Press Release: Illinois Commission to Study Racial Impact of Drug Laws

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 8, 2008 Contact: Monica Hubert at 312-573-8214 Blagojevich signs law requiring new commission to study racial impact of IL drug laws Illinois incarcerates African-Americans at a rate 9 times greater than that of whites (Springfield)--On Friday, Gov. Rod Blagojevich approved legislation to create a new state commission that will study the impact of Illinois drug laws on minority communities. This measure addresses the findings of a 2007 study that showed African-Americans in Illinois were 9 times more likely to be incarcerated than whites, ranking Illinois 14th worst in the nation. "No legislature sets out to make a law that disproportionately imprisons a particular racial community, but I believe our laws here in Illinois do just that," said State Senator Mattie Hunter, chief sponsor of the bill creating the commission, Senate Bill 2476. "Now that there's a commission dedicated to examining the problem, legislators will have the opportunity to examine and right the wrong." The new commission--composed of legislators, members of the criminal justice system, social service agencies, and representatives from minority communities--is charged with examining the nature and extent of the harm caused to minority communities by disproportionate incarceration rates, and offering recommendations for legislation and policy changes to address the impact. "We now have the opportunity to render an informed judgment based on an empirical data analysis and not just intuition," said Pamela Rodriguez of the Center on Criminal Justice at TASC, who will assist the commission's study. "This study will thoroughly examine drug laws from the ground up and open doors for the creation of effective, fair drug policies." Creasie Finney Hairston, dean and professor at the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who will also assist the commission's study, agrees with Rodriguez. "Illinois' policies have to change. Our legislators need a different, informed perspective. This study will provide the perspective needed to help establish laws that not only positively affect the well-being of minority families but address community safety as well." The Commission's report must be submitted to the Illinois General Assembly on or before December 31, 2009. The initial appointments to the commission included: - Judge Timothy Evans, chief judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County - Ed Burnett, Cook County Public Defender - Lori Levin, executive director of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority - Terry Solomon, executive director of the Illinois African-American Family Commission SB2476 was co-sponsored in the Illinois House by State Representative Art Turner. The commission's operations will be managed by the Center on Criminal Justice at TASC and the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago.