The Illinois House Judiciary Criminal Committee took a critical step toward achieving long overdue state prison reform this month by voting in favor of the Earned Reentry bill. Illinois is one of 16 states to have abolished or severely restricted discretionary parole. Illinois’ lack of parole is not only inhumane, but it also perpetuates existing health inequities in the United States.
Of the 1.4 million people currently held in United States prisons, 1 in 7 are serving life sentences. In states with parole, judges sentence people to a range of years, and people have an opportunity to earn their release by presenting their case to a parole board after completing a minimum sentence. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Illinois, which abolished parole in 1978. In fact, many people have only one opportunity to be freed before serving their maximum sentence: The governor of Illinois may grant them executive clemency. However, this is a rare occurrence.
The negative health impacts of mass incarceration are widespread and well documented. People in prisons and jails suffer from higher rates of infectious disease, chronic conditions and mental health problems, which these facilities are often ill-equipped to address. Suicide was the leading cause of death in correctional facilities from 2000 to 2014. The harms of incarceration also extend beyond prison walls. Communities and families fractured by high incarceration rates often face higher rates of poverty and mental health conditions.
