CHICAGO – Illinois will become the first state to provide people experiencing mental health crises with more appropriate responses thanks to a law sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago).

“Our goal as public servants must be to provide treatment, not trauma,” Peters said. “Trained mental health officials responding to mental health emergencies is how we provide that treatment. The alternative is how we risk furthering trauma.”

CHICAGO – A new law sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) expands the rights of victims and survivors of violent crimes to take unpaid time off work.

“Trauma can often be a life-changing experience, so victims and survivors of violent crimes and their families should be able to deal with that trauma on their own time without having to risk losing their jobs,” Peters said. “Otherwise, we’re creating a situation where a person might experience serious trauma and then suffer loss of livelihood as a result.”

CHICAGO - Young adults in Department of Juvenile Justice custody will soon be able to receive civics education as they near their release under a new law sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago).

“Generations of people have fought and died to secure our rights, and one of the cornerstones of our society is that someone who is in prison doesn’t lose those rights once they’re released,” Peters said. “Knowing what your rights are and how they can be used can be confusing, especially for kids in DJJ who have likely never exercised them before.”

CHICAGO – A form of intimidation sometimes used by law enforcement is no longer permitted in Illinois. State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago), the sponsor of the law banning the practice, believes that the threat of a of background checks deters public participation for important hearings.

“Public safety belongs to the people, which means that the people should be able to share their opinion at public hearings and meetings,” Peters said. “This is especially true of police board meetings. Law enforcement using background checks to intimidate people from participating in the very hearings that will hold them accountable should set off red flags for everyone as something that should not be permitted to happen.”

CHICAGO – Illinois has become the ninth state to guarantee students with daily time for play due to a law sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) that was signed Friday.

“School can often be stressful, and a guaranteed playtime is an easy way to help reduce some of that stress for kids,” Peters said. “Unstructured play was a critical part of my development growing up, which is why I wanted to ensure all kids in Illinois had a right to it. It will help them stay healthy and keep their minds sharp.”

CHICAGO – Parents of Chicago Public Schools students will soon have more transparency around misconduct and discipline thanks to the efforts of State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago).

“I think every parent probably expects that fights in schools are going to happen, but that doesn’t mean they should be kept in the dark when they do,” Peters said. “If parents aren’t aware of what’s going on at their kids’ schools, then it’s entirely possible that their kids might not get the treatment for trauma they need simply because their parents don’t know they need it.”

CHICAGO – Individuals living with HIV will no longer have to fear prosecution thanks to a new law sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago).

“The criminalization of HIV does not line up with current science,” Peters said. “These laws are outdated, dangerous, and discriminatory, and have no place in modern society. Starting today, individuals who are living with this difficult medical condition will no longer have to worry about experiencing legal consequences for simply living their lives.”

Measures signed include ban on lying to kids during interrogations

CHICAGO – During a ceremony at a Northwestern University campus in Chicago, four public safety and criminal justice reform measures sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) were signed by Gov. JB Pritzker and became law.

The ceremony was a culmination of several years of hard work from Peters and advocates to reimagine what safety and justice look like in Illinois.

Senate Bill 2122 makes statements provided by a minor inadmissible in court if they were made after a law enforcement official intentionally lied during the interrogation. Deception is defined as “knowingly providing false information about evidence or leniency.”

“It is an unfortunately common practice for police officers to lie to kids in order to coerce them into saying what they want to hear,” Peters said. “These are stressful and frightening situations for many kids, and a lot of the time the statements aren’t truthful, but were still made because the kids thought it would get them out of the situation.”