Sens. Hunter, Trotter Seek Reduction of Minorities in Illinois Prisons; Want Drug Laws Study, $10 Million for Treatment

(Springfield, IL) – Democratic State Senators unveiled legislation at a press conference in Springfield on Tuesday to tackle the unyielding escalation of minorities sentenced to Illinois prisons.

State Senators Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago), far left, and Donne Trotter (D-Chicago), left, called for the swift enactment of legislation to create a Racial Impact Study Commission.

The proposed commission would examine the impact of Illinois drug laws on minorities or those of lower economic status, according to Hunter.

“No legislature sets out to make a law that disproportionately imprisons a particular racial community, but I believe that Illinois’ criminal justice laws unintentionally yield that result,” said Hunter, the chief sponsor of Senate Bill 2476.

In 2005, African-Americans in Illinois were 9 times more likely to be incarcerated than whites, ranking Illinois 14th worst in the nation—well above the national average of 5.6 times more likely.

In addition to the Racial Impact Study Commission, Hunter and a bi-partisan group of legislators have pledged to secure $10 million, Senate Bill 1442, as a ‘down payment’ to bring to scale a comprehensive, statewide drug treatment plan.

Conceived by the Center for Health & Justice at TASC, the plan would ultimately require $125.7 million per year for community-based treatment of 25,000 non-violent, drug-involved offenders, annually saving taxpayers $223 million given the decrease in incarceration. Money in the bank.

The fate of both bills remains uncertain this year. The $10 million will be tough with no dough in the state till and long-term thinking just as scarce.

Finke Scores a Doozy: State, Running on Fumes, too Broke to Fix its Cars

(Springfield, IL) — Vroom, vroom. Start your engines. Not. State Journal-Register capitol reporter DOUG FINKE scored a delicious scoop on Friday: the Illinois Department of Corrections is too broke to fix its cars.

Corrections Director Roger Walker (right) sent an email last week to senior department leadership–and one of those finks undoubtedly tossed it over Finke’s transom.

The email reads: “As many of you already know, the CMS Garage has implemented an interim policy that requires IDOC Central Office approval on ALL vehicle repairs and maintenance issues. This new policy is due to IDOC’s overall lack of payment to CMS Garage for services rendered over the past few years. Please only have vehicles repaired if it is an emergency situation. This may mean ‘sidelining’ a few vehicles from your fleet for the remainder of the fiscal year if necessary.”

Gov. ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s administration is having money management meltdown issues these days. Surprised?