaries
of the defendant;
(7) the municipality where the arrest of the offender
or the commission of the offense has occurred, where such
municipality has a population of more than 25,000 persons;
(8) all statements made and evidence offered under
paragraph (7) of subsection (a) of this Section; and
(9) all additional matters which the court directs the
clerk to transmit.
(f) In cases in which the court finds that a motor vehicle

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was used in the commission of the offense for which the
defendant is being sentenced, the clerk of the court shall,
within 5 days thereafter, forward a report of such conviction
to the Secretary of State.
(Source: P.A. 99-861, eff. 1-1-17; 99-938, eff. 1-1-18;
100-961, eff. 1-1-19; revised 10-3-18.)
(730 ILCS 5/5-8-6) (from Ch. 38, par. 1005-8-6)
Sec. 5-8-6. Place of confinement.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection (a),
offenders Offenders sentenced to a term of imprisonment for a
felony shall be committed to the penitentiary system of the
Department of Corrections. However, such sentence shall not
limit the powers of the Department of Children and Family
Services in relation to any child under the age of one year in
the sole custody of a person so sentenced, nor in relation to
any child delivered by a female so sentenced while she is so
confined as a consequence of such sentence. Except as otherwise
provided in this subsection (a), a A person sentenced for a
felony may be assigned by the Department of Corrections to any
of its institutions, facilities or programs. An offender
sentenced to a term of imprisonment for a Class 3 or 4 felony,
other than a violent crime as defined in Section 3 of the
Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act, in which the
sentencing order indicates that the offender has less than 4
months remaining on his or her sentence accounting for time

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served may not be confined in the penitentiary system of the
Department of Corrections but may be assigned to electronic
home detention under Article 8A of this Chapter V, an adult
transition center, or another facility or program within the
Department of Corrections.
(b) Offenders sentenced to a term of imprisonment for less
than one year shall be committed to the custody of the sheriff.
A person committed to the Department of Corrections, prior to
July 14, 1983, for less than one year may be assigned by the
Department to any of its institutions, facilities or programs.
(c) All offenders under 18 years of age when sentenced to
imprisonment shall be committed to the Department of Juvenile
Justice and the court in its order of commitment shall set a
definite term. The provisions of Section 3-3-3 shall be a part
of such commitment as fully as though written in the order of
commitment. The place of confinement for sentences imposed
before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th
General Assembly are not affected or abated by this amendatory
Act of the 99th General Assembly.
(d) No defendant shall be committed to the Department of
Corrections for the recovery of a fine or costs.
(e) When a court sentences a defendant to a term of
imprisonment concurrent with a previous and unexpired sentence
of imprisonment imposed by any district court of the United
States, it may commit the offender to the custody of the
Attorney General of the United States. The Attorney General of

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the United States, or the authorized representative of the
Attorney General of the United States, shall be furnished with
the warrant of commitment from the court imposing sentence,
which warrant of commitment shall provide that, when the
offender is released from federal confinement, whether by
parole or by termination of sentence, the offender shall be
transferred by the Sheriff of the committing county to the
Department of Corrections. The court shall cause the Department
to be notified of such sentence at the time of commitment and
to be provided with copies of all records regarding the
sentence.
(Source: P.A. 99-628, eff. 1-1-17.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
1, 2020.