Illinois - FAMM

FAMM began working in Illinois in 2021 supporting legislation to advance our national Second Chances Agenda. In the 2021 legislature, supported successful legislation to create a compassionate release mechanism and advocated legislation to create a Second Look mechanism that would apply to everyone incarcerated in Illinois prisons who had served at least 20 years.

In 2022, we will continue to educate lawmakers and the public on the failures of Illinois excessive sentencing and the need for Second Chances legislation.

Read our fact sheet on Second Look in Illinois.

Read our report about the need for second chances in Illinois.

2021 Legislative Work

SB 2333/HB 2399 – Second Look Sentencing

Status: This bill did not pass the Illinois legislature during the 2021 legislative session.

Summary: SB 2333/HB 2399 would have given everyone in the Illinois state prison system parole eligibility before the Prisoner Review Board after serving 20 years. The bill would have prioritized the consideration and potential release of individuals of people over 50 years old and who had served 20 years for the first three years of enactment.

Read SB 2333/HB 2399 text here

HB 3665 – The Joe Coleman Medical Release Act

Status: HB 3665 passed the legislature in 2021 and went into effect on January 1, 2022.

Summary: HB 3665 established a medical release process within the Illinois Department of Corrections, allowing terminally ill and medically incapacitated incarcerated individuals the opportunity to seek release through the Prisoner Review Board.

Read HB 3665 text here

Read FAMM’s Testimony in Support of HB 3665 here

Resources and News

Article: After prison sentence, Frankfort resident looks to raise awareness for second chances

Latest News:

FAMM endorses Illinois Resentencing Task Force report’s recommendations

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Contact:John Norton, 202-999-4268jnorton@famm.org FAMM endorses Illinois Resentencing Task Force report’s recommendations SPRINGFIELD – Dr. Shaneva McReynolds, FAMM Illinois State Consultant and Advocate, today expressed support for the sixteen recommendations issued by the Illinois Resentencing Task Force (RTF) final report. In an attempt to safely reduce the overpopulated Illinois prison system House Bill 3587 became law in July 2021. It created the … Read More

FAMM’s Shaneva McReynolds testifies before Illinois Resentencing Task Force

Thursday, September 29, 2022

For Media Inquiries:John Norton, 202-999-4268jnorton@famm.org FAMM’s Shaneva McReynolds testifies before Illinois Resentencing Task Force SPRINGFIELD – Dr. Shaneva McReynolds, FAMM Consultant and Advocate, testified today before the Illinois Resentencing Task Force about the importance of providing second chance legislative mechanisms to safely reduce the state’s prison population. “Illinois needs to pass legislation to provide people with life and long sentences … Read More