Sophia Manuel, Policy Advisor for Reform Initiatives at IDOC | Illinois Department of Corrections oficial website
Sophia Manuel, Policy Advisor for Reform Initiatives at IDOC | Illinois Department of Corrections oficial website
The data shows that the released offender was a man. He was convicted in 2009 when he was 25 years old. He is now 40.
Commonly referred to as parole in Illinois, Mandatory Supervised Release (MSR) is a post-prison supervision period, in which individuals must follow specific rules like check-ins with parole officers; violations can lead to re-incarceration. Unlike parole, MSR is automatically required for all individuals released after serving a prison sentence.
In 2023, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill to reform Illinois’ Mandatory Supervised Release program. The law aims to reduce recidivism and reportedly create a more effective and equitable supervision system by incentivizing education, streamlining the review process, and expanding virtual check-ins.
“Our current supervision system too often operates unfairly, with rules that make it simply a revolving door back to jail,” Pritzker said at a bill signing ceremony in Chicago. “In fact, more than 25% of people who are released from prison in Illinois end up back behind bars, not because they’re recidivists, but instead for a noncriminal technical violation.”
A 2018 report from the Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council indicated that 43% of released prisoners in Illinois return to prison within three years, costing taxpayers an estimated $152,000 per recidivism event.
| County | Total Number of Parolees | % Women | % Men | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 119 | 1.7% | 98.3% | 39 |
| Sangamon County | 16 | 0% | 100% | 44.5 |
| Winnebago County | 8 | 0% | 100% | 40.5 |
| Lake County | 8 | 0% | 100% | 44 |
| Macon County | 5 | 0% | 100% | 60 |
| Kane County | 4 | 0% | 100% | 43.5 |
| Adams County | 4 | 25% | 75% | 38.5 |
| Schuyler County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 57 |
| Will County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 63.5 |
| Kankakee County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 50.5 |
| Tazewell County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 45 |
| St. Clair County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 27.5 |
| Christian County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 28.5 |
| McDonough County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 63 |
| Whiteside County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 28 |
| Vermilion County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 40 |
| Union County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 24 |
| Stephenson County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 43 |
| Peoria County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 59 |
| Ogle County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 45 |
| McHenry County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 39 |
| Mason County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 58 |
| Madison County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 38 |
| Clark County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 40 |
| Logan County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 26 |
| Lee County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 60 |
| Clinton County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 63 |
| Kendall County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 62 |
| Edgar County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 48 |
| Franklin County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 41 |
| Fayette County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 23 |
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