Bill Text: IL SB2911 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Director of Corrections shall appoint a Family Liaison Officer to review any denial of or restrictions on visitation to a committed person by a person who, immediately before incarceration of the committed person, was a family or household member of the committed person if the committed person has filed with the chief administrative officer of the facility a list of those persons whom the committed person wishes to visit him or her at the facility. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall adopt rules regarding in-person or video conferencing with committed persons. Provides that a staff member of a facility may not deny an in-person or video conferencing visit for any reason other than as provided for by rule. Provides that visitation rules shall be published on the Department's website. Provides that any potential visitor who is denied a visit shall be given a standard form, in writing, that includes the specific rule that is the basis for the denial and the Family Liaison Officer information if the potential visitor wishes to appeal the denial of the visitation. Provides that the Department's Family Liaison Officer shall review within 15 days after receipt each visitation denial and determine whether the denial was appropriate under the specific rule. Provides that the written review and its outcome shall be published on the Department's website. Effective immediately.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-08-31 - Referred to Assignments [SB2911 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-SB2911-Introduced.html

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102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2021 and 2022 SB2911 Introduced 8/31/2021, by Sen. Laura Fine SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
730 ILCS 5/3-2-2 from Ch. 38, par. 1003-2-2
730 ILCS 5/3-7-2 from Ch. 38, par. 1003-7-2
Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Director of Corrections shall appoint a Family Liaison Officer to review any denial of or restrictions on visitation to a committed person by a person who, immediately before incarceration of the committed person, was a family or household member of the committed person if the committed person has filed with the chief administrative officer of the facility a list of those persons whom the committed person wishes to visit him or her at the facility. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall adopt rules regarding in-person or video conferencing with committed persons. Provides that a staff member of a facility may not deny an in-person or video conferencing visit for any reason other than as provided for by rule. Provides that visitation rules shall be published on the Department's website. Provides that any potential visitor who is denied a visit shall be given a standard form, in writing, that includes the specific rule that is the basis for the denial and the Family Liaison Officer information if the potential visitor wishes to appeal the denial of the visitation. Provides that the Department's Family Liaison Officer shall review within 15 days after receipt each visitation denial and determine whether the denial was appropriate under the specific rule. Provides that the written review and its outcome shall be published on the Department's website. Effective immediately.
LRB102 19914 RLC 28691 b
FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
SB2911 LRB102 19914 RLC 28691 b
AN ACT concerning criminal law.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Public policy and findings.
(a) The General Assembly finds that it is the public
policy of the State of Illinois that frequent in-person visits
from family and household members to committed persons in
correctional facilities are among the best ways to increase
the success of rehabilitation and re-entry of committed
persons into society.
(b) The General Assembly finds that the lack of data,
transparency, or statewide rules and procedures to actively
encourage in-person visitation has hindered the State's
mission to successfully reintegrate committed persons into
society and promote family stability. The General Assembly
further finds that in-person visitation is without any
additional cost to the State and the many social benefits,
particularly to the family and household members of the
committed person, justify centering visitation as a core
function of every Department of Corrections facility.
Section 5. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by
changing Sections 3-2-2 and 3-7-2 as follows:

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(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 aliens
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),
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.

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(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 Department
of State Police, a program for tracking and evaluating
each inmate from commitment through release for recording
his or her gang affiliations, activities, or ranks.
(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

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Services Law (20 ILCS 405/405-300). The Department shall
designate those institutions which shall constitute the
State Penitentiary System.
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
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

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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
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

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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
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

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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
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

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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
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

SB2911 - 9 - LRB102 19914 RLC 28691 b
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
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

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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.
(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

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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
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

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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
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

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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.
(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,

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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.
(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.

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(6) The Director shall appoint a Family Liaison Officer to
review any denial of or restrictions on visitation to a
committed person by a person who, immediately before
incarceration of the committed person, was a family or
household member of the committed person if the committed
person has filed with the chief administrative officer of the
facility a list of those persons whom the committed person
wishes to visit him or her at the facility. In this Section and
Section 3-7-2, "family or household member" has the meaning
ascribed to it in Section 112A-3 of the Code of Criminal
Procedure of 1963.
(Source: P.A. 100-198, eff. 1-1-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18;
101-235, eff. 1-1-20.)
(730 ILCS 5/3-7-2) (from Ch. 38, par. 1003-7-2)
Sec. 3-7-2. Facilities.
(a) All institutions and facilities of the Department
shall provide every committed person with access to toilet
facilities, barber facilities, bathing facilities at least
once each week, a library of legal materials and published
materials including newspapers and magazines approved by the
Director. A committed person may not receive any materials
that the Director deems pornographic.
(b) (Blank).
(c) All institutions and facilities of the Department
shall provide facilities for every committed person to leave

