Slaughter Legislation Enhancing Criminal Justice Reform Signed into Law

CHICAGO – Measures to improve compensation for victims of crime and strengthen and enhance the SAFE-T Act, Illinois’ comprehensive criminal justice reforms passed earlier this year, championed by state Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, were recently signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“Although we made much needed progress with the passage of the SAFE-T Act to strengthen police accountability and devote more resources to fighting violent crime, we still have a lot of work to do before Illinois sees the equality and fairness that we so desperately need,” Slaughter said. “We must keep pressing forward in order to build an equitable, modern and more responsive public safety system.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed into law two bills sponsored by Slaughter that build upon the SAFE-T Act, also known as Public Act 101-0652. House Bill 3443 aligns the definition of a mental health crisis with standards from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). This will help police departments meet requirements for monthly reports filed with the Illinois State Police (ISP) containing their responses to people experiencing a mental health crisis. House Bill 3443 also strengthens timelines for implementing the SAFE-T Act. House Bill 3295 increases potential compensation for victims of violent crime by over 66% from $27,000 to $45,000 and allows more time for victims to successfully complete applications for compensation.

“Illinois is experiencing a new day for equity and for justice by adopting a smart on crime approach to public safety and turning the page on the failed policies of the past that kept families less safe,” Slaughter said. “ I will continue to push for improvements to our justice system so that every family can feel safe in their community.”