Criminal Justice

in committee · Illinois · House Mar 21, 2025

HB 1241: SENTENCING-DEFENDANT UNDER 21

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that, except for certain types of first degree murder, the court may, in its discretion, sentence a defendant who was under 21 years of age at the time of the commission of the offense to a sentence that is less than the applicable minimum determinate sentence of imprisonment for the offense authorized by the Code. Provides that the court, at the sentencing hearing, shall consider certain mitigating factors when a person commits an offense and the person is under 21 (rather than 18) years of age at the time of the commission of the offense. Effective immediately.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAllows judges discretion to impose lighter sentences for under-21 defendants, considering mitigating factors, aligning with reform goals to reduce harsh sentencing for youth.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sentencing

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in committee · Illinois · House Mar 27, 2026

HB 2421: FOIA-CRIM JUSTICE AGENCY

Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Exempts from inspection and copying a law enforcement record created for law enforcement purposes and contained in a shared electronic record management system if the law enforcement agency or criminal justice agency (rather than only the law enforcement agency) that is the recipient of the request did not create the record, did not participate in or have a role in any of the events which are the subject of the record, and only has access to the record through the shared electronic record management system.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExempts law enforcement records from FOIA disclosure, reducing transparency and weakening oversight of criminal justice agencies.95% confidence

Tags Government Transparency

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in committee · Illinois · House Feb 14, 2025

HB 1140: TRAFFICKING-PERSONS/GROOMING

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person charged with involuntary sexual servitude of a minor or trafficking in persons if the victim is under 18 years of age shall not be permitted to plead down to lesser offenses. Provides that no person charged with grooming shall be permitted to plead down to lesser offenses. Provides that prosecutors are prohibited from offering plea bargains to lesser offenses to those individuals charged with grooming. Provides that it is a Class 4 felony for a child sex offender to knowingly operate, manage, be employed by, volunteer at, be associated with, or knowingly be present at any facility providing entertainment exclusively directed toward persons under the age of 18.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticePrevents plea bargains for minor trafficking/grooming, strengthening accountability for severe crimes against vulnerable victims per bill language.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Human Trafficking

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in committee · Illinois · Senate Feb 7, 2025

SB 2132: CD CORR-SENTENCE CREDITS

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that a prisoner serving a sentence for bringing contraband into a penal institution committed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall receive no more than 4.5 days of sentence credit for each month of his or her sentence of imprisonment. Provides that on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, a prisoner serving a sentence for bringing contraband into a penal institution shall receive no additional sentence credit under the Code. Provides that a prisoner serving a sentence for aggravated battery in which the victim was a peace officer, a State or county corrections officer, or an employee of a State or county correctional facility shall receive no more than 4.5 days of sentence credit for each month of his or her sentence of imprisonment.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeLimits sentence credits for contraband offenses, increasing effective sentence length and opposing criminal justice reform efforts by restricting credit reductions.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Law Enforcement

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in committee · Illinois · House Sep 15, 2025

HB 50: CD CORR-COMMITTED PERSON MAIL

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall create and implement a policy of electronic scanning and processing of all incoming mail in all Department of Corrections institutions and facilities, including the use of drug interdiction technologies to protect the health and safety of committed persons, the Department's staff, and its contractors. Provides that the policy shall require that mail processed electronically shall be available to committed persons only through kiosk and tablet services. Provides that the policy shall require that the mail be held in storage for a period of time by the correctional institution or facility or destroyed, as determined by the Director of Corrections. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules to implement this provision. Effective immediately.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates electronic mail scanning with drug interdiction to protect health/safety of inmates/staff in corrections, directly advancing facility safety within criminal justice framework.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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signed · Illinois · Senate Jul 10, 2026

SB 248: CRIM PRO-POST-CONVICT PETITION

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that a petitioner for post-conviction relief who was convicted of a felony offense committed when that person was under 21 years of age who seeks leave to file a successive post-conviction petition claiming that his or her sentence violates the proportionate penalties clause of the Illinois Constitution does not have to demonstrate cause. Effective immediately.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRemoves 'cause' requirement for young offenders (under 21) to challenge disproportionate sentences, advancing constitutional protections and criminal justice reform for vulnerable populations.90% confidence

in committee · Illinois · House Feb 25, 2026

HB 1096: CD CORR-REHAB&ED PROGRAMS

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that on and after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Department of Corrections shall make available to each person within the Department's custody all rehabilitative and educational programs and services available to committed persons within that committed person's facility if the committed person is otherwise qualified for those programs and services, notwithstanding the committed person's projected release date. Effective immediately.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates full access to rehabilitative/educational programs for all qualified inmates regardless of release date, directly advancing rehabilitation efforts in criminal justice reform.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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in committee · Illinois · House Mar 3, 2025

HB 73: OBSTRUCT JUSTICE-BODY CAMERAS

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person, in addition to other elements of the offense, obstructs justice when, with intent to prevent the apprehension or obstruct the prosecution or defense of any person, he or she knowingly takes a body camera or any part of a body camera from a person known to be a peace officer. Provides that a violation, if the body camera or any part of the body camera is taken from the peace officer during the commission of an offense that has caused great bodily harm to the officer or another person, is a Class 1 felony. Provides that any other violation of this provision is a Class 2 felony.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill criminalizes removing body cameras from officers to prevent evidence tampering, enhancing police accountability and evidence integrity in criminal justice proceedings.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing

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in committee · Illinois · House Mar 21, 2025

HB 2923: REPORTING POLICE MISCONDUCT

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. In provisions requiring a law enforcement agency to report misconduct committed by the agency's police officers, provides that the chief administrator of the law enforcement agency may be brought before the Certification Review Panel if the law enforcement agency fails to comply with the provisions. Provides that, upon a recommendation of the Panel, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board may suspend the chief administrator's law enforcement certification for a period of no less than 30 days. Allows the Board to bring a discretionary decertification action against the chief administrator for a second or subsequent violation of the provisions. Effective immediately.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates reporting of police misconduct and holds agency chiefs accountable via certification suspension, enhancing law enforcement oversight and accountability.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing

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in committee · Illinois · Senate Apr 11, 2025

SB 1553: XYLAZINE-SCHED III-PENALTIES

Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Schedules xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance. Provides for penalties for the knowing manufacture or delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver xylazine. Provides that, notwithstanding the scheduling of xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance, the prohibition on delivery or possession with intent to deliver xylazine does not apply to licensed veterinarians who lawfully prescribe, dispense, administer, acquire, or use any controlled substance, including xylazine, while acting in the course of their professional practice, in good faith, and in accordance with generally accepted medical standards.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill imposes penalties for xylazine offenses, expanding criminalization rather than promoting reform or reducing punitive measures.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy

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