Illinois crime reduction task force starts conversation about future policies

SPRINGFIELD (WGEM) – Illinois state lawmakers are looking for options to deal with crime by working with legislation enforcement and group organizations. The state’s new Crime Discount Job Drive met for the primary time Tuesday.

The Illinois Prison Justice Info Authority (ICJIA) mentioned violent crime has remained comparatively secure since 2010. ICJIA researchers informed the duty drive that homicide and capturing victimization totals elevated in 2020 and 2021. Nonetheless, they’re optimistic that murders and shootings in Illinois are on tempo to lower for 2022.

ICJIA Analysis Director Tim Lavery informed the duty drive that arrest totals dropped shortly after the COVID-19 stay-at-home order went into impact. Whereas arrests have risen since that point, Lavery mentioned the state is seeing nowhere close to the identical degree of arrests as earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“We did see a downward pattern following the onset of COVID,” Lavery mentioned. “It did rebound particularly statewide non-Chicago. It rebounded a bit bit for Chicago, however not as pronouncedly. That’s all arrests for something maybe with some gaps for actually low-level offenses.”

Kathy Saltmarsh, Government Director of the Illinois Sentencing Coverage Advisory Council, mentioned the pattern strains present large patterns over time. She famous that crime charges and crime usually are not aware of new sentencing insurance policies.

“If we wish to influence the quantity of crime per capita within the state of Illinois, we now have to take a look at among the issues that we are literally doing which might be very evidence-based and also you guys have put cash into, however they haven’t had time to work but,” Saltmarsh mentioned.

She defined leaders want extra time to see the influence of those evidence-based packages resembling trauma facilities. Home Deputy Majority Chief Jehan Gordon-Sales space (D-Peoria) mentioned everybody throughout the state deserves to stay in a protected group. She is main the brand new process drive alongside Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago). They wish to work with stakeholders within the prison justice system to generate data-driven coverage concepts.

The ACLU of Illinois mentioned the state can do higher at responding to and fixing crimes. ACLU prison justice coverage legal professional Ben Ruddell argued that lawmakers ought to focus extra on stopping crime within the first place. He mentioned bettering training, psychological well being providers and trauma facilities will help tackle the foundation causes of crime.

Gordon-Sales space famous that Illinois just lately put historic funding towards violence prevention efforts. She mentioned that extra lighting in neighborhoods may additionally deter crime.

“Crime survivors wish to see investments in communities,” Gordon-Sales space mentioned. “So, we would like to have the ability to middle the voices of all survivors as part of this crime discount dialog in addition to legislation enforcement and grassroots organizations.”

Beforehand incarcerated individuals may even have a chance to share their concepts about addressing crime in each metro areas and rural communities.

“We’re gonna have group involvement on this course of,” Peters mentioned. “We wish to be sure that we’re bringing in numerous members of the group to have the ability to present enter from a wide range of totally different locations, demographics, and populations.”

The duty drive will enable for public remark throughout every assembly, though nobody participated in the course of the public remark interval Tuesday afternoon.

The duty drive is required to submit an in depth report with coverage suggestions to Gov. JB Pritzker and the Basic Meeting earlier than March 1.

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