East Central Reporter

In a March 24 Facebook post, Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-IL) discussed the potential for criminals serving life sentences to get parole.

In his post, Rep. Niemerg shared a link to a story from The Center Square. The story looked at two bills filed by Democrats that would allow individuals serving life sentences to be eligible for parole.

"Despite rampant crime as a result of radical Democrat soft-on-crime policies and the people of Illinois understandably worried, Democrats now want to let criminals serving life sentences for violent crime out on parole. Our top responsibility as elected officials is to work towards safer communities, not let violent criminals out," Niemerg wrote in his post.

Rep. Niemerg was elected in 2020. The Teutopolis native lives in Dietrich with his wife and two children. He is a fiscal conservative who is pro-life and pro-second amendment. The article shared by the representative quotes  Republican members of the Senate Executive Appointments Committee regarding the appointment of Donald Shelton to chair the Prisoner Review Board, which oversees bids for parole.

 “Over the last several years, [Gov. J.B. Pritzker] has transformed the Prisoner Review Board to fit his weak-on-crime agenda and has allowed several of his appointees to go unvetted and unconfirmed for multiple years," the group said in their statement Tuesday. "Fortunately, through persistent pressure by Senate Republicans, changes have started to take place following the bipartisan movement in the Senate to deny several controversial Pritzker appointees. While there is still a long way to go to reform this vital agency, we are encouraged by the recent change and will continue to advocate for a Prisoner Review Board that is just, transparent, puts the victims and their families first, and above all, protects Illinois families and communities.”

House Bill 2045, sponsored by Rep. Justin Slaughter, a Chicago Democrat, would allow an individual with a sentence of natural life to be eligible for parole and supervised release. The changes to the Unified Code of Corrections would require “that a committed person who has attained the age of 55 years and served at least 25 consecutive years of incarceration shall be eligible to submit a petition to the Prisoner Review Board seeking parole.” According to the bill, Prisoner Review Board hearings must be conducted by a panel of at least eight members of the Board, and a majority vote of the panel is required to grant the petition and release the petitioner on parole.

Another on the table, House Bill 3373, was sponsored by Carol Ammons, a Democrat from Urbana. This bill would allow an individual serving a life sentence to be “eligible for earned re-entry” if they meet the following criteria: for the first year of the effective date, an individual must have served a term of at least 35 consecutive years; for the second year following the effective date, a person must have served a term of imprisonment of at least 25 consecutive years; and for the third year and beyond, an individual must have served 20 consecutive years. The bill likewise establishes factors for the Prisoner Review Board to consider in determining whether a candidate should obtain earned reentry.