Posted on 02/08/2016 10:46:54 AM PST by Citizen Zed
The American Civil Liberties Union released a poll Thursday finding that a majority of voters across the state believe the Illinois criminal justice system is broken, and that legislators should act now.
Voters want legislators and the governor to act immediately to take steps to reduce the number of people incarcerated, and are willing to support wide-ranging and significant reforms to address problems in the system, according to ACLU's summary of the poll.
The poll follows the January release of 14 recommendations by Gov. Bruce Rauner's Illinois State Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform to reduce the prison population by 25 percent in 10 years.
The task force's recommendations include more widespread use of alternative sentencing such as home arrest for nonviolent offenders, giving judges more discretion to sentence an offender to probation instead of incarceration, reducing the length of prison stays, and enhancing reentry programs to reduce recidivism.
In his recent State of the State address, Rauner called for swift action on these reforms.
According to the ACLU, the poll finds that 74 percent of all voters across the state believe that the Illinois criminal justice system is "broken." Illinois voters, the poll showed, tend to hold this belief regardless of party affiliation: 76 percent of Democrats, 74 percent of independents and 70 percent of Republicans.
The poll does not unpack the specific reasons why people believe the system is "broken."
But the poll did show that this belief is held by voters across the state, with 82 percent of Chicago residents agreeing, 80 percent of Cook County suburban residents, and 76 percent of Chicago collar county residents, and more than 60 percent of residents living elsewhere in the northern region of the state, as well as Southern Illinois.
In January, Rauner's task force issued broad recommendations on reducing the prison population. Supporters of prison reform argue the immorality and ineffectiveness of sentencing large numbers of nonviolent offenders to prison -- the majority of them young African-American men -- while also failing to provide them with crucial rehabilitative services such as education, job skills and addiction treatment.
These practices also are expensive, and the reforms also are driven by a desire to control ballooning costs related to the incarceration of nonviolent inmates. Long-range savings of any magnitude would ultimately come with the closure of state prisons, and a reduction of the prison workforce.
The poll does not indicate how many of the 800 people surveyed by telephone interview live in Southern Illinois, or how that region is defined in the poll. Historically, lawmakers and many residents in Southern Illinois have rallied against major policies that could lead to a decline in prison populations, and ultimately closure of prisons. This is particularly true in communities where state prisons serve as the largest employer.
That said, there has been little discussion thus far about how to overcome the political challenges to closure of prisons, or about putting in place long-range plans to re-engineer the economies of prison communities. In most places throughout Illinois, prisons are located in rural, economically disadvantaged communities, including the 11 facilities in Southern Illinois. Starting pay for correctional officer trainees, a position that requires a minimum of only a high school education or equivalent, is $42,432.
Still, the poll found that a plurality of Illinois voters believe sentences for non-violent offenders are too long, and that non-violent offenders are not getting the help they need in prison to return to society as productive citizens. Forty-six percent say prisons sentences in Illinois are "too long," compared to 30 percent who say "about right" and 8 percent who say "not long enough," the poll indicated.
Also, 83 percent of respondents agreed with the statement, "If we stopped imprisoning people who aren't truly dangerous and treated the addictions or lack of opportunities that lead people to commit crime in the first place, we could make our communities safer." The ACLU concluded this shows a strong support for diverting non-violent offenders away from prison and for reclassifying drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor.
This past year, the Illinois House and Senate signed off on a bill that would decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, now a first-offense misdemeanor. The bill called for fines up to $125 -- the equivalent of a traffic ticket -- for those caught with 15 grams or less of pot, which equates to roughly 25 cigarette-size joints.
There were Republicans and Democrats supporting the bill elsewhere in the state, but legislators from both parties in the Southern Illinois delegation voted no. That included Republican Rep. Terri Bryant and Sen. Dave Luechtefeld and Democrat Reps. Brandon Phelps, John Bradley, Jerry Costello II and Sen. Gary Forby.
Rauner issued an amendatory veto of the bill, saying he would support the measure if the amount in the bill was lowered to 10 grams, and fines increased to a range of $100 to $200. Legislators did not act on his veto recommendation and the bill died.
It can’t be that bad.
Haven’t they imprisoned 4 of their last 5 governors?
This is all by design. Setting the stage for a federal takeover of their justice system. When does 0dunga arrive and announce his grand plan?
Uh, I hate to break it to the ACLU, but when average citizens say that the criminal justice system is “broken,” they aren’t thinking that laws are too tough.
Me: the penal code and prison system of every state that I know of is broken.
If the criminal justice system worked in IL, they would have most of the politicians locked up.
Well 4 of the last 5 governors, right?
Yet they want to pass gun control laws that would put millions of people on the wrong side of the law. The jails wouldn`t be to full for them.
Broken to them means..disproportional amount of men of color in jail period end of story
I imagine that you mean those who have left office.
Pat Quinn's misbegotten governorship was terminated by the voters but he has not yet been charged, convicted or sentenced but hope springs eternal.
Rod "Elvis" Blagojevich: What Am I bid for this fine and practically unused Senate seat held briefly by Obama? 14 years at Supermax in Colorado.
Lyin' George Ryan was federally convicted and federally jailed for selling commercial tractor truck drivers' licenses for $$$$$$ among other things. As Speake of the Illinois House of Representatives, he was a pillar of social conservatism, joining with Phyllis Schlafly to prevent Illinois ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. As Secretary of State and as Governor, he became a gilt-edged crook.
Jim Edgar: This POS never saw a social conservative position or a social conservative person that he would not gladly piss on. Living proof that only the good die young. What would I not give to see this bastard behind bars but it does not look likely.
Big Jim Thompson: See the entry for Jim Edgar. Substitute Thompson's name for Edgar's.
Those are the last five governors other than incumbent Bruce Rauner. Only two have been incarcerated to date. Before them, Walkin' Dan Walker and Otto Kerner were both imprisoned. Thus it is four of the last seven governors who have wound up in the federal slam but we can dream.
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