Amidst an audit that exposed flaws within the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, efforts were made to introduce reforms through House Bill 681. However, the progress of the bill has been hindered due to concerns raised by the governor regarding certain aspects of the proposed measure.
The legislation was enacted as a direct response to the tragic death of Jayden Perkins. Perkins courageously lost his life while trying to protect his mother from an assailant who had been released by the PRB.
In a recent report by the Auditor General, the flaws of the PRB are brought to light. The report highlights that the board granted compassionate release to incarcerated individuals even without a medical release form. This revelation raises concerns about the effectiveness of the board’s decision-making process. Despite receiving bipartisan support, the bill addressing these flaws failed to progress, with Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his administration expressing their opposition to certain aspects of the bill. This discrepancy between public support and official action underscores the need for further examination and potential reforms within the PRB.
Pritzker explained that the issue at hand is not transparency, but rather what is realistically achievable. He also mentioned the lack of funding for the proposed measures, stating that there was no financial support for the actions that were suggested. When questioned about his involvement in preventing the bill from progressing in the Illinois General Assembly, Pritzker made his position clear.
State Representative Kelly Cassidy, a Democrat from Chicago and the sponsor of the bill, expressed deep concern over the tragic incident that took place in her district. She highlighted the heartbreaking story of an 11-year-old boy who lost his life while bravely trying to protect his mother from an assailant who had been released by the PRB. Cassidy emphasized the urgent need for reform and emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of their communities.
Cassidy pointed out that during the attacker’s revocation hearing, the PRB board member was unaware of the pending order of protection hearing. This meant that the victim had no chance to provide any testimony at the hearing for her abuser.
The audit also brought attention to the vacancies on the board. Cassidy’s proposed bill aims to address this issue by establishing a task force. This task force will be responsible for finding qualified individuals to fill these vacancies.
During his speech on the House floor, Cassidy raised important questions regarding the effectiveness of the PRB. He emphasized the need to evaluate not only the size of the PRB but also the qualifications of its members. Cassidy questioned whether the right individuals were being recruited for the board and whether the structure of their work allowed for a sufficient number of qualified people to carry out their responsibilities.
During a post-session news conference on Wednesday, Pritzker confirmed that an executive order had been issued in line with his previous statements. He stated, “We did, over the last couple of days, issue an executive order to do exactly what I said we’re going to do.”
Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a recent executive order regarding PRB reforms.
The Chicago Tribune reported that Jordan Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for Pritzker, expressed concerns about the legislation’s feasibility for the review board, citing the high volume of work they are expected to handle on a monthly basis.
According to her, the governor’s office is in favor of enhancing transparency at the board and is currently working on an executive order that would include certain aspects of the legislature’s proposal.
State Senator Jason Plummer, a Republican from Edwardsville, expressed his support for the legislative measure, considering it a positive step forward. He highlighted the bill’s aim to rectify what he referred to as Governor Pritzker’s questionable choices in appointing specific individuals to the PRB.
“The PRB has been quite effective under both Republican and Democrat administrations. However, when Pritzker took charge and started appointing unqualified individuals to the PRB, the system broke down, resulting in the release of dangerous individuals and tragic incidents,” explained Plummer. He further emphasized, “The incident with Perkins served as a wake-up call for everyone. Republicans and Democrats in the state Senate united and worked together to find a bipartisan solution to address this issue. Unfortunately, Governor Pritzker prioritized his political ambitions over public policy once again, and as a result, rejected a sensible bipartisan reform that would have enhanced the safety of the people of Illinois.”
According to Plummer, he is of the belief that Pritzker collaborated with House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, to suppress the bill.
Plummer accused them of sending a highly misleading and intentionally deceitful message to the House Democrats in an attempt to sabotage the bipartisan support. According to Plummer, the governor’s primary concern is not public safety or the welfare of victims; instead, he is focused on appeasing far-left political activists in order to enhance his national standing.
Plummer weighed in on the audit and expressed his thoughts on Pritzker’s claim that there wasn’t enough funding for the provisions the legislature desired in the proposed legislation.
Plummer criticized the claim that there is insufficient funding for the PRB reforms, pointing out that it was the same person who actually reduced the budget for the PRB. “Back in April, his office acknowledged that our proposal was already a common practice, so it’s quite interesting that he now deems it unfeasible. It seems like he is contradicting himself,” Plummer remarked.
According to Plummer, he has not observed any recent executive order that has reformed the PRB.
Plummer accused him of deceiving the people of Illinois before, stating, “It wouldn’t be the first time.”
Cassidy successfully moved the bill forward in the House, but the Senate did not bring up the amendment for agreement. During her speech in the House, Cassidy emphasized that her bill aimed to mandate board members to undergo training on gender-based violence.
According to Cassidy, the bill mandates that the board must inform registered crime victims when the offender of that particular crime is being released from state custody.
Cassidy mentioned that the bill would mandate the PRB to conduct a thorough check prior to commencing a revocation hearing, ensuring that any outstanding issues are addressed.
According to Cassidy, the hearings often involve a report that is prepared well in advance. He believes that it is crucial for the committee to review the report and ensure that it is comprehensive and up-to-date.
In March, Crosetti Brand tragically took the life of Jayden Perkins. Prior to this devastating incident, Jayden’s mother had filed for an emergency order of protection against Brand on February 21, 2024. However, the judge denied the order due to Brand’s incarceration. Surprisingly, Cassidy, a PRB member involved in Brand’s release decision, was unaware of the pending hearing for the order of protection.
The legislative session came to a close as summer began.