If there were ever a Department that needed oversight, it is the Illlihois Department of Correction.
I have written about the current lack of effective oversight, plus past efforts, here:
Now comes Skokie State Rep. Kevin Olickal with legislation to created a departmental ombudsman.
Here is a summary of his substative House Bill 1643:
Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Creates the Department of Corrections Independent Ombudsperson Law.
Provides that the Corrections Oversight Committee shall appoint the Independent Corrections Ombudsperson.
Provides that the Independent Corrections Ombudsperson shall serve a term of 6 years and may be only removed from office by the Governor for cause.
Provides that the Independent Corrections Ombudsperson shall not be a current or former employee of the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, or a contractor for those departments.
Establishes the duties of the Independent Corrections Ombudsperson.
Provides that the Independent Corrections Ombudsperson shall:
(1) monitor and inspect facilities of the Department of Corrections;
(2) investigate unresolved complaints from committed persons, their families, and corrections staff regarding correctional facility conditions and treatment of committed persons;
(3) create a uniform reporting system and collect and analyze data related to deaths, suicides, sexual and physical assaults, lockdowns, staff vacancies and committed persons-to-staff ratios, visits to committed persons, and use of solitary confinement in correctional facilities;
(4) conduct regular inspections of correctional facilities at least once every year for facilities not meeting standards, and at least once every 36 months for facilities that are meeting standards; and
(5) publicly issue periodic facility inspection reports and an annual report with recommendations and a summary of data.
Establishes other duties of the Independent Corrections Ombudsperson.
Provides that the Independent Corrections Ombudsperson shall report regularly on its activities, investigations, and inspections, including an annual report, which shall be presented to and discussed at a meeting of the Corrections Oversight Committee and make other reports on topics of special interest.
Provides that all reports of the Independent Corrections Ombudsperson shall be made available to the public online and provided to the Director of Corrections, the Governor, the Attorney General, and the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. Effective July 1, 2026.
He has introducted House Bill 1438 to provide $1.5 million to finance the ombudsman.
Narurally, the Corrections Departement Director thinks such oversifght is unnecessay.
Olickal’s view: “Under our current system, we are relying on IDOC to investigate complaints about IDOC. … That is not a sufficient model.”
WTTW reporter
