(The Center Square) – Changes are coming to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board that some Republicans say shields members appointed by the governor from oversight.
The PRB conducts parole and release revocation hearings, imposes release conditions, manages good conduct credits, and makes recommendations regarding executive clemency. Members of the board are appointed by the governor and approved by the Senate.
Senate Bill 19 was signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker Friday. State Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, said among the changes, the measure expands the right of victims to petition the board, clarifies the process for those petitions, and updates requirements for board members.
On the House floor last month, Republicans questioned why they’re extending the members’ terms from six to eight years.
“My understanding of the effort from the Senate is to try to mitigate the politicization of this board and to try to make it more able to function more smoothly without having to be before the body,” Guzzardi said. “And I think that experience on that board is helpful for members.”
Before it passed in the Senate, state Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, said SB 19 extending the PRB members’ terms from six to eight years has the governor’s fingerprints on it.
Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said extending the terms removes politics out of the equation.
“If you want these to be free of politics, do you think it was political when Republicans and Democrats joined together in a majority to get members off the Prisoner Review Board who were releasing people that most of us, I think were very upset that they were being released?” McClure said during debate in April.
“I don’t think that’s related to this bill at all, but I appreciate your question,” Harmon said.
Last year, in the wake of an early parolee who was arrested for allegedly stabbing his ex-girlfriend and killing an 11-year-old boy the day after his release, Republicans called for changes to the PRB.
In a murder that garnered national attention, Crosetti Brand is accused of attacking his ex-girlfriend and her son with a knife, killing the 11-year-old just a day after being set free. The attack occurred just hours before an order of protection hearing against Brand was to be held. PRB Chairman Donald Shelter and board member LeAnn Miller stepped down in the wake of the deadly attack.
After SB 19 was signed by Pritzker Friday, McClure and state Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, released a joint statement saying the enactment of the bill is driven by the governor to keep activists happy rather than prioritize the safety of constituents.
“Now, instead of listening to a bipartisan coalition at the capitol, he and his far-left allies pushed through a bill that makes it more difficult for the PRB to keep violent criminals off the streets,” the statement said. “It also shields PRB members from being held accountable by the Senate, which has a duty to vet the members in a timely manner. This is the exact response that we would expect from a Governor who has repeatedly shown no concern for victims and disdain for those who prioritize public safety.”
The measure is effective immediately.
