CHICAGO—State lawmakers from both chambers will discuss prison reform during a joint Senate committee hearing on Tuesday.

Senate Criminal Law Chair State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) and Senate Public Safety Special Committee Chair State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) will co-chair the joint hearing. State Representative Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago) of the House Judiciary-Criminal Law Committee and other members of the committees will participate as guests.

This is the fifth hearing that the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus has called on criminal justice reform, which is one of four pillars the caucus is using as the foundation for their agenda to rid the state’s institutions of racism. The pillars include:

1. Criminal justice reform, violence reduction and police accountability
2. Education and workforce development
3. Economic access, equity and opportunity
4. Health care and human services

The joint Senate hearing will focus specifically on diversion and re-entry programs, prison conditions, prison gerrymandering and mandatory supervised release reform.

Who: Senate Criminal Law Committee and Senate Special Committee on Public Safety

What: Joint hearing on prison reform

When: 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13

Where: Virtual hearing can be viewed here: https://ilga.gov/senateaudvid.asp#

            Blue Room Stream will also stream the hearing at https://livestream.com/blueroomstream/events/9326370.