Editorial: This early-release revision deserves approval

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn suffered a nasty political sting early in his administration when poorly considered adjustments to the state’s early-release system for prisoners resulted in violent offenders returning to the streets and committing high-profile crimes long before their sentences were due to expire. So, he may be understandably reluctant to reinstate a program beset, he said at the time, by “lots of flaws” that were “systemic” and “long-standing.” He needn’t be.

In the two years since Quinn placed a moratorium on the so-called Meritorious Good Time program, lawmakers and prison watchdogs produced a new approach to early-release that addresses a key statement in a report the governor commissioned on problems with the early-release system. That report, headed by Judge David Erickson, called for the Department of Corrections to “fundamentally change its attitude and approach” to early-release.

“These programs should not simply be population pressure release valves; they must be, first and foremost, a means to incent and reward good conduct ...,” the report said. “This will not only benefit the individual inmate but also the community he or she will re-enter.”

Senate Bill 2621, approved by both houses of the General Assembly last week, aims to do that by allowing the state to consider all aspects of an inmate’s criminal history when determining whether to grant early release, by making a broad range of educational and social programs available for inmates to earn early-release credits and by requiring the state to document and publish its reasons for granting early release. Like the program it replaces, SB2621 identifies a range of offenses — including child pornography, narcotics trafficking and numerous violent crimes — that cannot be eligible for early-release consideration. Prisoners could earn a maximum of 180 days credit.

While this approach should benefit both the inmate and the “community he or she will re-enter,” the need for a prison “population pressure release valve” cannot be discounted. In the two years since Quinn suspended early-release, the state’s prison population has ballooned to nearly 49,000 — crammed into a system built to accommodate about 34,000.

Clearly, that crisis had to be brought under control, and, notably, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle saw the potential for that in this legislation. The bill passed the Senate with only one vote in opposition. In the House, the vote was 68-50, but supporters included suburban legislators as diverse as Republican Randy Ramey, of Carol Stream, and Democrat Linda Chapa LaVia, of Aurora. Sen. John Millner, a Carol Stream Republican, and state Rep. Dennis Reboletti, an Elmhurst Republican, both known for their interest and expertise in criminal justice issues also supported the measure.

Early release of prisoners is always a thorny political issue. But the General Assembly found a good balance between safety of the community and the interest of prisoners. We urge Gov. Quinn to endorse that work.