September 17, 2009

Illinois Department of Correction Director Michael P. Randle's Remarks on Prison Reform Initiatives

Illinois Department of Correction (IDOC) Director Michael P. Randle spoke at the John Howard Association Annual Meeting about IDOC's goals for prison reform. IDOC is implementing two key measures: an electronic home detention program for low-risk, non-violent offenders, and a program to encourage counties to divert non-violent offenders who would have received a short-term prison sentence. The reform is related to the Illinois Crime Reduction Act of 2009, which also calls for the implementation of an automated integrated system to link courts, probation, prison, and parole. The link is intended to help formulate an offender's reentry plan and to reduce recidivism by identifying resources and services needed, such as substance abuse programming and job placement, as well as other factors, including education level, skills, attitude, and relationships that can affect the outcomes related to the reentry process.