SPECIAL REPORT CRIMINAL JUSTICE - Making Illinois Smart on Crime - First Steps to Reduce Spending, Ease Offender Re-entry and Enhance Public Safety

Sep 19, 2026

Policy-oriented report arguing that Illinois lags behind other states where crime and incarceration have fallen, despite overall national declines. It links rising prison costs and overcrowding to outdated correctional and sentencing approaches, highlighting high return-to-prison rates and capacity strain. The document recommends reforms centered on rehabilitation and recovery: addressing crime’s root causes, lowering recidivism, reducing overly punitive sentences, and advancing six specific policy proposals to improve public safety while controlling corrections spending.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time9 min

AccessFree to download

Executive summary

Introduction

Policy challenges

Recommendations

Key goals and reform areas

Six policy proposals

Conclusion

Endnotes

SPECIAL REPORT CRIMINAL JUSTICE Making Illinois smart on crime: First steps to reduce spending, ease offender re-entry and enhance public safety By Bryant Jackson-Green, criminal justice policy analyst, Illinois Policy Institute Dianna Muldrow, research associate, Texas Public Policy Foundation Derek Cohen, deputy director, Texas Public Policy Foundation Additional resources: [illinoispolicy.org](illinoispolicy.org) 190 S. LaSalle St., Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60603 | 312.346.5700 | 802 S. 2nd St., Springfield, IL 62704 | 217.528.8800 ILLINOIS POLICY TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 03 04 07 17 18 23 Executive summary Introduction Policy challenges Recommendations Conclusion Endnotes Guarantee of quality scholarship EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In most of the U.S., states are experiencing a dramatic decline in both crime and incarceration rates. Thirty-two states saw a decrease in both factors simultaneously between 2008 and 2013, according to a report by Pew Charitable Trusts – a positive sign for society. But unfortunately, Illinois was not one of these states. While Illinois’ crime rate dropped by 23 percent from 2008 to 2013, the state’s incarceration rate actually increased by 7 percent over that same period.1 What’s causing Illinois to lag behind? Outdated criminal-justice policies in dire need of reform. A successful corrections program helps reform offenders so they can complete their sentences and become productive members of society. But too often, prisons are regarded as a place to warehouse offenders instead of rehabilitating them. In Illinois, an indicator of this is the sobering statistic that nearly half of those who are imprisoned will return within three years.2 Illinois’ prison costs are directly related to the growth of the prison population. The state’s prison population has increased by more than 330 percent since the 1970s and, as a result, the state’s prisons are now at 150 percent of operational capacity.3 At the same time, spending in the Illinois Department of Corrections is at an all-time high. In fiscal year 2015, the state spent $1.4 billion on its corrections program – an increase of over $184 million since 2007.4 It doesn’t have to be this way. With policy and legislative changes, Illinois can achieve the goal of a lower crime rate, lower incarceration rate and smarter spending on criminal justice while maintaining public safety. The key is focusing on rehabilitation and recovery, not just punishment and putting people behind bars. Changes need to be made in three general areas: 1. Treat the root causes of crime: Illinois needs to divert more offenders into programs that directly target the underlying issues leading them to break the law. These programs, including drug treatment and early-supervised release, not only cost thousands of dollars less per person than prison, but have a proven track record of rehabilitating offenders. 2. Lower recidivism: Too many former inmates are returning to Illinois prisons because they have not been re-acclimated to society, and because the law has made it more difficult for them to find legitimate work. Parole and occupationallicensing reform can help ensure ex-offenders stay out of prison once they are back in society. 3. Reduce unnecessarily punitive sentences: Illinois needs to make it harder for low-level offenders to end up in prison in the first place. The following six policy proposals will advance those goals: • Expand Adult Redeploy: This report estimates Illinois could save $27 million annually by expanding its diversion program. • Establish a restorative-justice program: Illinois should pilot a victim-offender mediation program for property crimes. This could save $780,500 in one year and, if successful and expanded, millions more in later years. • Eliminate “max-outs”: To help encourage successful transition back into society, Illinois should allow offenders to trade more time under mandatory supervised rele

FAQs

Why does the report say Illinois is falling behind compared with other states?

It notes that Illinois’ crime rate declined from 2008 to 2013, but incarceration increased by 7 percent over the same period. The report attributes this gap to outdated criminal-justice policies needing reform.

What does the report identify as a key driver of prison costs and overcrowding?

It states prison costs are directly related to prison-population growth and that Illinois prisons are operating at well over 150 percent capacity. It also points to continuing admissions and long-term upward trends.

What are the main reform goals and how are they pursued?

The report focuses on three areas: treating root causes of crime, lowering recidivism, and reducing unnecessarily punitive sentences. It advances these aims with six policy proposals such as expanding diversion, piloting restorative justice, and adjusting sentencing and licensing rules.

Sep 19, 2026

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