Criminal Justice

Creates the Criminal Justice Special Advocates Program for People with Disabilities Act. Provides that subject to appropriation for this purpose, the Department of Human Services shall establish a 3-year, 5-county pilot program to provide a minimum of one criminal justice special advocate in each selected county to serve the advocacy and support needs of an individual with an intellectual disability or a developmental disability involved in the criminal justice system of the county. Contains provisions concerning the selection of counties; the qualifications and duties of criminal justice special advocates; and Department evaluation and reporting requirements.

Provides that specified amounts are appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to specified units of local government for non-competitively awarded grants to community-based organizations that address violence prevention using a culturally competent approach and that are capable of decreasing violence in the specified representative districts. Provides for the types of prevention, services, and programs the grants shall support. Effective July 1, 2025.

Creates the Criminal Justice Special Advocates Program for People with Disabilities Act. Provides that subject to appropriation for this purpose, the Department of Human Services shall establish a 3-year, 5-county pilot program to provide a minimum of one criminal justice special advocate in each selected county to serve the advocacy and support needs of an individual with an intellectual disability or a developmental disability involved in the criminal justice system of the county. Contains provisions concerning the selection of counties; the qualifications and duties of criminal justice special advocates; and Department evaluation and reporting requirements.

Amends the Probation and Probation Officers Act. Defines "evidence-based practices" as any procedures, practices, or methods of supervision that have been studied and reviewed with an emphasis on such practices that enable probation officers to improve the outcomes when applied in their supervision of offenders and defendants.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that law enforcement shall issue a citation in lieu of custodial arrest, upon proper identification, for those accused of any offense that is not a felony or Class A or B misdemeanor (rather than any offense that is not a felony or Class A misdemeanor) unless (i) a law enforcement officer reasonably believes the accused poses a threat to the community or any person, (ii) a custodial arrest is necessary because the criminal activity persists after the issuance of a citation, or (iii) the accused has an obvious medical or mental health issue that poses a risk to the accused's own safety. Provides that nothing in this provision requires arrest in the case of Class A or B (rather than a Class A) misdemeanor and felony offenses, or otherwise limits existing law enforcement discretion to decline to effect a custodial arrest.

Declares April 2025 as Second Chance Month. Encourages leaders in both the public and private sectors to adopt policies that remove unnecessary barriers to employment and reintegration for individuals with criminal records.

Amends the Civil No Contact Order Act, the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986, and the Protective Orders Article of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that the court is encouraged to impose (i) a minimum penalty of 48 (rather than 24) hours imprisonment for a first violation of a civil no contact order, an order of protection, or a protective order and (ii) a minimum penalty of 96 (rather than 48) hours imprisonment for a second or subsequent violation of a civil no contact order, an order of protection, or a protective order.

Appropriates $2,000,000 to the Department of Human Services for a grant to the Illinois Prison Project for the purposes of legal support, representation, and education for incarcerated persons in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Effective July 1, 2025.

Creates the Community-Based Corrections Act. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall establish a program that funds community-based nonprofit providers to serve emerging adults as an alternative to traditional incarceration. Provides that community-based providers shall offer housing, workforce training, mental health counseling, and restorative justice programming in alignment with State guidelines. Provides that the program shall be subject to judicial discretion, allowing sentencing judges to assign eligible individuals to community-based settings instead of Department of Corrections facilities. Provides that all community-based providers must have a written agreement with a restorative justice court for all emerging adults within their care to participate in the restorative justice court programs. Provides that community-based providers shall be compensated at a rate equivalent to the monthly per-inmate cost of incarceration as determined by the Department in its Fiscal Impact Statement. Community-based providers shall be paid on a monthly basis for the number of individuals within their care. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall allocate existing budget authority for contractual services to fund the program created by the Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall establish operational standards, including housing conditions, workforce training quality, and mental health support services, to ensure program efficacy. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall monitor and evaluate providers to maintain compliance with State and judicial requirements. Provides that community-based providers shall submit annual reports to the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Services detailing participant outcomes, including recidivism rates, employment statistics, and community reintegration success. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall report program performance to the General Assembly annually, including cost savings from reduced incarceration based on emerging adults participating with community-based providers for fewer years than they would serve in a Department of Corrections facility. Effective immediately.

Amends the Uniform Crime Reporting Act. Provides that a law enforcement agency shall report all shootings connected with the subject of an incident report when the shooting resulted in any property damage or bodily injury. Provides that each incident report that reports a shooting shall, at a minimum, state whether a firearm has been identified and if a magazine, round of ammunition, expended bullet, or shell casing was found at the scene of the crime.