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his cell for at least one hour each day unless the chief
administrative officer determines that it would be harmful or
dangerous to the security or safety of the institution or
facility.
(d) All institutions and facilities of the Department
shall provide every committed person with a wholesome and
nutritional diet at regularly scheduled hours, drinking water,
clothing adequate for the season, bedding, soap and towels and
medical and dental care.
(e) All institutions and facilities of the Department
shall permit every committed person to send and receive an
unlimited number of uncensored letters, provided, however,
that the Director may order that mail be inspected and read for
reasons of the security, safety or morale of the institution
or facility.
(f) All of the institutions and facilities of the
Department shall permit every committed person to receive
in-person visitors and video contact, if available, except in
case of abuse of the visiting privilege or when the chief
administrative officer determines that such visiting would be
harmful or dangerous to the security, safety or morale of the
institution or facility. Each committed person is entitled to
7 visits per month. Every committed person may submit a list of
at least 30 persons to the Department that are authorized to
visit the committed person. The list shall be kept in an
electronic format by the Department beginning on August 1,

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2019, as well as available in paper form for Department
employees. The chief administrative officer shall have the
right to restrict visitation to non-contact visits, video, or
other forms of non-contact visits for reasons of safety,
security, and order, including, but not limited to,
restricting contact visits for committed persons engaged in
gang activity. No committed person in a super maximum security
facility or on disciplinary segregation is allowed contact
visits. Any committed person found in possession of illegal
drugs or who fails a drug test shall not be permitted contact
visits for a period of at least 6 months. Any committed person
involved in gang activities or found guilty of assault
committed against a Department employee shall not be permitted
contact visits for a period of at least 6 months. The
Department shall offer every visitor appropriate written
information concerning HIV and AIDS, including information
concerning how to contact the Illinois Department of Public
Health for counseling information. The Department shall
develop the written materials in consultation with the
Department of Public Health. The Department shall ensure that
all such information and materials are culturally sensitive
and reflect cultural diversity as appropriate. Implementation
of the changes made to this Section by Public Act 94-629 is
subject to appropriation. The Department shall seek the lowest
possible cost to provide video calling and shall charge to the
extent of recovering any demonstrated costs of providing video

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calling. The Department shall not make a commission or profit
from video calling services. Nothing in this Section shall be
construed to permit video calling instead of in-person
visitation.
(f-5) (Blank).
(f-10) The Department may not restrict or limit in-person
visits to committed persons due to the availability of
interactive video conferences.
(f-15)(1) The Department shall issue a standard written
policy for each institution and facility of the Department
that provides for:
(A) the number of in-person visits each committed
person is entitled to per week and per month including the
requirements of subsection (f) of this Section;
(B) the hours of in-person visits;
(C) the type of identification required for visitors
at least 18 years of age; and
(D) the type of identification, if any, required for
visitors under 18 years of age.
(2) This policy shall be posted on the Department website
and at each facility.
(3) The Department shall post on its website daily any
restrictions or denials of visitation for that day and the
succeeding 5 calendar days, including those based on a
lockdown of the facility, to inform family members and other
visitors.

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(f-20) The Department shall adopt rules regarding
in-person or video conferencing with committed persons. A
staff member of a facility may not deny an in-person or video
conferencing visit for any reason other than as provided for
by rule. Visitation rules shall be published on the
Department's website. Any potential visitor who is denied a
visit shall be given a standard form, in writing, that
includes the specific rule that is the basis for the denial and
the Family Liaison Officer information if the potential
visitor wishes to appeal the denial of the visitation. The
Department's Family Liaison Officer shall review within 15
days after receipt each visitation denial and determine
whether the denial was appropriate under the specific rule.
The written review and its outcome shall be published on the
Department's website.
(g) All institutions and facilities of the Department
shall permit religious ministrations and sacraments to be
available to every committed person, but attendance at
religious services shall not be required.
(h) Within 90 days after December 31, 1996, the Department
shall prohibit the use of curtains, cell-coverings, or any
other matter or object that obstructs or otherwise impairs the
line of vision into a committed person's cell.
(Source: P.A. 99-933, eff. 1-27-17; 100-30, eff. 1-1-18;
100-142, eff. 1-1-18; 100-677, eff. 1-1-19; 100-863, eff.
8-14-18.)

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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.