Manley-Supported Measure to Keep Communities Safe and Reduce Recidivism Rates Signed into Law

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – As part of her efforts to keep her community safe by being smart on crime, state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, helped pass a bill making a number of changes to mandatory supervised release and parole which will reduce reincarceration rates and help keep residents safe.

“While there are many avenues that we must explore to crack down on crime and keep our community safe, addressing the root causes of crime, such as lack of access to education or work, is an effective tool in the fight against crime,” said Manley. “Ensuring that those who enter the criminal justice system have the resources they need to successfully reenter society will not only help improve the lives of those individuals, but will also keep our communities safe from additional acts of crime.”

Currently in Illinois, more than one in four individuals on parole, probation, or mandatory supervised release are reincarcerated within three years of their release because of a technical violation, such as missing a meeting with a probation officer. In order to help reintegrate these individuals and keep them away from committing further crime, Manley supported Senate Bill 423, which passed the House unanimously and was signed into law last week by Gov. JB Pritzker. The bill, which was supported by both law enforcement and criminal justice reform groups, makes a number of changes to the mandatory supervised release and parole systems, such as allowing individuals to have increased access to educational opportunities and expanding virtual reporting options to limit disruptions to work.

“When it comes to keeping our communities safe, it is counterproductive to deny individuals the ability to reintegrate into society and put them on the path to committing more crimes,” said Manley. “Instead of sending more people to prison, wasting their individual potential along with tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars, we must provide them opportunities for rehabilitation and reentry into the community.”