Sentencing Policy Advisory Council, Illinois

Board and Commission Details

Contact Name

Victoria Gonzalez

Contact Title

Executive Director

Contact Phone

312.814.8247

Contact E-Mail

victoria.gonzalez@Illinois.gov

Function

The purpose of the Council is to review sentencing policies and practices and examine how these policies and practices impact the criminal justice system as a whole in the State of Illinois. In carrying out its duties, the Council shall be mindful of and aim to achieve the purposes of sentencing in Illinois, Duties. The Council shall perform, as resources permit, duties including: (1) Collect and analyze information including sentencing data, crime trends, and existing correctional resources to support legislative and executive action affecting the use of correctional resources on the State and local levels. (2) Prepare criminal justice population projections annually, including correctional and community-based supervision populations. (3) Analyze data relevant to proposed sentencing legislation and its effect on current policies or practices, and provide information to support evidence-based sentencing. (4) Ensure that adequate resources and facilities are available for carrying out sentences imposed on offenders and that rational priorities are established for the use of those resources. To do so, the Council shall prepare criminal justice resource statements, identifying the fiscal and practical effects of proposed criminal sentencing legislation, including, but not limited to, the correctional population, court processes, and county or local government resources. (5) Perform such other studies or tasks pertaining to sentencing policies as may be requested by the Governor or the Illinois General Assembly. (6) Perform such other functions as may be required by law or as are necessary to carry out the purposes and goals of the Council prescribed in subsection (b). Authority. (1) The Council shall have the power to perform the functions necessary to carry out its duties, purposes and goals under this Act. In so doing, the Council shall utilize information and analysis developed by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, and the Illinois Department of Corrections. (2) Upon request from the Council, each executive agency and department of State and local government shall provide information and records to the Council in the execution of its duties. (f) Report. The Council shall report in writing annually to the General Assembly and the Governor.

Term

N/A

Senate Confirmation

No

Party Affiliation

N/A

Compensation

Reimbursed for travel and per diem expenses incurred in their work for the Council

Composition

The Council shall consist of the following members: (A) the President of the Senate, or his or her designee; (B) the Minority Leader of the Senate, or his or her designee; (C) the Speaker of the House, or his or her designee; (D) the Minority Leader of the House, or his or her designee; (E) the Governor, or his or her designee; (F) the Attorney General, or his or her designee; (G) two retired judges, who may have been circuit, appellate, or supreme court judges; retired judges shall be selected by the members of the Council designated in clauses (c)(1)(A) through (L); (H) the Cook County State's Attorney, or his or her designee; (I) the Cook County Public Defender, or his or her designee; (J) a State's Attorney not from Cook County, appointed by the State's Attorney's Appellate Prosecutor; (K) the State Appellate Defender, or his or her designee; (L) the Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, or his or her designee; (M) a victim of a violent felony or a representative of a crime victims' organization, selected by the members of the Council designated in clauses (c)(1)(A) through (L); (N) a representative of a community-based organization, selected by the members of the Council designated in clauses (c)(1)(A) through (L); (O) a criminal justice academic researcher, to be selected by the members of the Council designated in clauses (c)(1)(A) through (L); (P) a representative of law enforcement from a unit of local government to be selected by the members of the Council designated in clauses (c)(1)(A) through (L); (Q) a sheriff outside of Cook County selected by the members of the Council designated in clauses (c)(1)(A) through (L); and (R) ex-officio members shall include:(i) the Director of Corrections, or his or her designee; (ii) the Chair of the Prisoner Review Board, or his or her designee; (iii) the Director of the Illinois State Police, or his or her designee; (iv) the Director of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, or his or her designee; and (v) the Cook County Sheriff, or his or her designee.

Chair

Chair and Vice Chair shall be elected from among its members by a majority of the members of the Council

Authority

730 ILCS 5/5-8-8


Member Names

Name Member Expiration Member Since Affiliation Appointed By Position Title County
Perez, Christelle 10/13/2022 Attorney General Member Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice
Sims Jr., Sen. Elgie R. 01/08/2025 08/25/2023 Democrat Senate President Member, Vice Chair State Senator
Slaughter, Rep. Justin 09/28/2021 Speaker of the House Member State Representative
McClure, Sen. Steve 03/01/2013 Republican Senate Minority Leader Member State Senator
Windhorst, Rep. Patrick 02/03/2021 Republican House Minority Leader Member State Representative
Cullerton, John 06/17/2021 Governor Chair
Rietz, Julia State's Attorney's Appellate Prosecutor Member, State's Attorney not from Cook County
Mitchell Jr., Sharone Cook County Public Defender Member
Harvath, Doug Cook County State's Attorney Member
Bernardi, Hon. Don Members of the Council Member, Retired Judge
Stemen, Don Democrat Members of the Council Member, Criminal justice academic researcher
Daniels, Lisa Members of the Council Member, Representative of a community-based organization
Torres, Augie Members of the Council Member, Victim of a violent felony or a representative of a crime victims' organization
Meis, Marcia Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts Member
Main, Scott State Appellate Defender Member
Hain, Ron Members of the Council Member, Sheriff
Davis III, Mitchell R. Members of the Council Member, Representative of law enforcement from a unit of local government
VACANT Members of the Council Retired Judge
Vacant Statute Ex-Officio Chair of the Prisoner Review Board
Leahy, Elizabeth Statute Ex-Officio Illinois State Police
Adams, Delrice Statute Ex-Officio Director, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
Hughes, Latoya Statute Ex-Officio Department of Corrections
Fitzgerald, Anne Statute Ex-Officio Cook County Sheriff Designee