By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – Some recommendations from a state commission on reducing the prison population aim to help offenders when they get out of prison.
Retired Chief Judge for the 11th Judicial Circuit Elizabeth Robb serves on the Illinois Criminal Justice Commission. She told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin several of the 14 recommendations are intended to help ex-offenders find work.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Robb on WJBC.
“Remove barriers to get professional licensing once you are released from Department of Corrections,” Robb said. “You can’t get a barber’s license if you have a felony offense on your record.”
Robb said it makes no sense that you can get barber training in prison but can’t get a license when you get out.
She added the Department of Corrections should conduct a risk and needs assessment of each inmate when they enter prison.
“That’s to determine if they are at high risk to reoffend and what their needs are,” Robb said. “If there’s substance abuse, mental illness, the need for education or training. You can’t really provide services or appropriate supervision to offenders if you don’t know their risk to reoffend or what their needs are.”
The panel backs expanding the use of electronic monitoring as a away to reduce sentences for some offenders.
“We don’t want to put the wrong person on an ankle bracelet, but there are a lot of people who can be placed on an ankle bracelet and be appropriately monitored,” Robb said.
The 25-member panel also wants to enhance rehabilitative programs in prisons and make better use of adult transition centers.
The commission has a goal to reduce the prison population by 25 percent over 10 years. It plans to meet again on Feb. 18 and will issue more recommendations later this year.
Some of the recommendations can be implemented by executive order, but others will take legislative approval. Robb said Gov. Bruce Rauner has expressed support for many of the recommendations.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
