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40,000 ex-felons will return to 10
counties in Illinois
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[JUNE 20, 2005]
SPRINGFIELD -- The state is pursuing some of
the most aggressive reforms in its history to reduce crime and
recidivism in our communities. Gov. Rod Blagojevich has initiated
public safety measures to help build the strongest statewide system
to aggressively target crime and recidivism.
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In Illinois, 42,000 ex-offenders return to their communities each
year. Without positive intervention and proactive strategies, 54.6
percent will return to prison within three years. Among this
population, those on parole after serving prison sentences for
committing nonviolent drug offenses account for 42 percent of
parolees. It is estimated that as many as 69 percent of all
inmates in Illinois prisons were convicted of a drug- or
drug-involved offense.
The Sheridan National Model Drug Prison and Reentry Program moves
drug-involved offenders through an intensive drug treatment,
cognitive skills development, vocational education and job
preparation program that begins in the prison and follows them
through their return to their communities under an extensive case
management program with heightened parole supervision.
The Governor's Commission on Community Safety and Reentry,
chaired by the Rev. Jesse Jackson and State's Attorney Kevin Lyons,
provides leadership, community awareness and champions reforms that
reduce recidivism throughout Illinois. The working group is
facilitated with the assistance of Department of Human Services
Secretary Carol Adams and Department of Corrections Assistant
Director Deanne Benos. The commission is currently hosting public
hearings on the question of re-entry throughout Illinois.
[to top of second column in this article]
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 Targeting top 10 high-impact regions
The governor has charged the working group with targeting 10 of
the highest impact regions of the state, chosen on the basis of
having the highest parolee populations in combination with
traditionally high crime. By more efficiently focusing resources on
these 10 key areas, the team will reach 84 percent of the state's
entire entering adult parole population and ultimately establish
these regions as sentinels for statewide reform.
|
Region |
Adult parole population |
Percentage |
| Chicago/Cook |
19,561 |
59.7% |
| Collar county region/Aurora |
3,223 |
9.8% |
| St. Clair/Madison |
1,034 |
3.1% |
| Winnebago |
930 |
2.8% |
| Champaign/Vermilion |
764 |
2.3% |
| Macon |
638 |
1.9% |
| Peoria |
584 |
1.8% |
| Sangamon |
488 |
1.5% |
| Rock Island |
251 |
0.8% |
| Jefferson |
105 |
0.3% |
[Illinois
Department of Human Services news release]
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