Brady calls on Quinn to sign law for online prisoner gallery

DuPage County prosecutors stood alongside Republican governor hopeful Bill Brady on Wednesday as he urged Democrat Gov. Pat Quinn to sign legislation to create an online photo gallery of prisoners released early.

The legislation, filed by Brady in his role as a state senator in February, passed both houses in April. It has sat on Quinn's desk since May 21. He has until July 21 to sign it, or it automatically becomes law.

While Brady said the legislation was "not a political initiative," he used it to criticize Quinn for the early release of 1,700 inmates by the Illinois Department of Corrections last December. Quinn later called the release "a big mistake" and the early release program has since been suspended.

DuPage County State's Attorney Joseph Birkett, a former Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, said an online gallery would help law enforcement.

"Every police officer knows working a case a recent photograph of the offender is critical," he said. "One of the first populations you look at, is it a paroled or recent offender that could have committed the offense. ... I can't tell you the number of times in my career we've run into that problem in getting that identification."

The legislation would require photographs and identification information - including the inmate's name, any known alias, date of birth, physical characteristics, residence, offense and county of conviction - to be placed on the corrections department website within three days of an inmate's release. The information would not be removed until the end of the prisoner's first year of mandatory supervised release or his return to custody.

It would only apply to inmates released early in the future. However, Brady called for Quinn to "voluntarily post pictures" of prisoners released late last year.

Birkett noted that while inmates who are on regular mandatory supervised release do have pictures posted on the corrections department website, prisoners released early and who are released on electronic monitoring are not.

DuPage First Assistant State's Attorney Nancy Wolfe said the legislation would give crime victims a voice against the early release of some offenders.

Since the December early release, Quinn said he has brought on several experts - a Chicago police officer and retired judge among them - to make sure there is cooperation and open communication channels between corrections and law enforcement officials.

"We have to understand that in Illinois we have a large department of correction, many prisoners, ... once they go back to civilian life, they have to be kept track of," he said.

Quinn did not indicate whether he plans to sign the bill, but criticized Brady's public safety record instead.

"I don't believe in assault weapons in the hands of every person," he said. "My opponent does. He has resisted common sense regulation of assault weapons."