CHICAGO – Illinois legislators continue their discussion on police reform in the ninth hearing called by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, this time focusing on decertification and licensure of police officers.

“To achieve meaningful criminal justice reform, we must develop the appropriate solutions to prevent bad actors from continuing to work in law enforcement,” State Senator Elgie R. Sims Jr. (D-Chicago) said. “We seek police reform that will not only hold officers accountable, but maintain morale and help rebuild the fractured relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”

Committee members heard testimony from the Office of the Attorney General, the Illinois State’s Attorneys Association, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Chiefs of Police, the Police Benevolent & Protective Agency, BPI Chicago and the Advisory Panel for Improving Illinois’ Police Decertification Laws.

Sims co-chaired the joint Senate hearing with State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago), chair of the Senate Special Committee on Public Safety. Chair of the House Judiciary-Criminal Law Committee State Representative Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago) and other committee members also participated as guests.

"This has been a big issue this year," Peters said. "It's great that we're finally having an official discussion, and I hope this can lead toward further efforts to win safety and justice in our communities."

"As we continue to examine ways to eliminate racism and police brutality, it is important to consider police licensing and decertification measures,” said Slaughter. “Preventing law enforcement officers who are found guilty of certain types of misconduct from being re-hired by other agencies is a necessary step in addressing the racism and inequality that exists in our current criminal justice system. We must hold our officers to a higher standard to build trust and help keep our communities safe." 

Criminal justice reform is the first of four pillars the Black Caucus is using to guide their agenda to address systemic racism. They 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

CHICAGO—This week’s criminal justice reform hearing prompted by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus will focus on police reform in terms of decertification and licensure.

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.

CHICAGO – In a continuing push to form a legislative agenda ahead of the upcoming fall veto session, the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus convened lawmakers from both chambers of the General Assembly to discuss criminal justice reform during a joint Senate hearing on Thursday.

“You cannot quantify the loss of trust between communities and law enforcement,” State Senator Elgie R. Sims Jr. (D-Chicago). “The inability to have a relationship between communities that is transparent, strong and built on trust is not a current reality, but it should be. These discussions are crucial to discover and implement meaningful solutions to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the people that they serve.”

CHICAGO—Illinois lawmakers will discuss police reform during a hearing called by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus 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.

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.

CHICAGO— Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) released the following statement after news Wednesday that a grand jury charged ex-police officer Brett Hankison on three counts of wanton endangerment and did not charge two Louisville police officers, Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove who also fired weapons in the shooting that killed Breonna Taylor:

“Today’s decision was disappointing to say the least. The charges fall incredibly short of holding these bad actors accountable and just add to the devastation felt by Breonna Taylor’s family and our communities.

“The fact that none of the officers was charged directly for Breonna’s death makes it clear that our justice system does not equally value Black life, and that has to change.

“We must not allow our anger and frustration to deter us from seeking justice and equity. It is vital that we remain peaceful to effect change and honor Breonna’s memory. I will continue to work with my colleagues and community leaders until our justice system provides justice to all people.”

CHICAGO—Illinois legislators examined disparities in sentencing throughout Illinois during a virtual joint Senate committee hearing on Tuesday.

State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago), chair of the Senate Criminal Law Committee, and State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago), chair of the Senate Public Safety Special Committee, co-chaired the joint hearing. State Representative Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago), chair of the House Judiciary-Criminal Law Committee, and other members of the committee also participated.

“To truly combat racism within our criminal justice system we must evaluate our sentencing policies,” Sims said. “No longer should the color of your skin affect the length of your sentence. We have to strike a balance between protecting the public and ensuring that bad actors receive sentences that fit the crime. This subject matter hearing provided fruitful insight from all sides that will be useful to develop meaningful reform in the future.”

This is the second Senate Criminal Law Committee hearing prompted by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ efforts to develop an agenda to address systemic racism ahead of the upcoming veto session. Criminal Justice Reform is one of the four pillars guiding the Black Caucus’ legislative agenda. They 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

“Decades of unsuccessful sentencing laws have done nothing to reduce gun violence, and are rooted in a history of racist ‘tough on crime’ safety policies,” Peters said. “There is nothing prideful or righteous about clinging to failure. If we truly do want to win real safety and justice in our communities, then we must commit to real, tangible change.

“Half measures are not working, and we’ve seen that over the years and years of failed policy,” Peters continued. “It is now, in the midst of an economic, public health and systemic racism crisis, that we must remember the famous words of one of our country’s greatest leaders: ‘The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.’”

The Senate Criminal Law Committee on Tuesday discussed sentencing reform in the areas of truth-in-sentencing, mandatory minimums, three strikes enhancements and re-sentencing after decriminalization.

Legislators heard testimony from the Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council, the Illinois State’s Attorneys Association, the John Howard Association, the Illinois Public Defenders Association and a retired judge, Donald Bernardi.

“As we continue our work to demand justice and equality, it is critical that we dismantle the systemic racism that exists in our criminal justice system and continue working for real reforms that put an end to oppressive and unjust sentencing,” said Slaughter.

The Black Caucus organized another joint Senate Criminal Law Committee and Special Committee on Public Safety earlier this month focused on police accountability.

CHICAGO—Illinois lawmakers from both chambers will come together to discuss the current condition of sentencing reform on Tuesday.

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