Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner on Monday approved a package of bills aimed at preventing young people who’ve run afoul of the law from falling into a cycle of incarceration.
Flanked by Democratic lawmakers with whom he has been warring over the state’s budget mess, Rauner said the legislation was just one step in a larger effort to change the state’s criminal justice system.
“We need to think strategically, thoughtfully, compassionately, about helping people come back, have a second chance and be productive citizens,” Rauner said. “Much of our crime is occurring because of mental health issues, because of addiction issues and lack of job skills. We need to think about those and integrate them in our justice system so we can prevent crime in the future, lower our prison population and have a more just and fair society.”
The bill signing was a rare display of bipartisan agreement between the Republican governor and his Democratic foes in the General Assembly, but even that spirit of compromise was overshadowed by the broader political fight that continues to rage as both sides look ahead to the November election.
The event was held days after Rauner used his veto powers to rewrite a bill that would have ended the state’s practice of suing prison inmates to recover the costs of their incarceration — one that critics say makes it harder for people to get back on their feet after they’ve been released from jail. Rauner’s veto effectively kills the bill, as lawmakers are not expected to have enough votes to override or approve the governor’s changes.
Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat and sponsor of that bill, wrote on Twitter over the weekend that Rauner had nixed the legislation because he “was afraid to be seen as soft on crime.”
Cassidy took to the lectern during Monday’s bill signing ceremony and issued a “dare” to both parties to make criminal justice issues off-limits in the campaign.
Rauner has long advocated for improving the criminal justice system, and he made an early pledge shortly after taking office that he would work to reduce the state’s prison population by 25 percent over 10 years. The first-term governor found willing allies in that cause, particularly among Chicago Democrats, and it has become one of the few areas where he can tout bipartisan efforts and accomplishments.
But it has also opened up an avenue for attack in districts where voters want a tough-on-crime approach. Take the contest in a House district in Downstate Marion that’s home to a federal penitentiary. An attack ad run by Democratic Rep. John Bradley warns voters that Republican candidate Dave Severin’s “biggest supporter wants to let 25 percent of the state’s prisoners loose into our communities.”
Cassidy chided her fellow Democrats for trying to use Rauner’s criminal justice efforts as a “political weapon.”
“Until we come to a place where a legislator or a governor doesn’t have to make a decision whether the hit that’s going to come from signing or voting on a bill is too great a risk to take…we won’t get to that just criminal justice system,” Cassidy said. “My party is running ads. I’m sure that the Republicans will be running ads this year. And I dare everybody to stop.”
The bills signed by Rauner Monday are aimed at juveniles who have run-ins with the law. One sets new requirements for first-time prison sentences. Another reduces mandatory minimum lengths of probation for juveniles, and a separate bill allows a juvenile to immediately petition a court for expungement of an offense that is dismissed without a finding of delinquency.
Rauner also signed a bill that reduces the rate that telephone providers can charge for inmate phone calls. A fifth bill gives park districts some leeway in hiring people who’ve been convicted of drug crimes.
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