When they let me out of prison, I held my head up high. Determined I would rise above the shame. But no matter where I’m living, the black mark follows me. I’m branded with a number on my name. —Merle Haggard
By allowing offenders to submit applications for barbering licenses within six months before release from prison, Illinois will reduce wait times for licensing – and reduce the likelihood those ex-offenders will return to crime. But more reforms are needed.
In the midst of the state’s budget, pension and out-migration crises, an Illinois politician has introduced SB 2143 to ban the sale of bobcat pelts, as well as the trapping of these animals.
With the right liability reforms, Illinois can protect businesses and make them more likely to give ex-offenders a chance at employment.
Senate Bill 2871 would give courts in Illinois the ability to ban juveniles’ access to social media and require them to turn over passwords to law-enforcement officials.
To get ex-offenders back to work and reduce crime, Illinois needs to lift restrictions on the right to earn a living .
Should a teenage crime of desperation shackle an ex-offender for life? This is the question facing Illinois state politicians, who, due to a law they passed in 2011, must reckon with the likes of Lisa Creason, a 43-year-old mother from Decatur, Illinois. By all accounts, Lisa Creason is a respected member of her community. She’s...
How to reform a broken criminal-justice system that prevents ex-offenders from achieving self-sufficiency
A court decision involving the government’s seizure of more than $270,000 from two Chicagoans highlights major problems with civil asset forfeiture.
Even a very small reduction in recidivism – just 5 percent – would save Illinois taxpayers nearly $187 million over nine years. But if Illinois’ recidivism rate stays the same, taxpayers will pay approximately $5.7 billion for recidivism costs over the next five years.
Without a job, an ex-offender is likely to re-enter the system. Finding work breaks that cycle. Illinois needs major re-entry reforms that remove barriers to employment and work – and give ex-offenders a chance at success.
HB 5973 would remove significant occupational-licensing barriers that make it harder for former offenders to support themselves and their families.