NCJ Number
177302
Date Published
1998
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This report provides an overview of the Commission's work, discusses implementation of the State's truth-in-sentencing law, examines the impact of the law on the Illinois Department of Corrections and provides recommendations for the future implementation and monitoring of the law.
Abstract
The Illinois Truth-in-Sentencing law requires that those convicted of first-degree murder serve 100 percent of the court-imposed sentence, while those convicted of other specific violent offenses serve 85 percent of their sentences. A third class of offenses requires convicted offenders to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences only if the offense resulted in great bodily harm to the victim. Offenders convicted of all remaining offenses are not subject to truth-in-sentencing and receive good-conduct and other credits which result in their serving an average of 41 percent of their sentences. Illinois law was also amended to require judges to make a judicial pronouncement on the record stating the actual period of time the defendant is likely to spend in prison as a result of the imposed sentence. Notes, figures, tables