The State legislature passed a fairly sweeping criminal justice and police reform bill during its 'lame duck' session and appears on its way to becoming law with the Governor's support. Champaign County's local sheriff had made his concerns about the bill public beforehand. The News-Gazette talked to him again after passage in today's paper:
Democratic Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said he stands ready to work with Illinois lawmakers on sweeping changes they approved Wednesday in the state’s criminal-justice system.
“I’m disappointed in the manner in which it was passed,” he said Wednesday. “But the bill this morning was better than the bill last night.”
...
“I think it helps us get unethical officers off the streets faster with the attorney general’s certification bill that was wrapped up in this,” he said.
Another advantage, he said, is the bill requires candidates running for sheriff to have law-enforcement certification.
That full article is available here. The County Sheriff and State's Attorney concerns were covered in a previous News-Gazette article here. Excerpt from that earlier article:
But Vermilion County State’s Attorney Jacqueline Lacy, Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz and Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said there is not enough time before the end of the lame-duck session Wednesday for lawmakers to thoughtfully consider the sweeping changes and get feedback from the public.
The timing, Rietz and Heuerman said in a release, “leaves one to wonder if the true intentions of this bill are for well-rounded criminal-justice reform that will enact change while also protecting the safety of the community.”
That older article available here. NBC Chicago had one of the better overviews of all of the changes the bill entailed broken up into sections. Excerpt:
Among the changes the bill would bring are the elimination of monetary bail, a requirement that all police officers wear body cameras by 2025, a ban on all police chokeholds, new guidelines for "decertification" of police officers, and an end to suspended licenses for failure to pay, among several other changes. It also bans police departments from purchasing military equipment like .50 caliber rifles and tanks, increases protection for whistleblowers, and adds to rights for detainees to make phone calls and access their personal contacts before police questioning.
Detainees, prisoners and all those who interact with police officers will have the expectation of prompt medical care while in custody, with special accommodations made for pregnant women. Charges of resisting arrest must cite a justification for the original arrest that was allegedly resisted against under the measure, as well.
That full overview and article available here. The Sangamon County Sheriff was far more dire in his reaction to the bill claiming the "devastating" bill will make people less safe. His reaction available from WCCU here. The Champaign County Bailout Coalition that has been fighting to end cash bail for quite some time explains some essentials of the bill from their perspective and additional information on their facebook page here.
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