SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago), joined by advocacy group Parole Illinois, demonstrated strong support of Senate Bill 2333, a plan that seeks to reform the current parole system, in a press conference and rally, today.

“This is about giving people hope in what may seem to be a hopeless situation,” Villanueva said. “Our corrections system is meant to rehabilitate people. There are people who spend their time behind bars trying to better themselves, and the systems needs to recognize that.”

Senate Bill 2333 would give individuals who have been incarcerated for 20 years or more the opportunity to be reviewed for Earned Reentry. Providing a pathway to rejoin society offers an incentive to people with longer sentences to prepare for better futures.

“These individuals deserve a second chance at life, and this legislation puts them on the right path,” said Villanueva. “I remain committed to supporting this movement to defend incarcerated individuals who have done the work to demonstrate their readiness to rejoin society.”

After abolishing its discretionary parole system in 1978, Illinois’ prison population has grown by 270%. Illinois prisons now hold thousands of people required to grow old and die behind bars, with no periodic review of whether their continued incarceration serves any purpose.

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