Transforming Criminal Justice in Illinois
In January 2021, the Illinois General Assembly passed HB3653, incorporating approximately 80% of the Illinois Breathe Act provisions. This landmark legislation represents a significant shift in the state’s approach to criminal justice reform, focusing on police accountability, demilitarization, and community reinvestment.
The Act comprehensively addresses systemic issues through four key components: creating accountability in policing, demilitarizing law enforcement, ending the carceral state, and redistributing resources to build equitable communities. Statistics underscore the urgency - between 2013-2020, Chicago Police killed Black people at 22 times the rate of white people per population.
The legislation prohibits chokeholds, enhances whistleblower protection, and restricts military equipment use. It requires two non-affiliated officers to investigate police misconduct, with all findings becoming public record. Special prosecutors from the Attorney General's office will handle cases involving law enforcement defendants.
Two independent Reparations Commissions will address harms from police misconduct and the War on Drugs. The Community Public Safety Agency will fund non-carceral initiatives and support programs focusing on violence reduction, public health, housing, and reentry services. The Act creates grant programs for environmental justice, housing justice, economic justice, and education equity.
Major reforms include eliminating cash bail, ending mandatory minimum sentencing, and creating a Decriminalization Commission. The Act bans solitary confinement, ensures fair wages for incarcerated workers, and implements immediate resentencing for drug offense convictions. It also eliminates qualified immunity and removes barriers to justice for victims of misconduct.
As Richard Wallace, E.A.T. Executive Director, states: "This moment requires BOLD unapologetic action. Police reform in Illinois is long overdue." Join us in building a more just and equitable system.
Support the Illinois Breathe Act. Get Involved Today