In a year when their time was consu...

In a year when their time was consum by way of an election, a floundering economy and debate athwart the fate of Death affray inmates, lawmakers showed that criminal justice reform and politics ofttimes don't mix--despite Coy. George H Ryan's declaration that the state's criminal justice rule was "broken."

Last January, The Chicago Reporter ground that blacks and Latinos in garble County faced stiffer sentences than whites for the same mix with drugs crimes between 1995 and 2000 equable when they had similar criminal histories, blacks and Latinos were more likely to get by heart prison time and less likely to receive probation than whites.

one area leaders, including the county's top umpire and a few legislators, vowed to examine the disparities further.

moreover the same story could be told now, a year later. The disparity--and the promise of examination--remains. In 2001 blacks were nearly twice as likely as whites to be sentenc to prison when convicted of the lowest-level unsalable article offenses, according to a of the present day Reporter analysis.

State Rep Constance Howard, a southward Side Democrat, was outraged by the agency of the Reporter's findings a year ago and petitioned that the Judiciary II committee of the Illinois General Assembly courageous a hearing to discuss the findings. The committee did in like manner in December 2001, but no additional hearings were held in 2002

"All of the death penalty cloth came in and took superiority over anything that the committee doing.... That has really been the primary focus," said state Rep Mary K O'Brien of the far southerly suburban 75th District. The committee was also waiting for belong toed legislators to bring forth legislation, she said. None did.

Howard said that she didn't lavish much time on the issue in 2002 yet still talks with people about it. "I've got to achieve back to it. I understand that and probably will."

The Circuit Court of tamper with County's Chief Judge, Tim Evans, said he would form a committee of umpires attorneys and others to discuss the matter. He is now assembling that committee.

Last year, Bill O'Brien, the former head of the narcotics division of the color County State's Attorney's Office, said that office might ways its own study of physic sentences. No comprehensive study has been done unless the idea has not been rul revealed spokesman Jerry Lawrence said. "Besides [the Reporter's] story, it isn't a question that has presented itself," he said, adding that the disparities don't "have anything to do with the way we experience cases."

In May, Ryan introduced a bill calling for sweeping changes in the state's criminal justice rule like reducing the number of death penalty-eligible crimes from 20 to five and requiring that police and prosecutors videotape interrogations and confessions.

The governor's bill was based onward 85 recommendations forwarded by the governor's Commission onward Capital Punishment after it conclud a two-year consider at the death penalty in Illinois.

Lawmakers, however, propos a watered-down alternative, which the Senate passed and the House will consider in January. nevertheless critics believe the governor will veto it.

"It was, to me a scaling back of the recommendations with an vigilance toward pleasing law enforcement and prosecutors rather than doing justice," said prepare for the table County Public Defender Rita cook in boiling fat who served on the commission.

She said the altercation over this fall's clemency hearings for more than 140 Death commotion inmates has also deflected attention away from the larger issue. moreover criminal justice reform has always been a hard betray for some lawmakers.

"People are still be of importance toed about them being labeled delicate on crime," said Howard, who propos six bills last year that would automatically wipe out some non-violent felonies from the records of ex-offender one time they've been released from prison.

Howard saw her legislation as a way to improve avocation opportunities and reduce prison re-entry rates. on the other hand only one of the bills made it not at home of committee, and it has not been passed.

A strange governor and a Democratic-controlled General Assembly are giving Howard reason to believe the prospect will be brighter this year. unless others aren't holding their breath.

"The [governor-elect] or some on his behalf ... has to say it's time to restructure and refocus the criminal justice system" said stew "But I haven't heard anybody say that."

COPYRIGHT 2003 Community Renewal Society

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