Metro East Sun

Republican state Sen. Terri Bryant is standing firm in her opposition to a bill that would grant the Illinois Prisoner Review Board the authority to consider early release for prisoners who have petitioned on the grounds of terminal illness or a medical condition.

“Quite often, the victim is surprised to find out that an individual has been released, never had the chance to go before the parole board to make any kind of statement,” Bryant said during an Illinois Senate Republican Caucus hearing on the issue. “But if they do have to go back before the parole board, let us remember that these victims are being asked to tell their story all over again for why this person shouldn’t be released. We’re revictimizing the actual victims of these cases in order to allow someone that a judge and jury said should be locked up for the rest of their lives or a significant time.”

At its core, House Bill 3665 seeks to grant greater authority to a 15-person board in making such decisions. Bryant is quick to point out that at least four members of the board have been appointed by the governor over the last two years and have still not been confirmed by the senate, and review board decisions are made by three-person committee.

“There’s a prison review board that has not come under the scrutiny of the senate to make these decisions,” she added. “I think that there are a whole bunch of issues with this bill. To tell you the truth my heart goes out to the victims involved in this because that individual is supposed to continue to be locked up.”

Dubbed the “Joe Coleman Medical Release Act,” HB 3665 easily passed out of the senate by a 34-17 vote and only awaits the governor's signature to officially become law. While in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections, Coleman became seriously ill and died in October 2019 while awaiting clemency.

Under HB 3665, an inmate can qualify for “medical incapacity” if they have a medical condition that keeps them from being able to perform more than one daily activity.

Bryant said she worries that ultimately such critical decisions about release could be made by members that haven’t even been confirmed by elected officials.

Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, is one of the Senate Republicans who has been outspoken about the four PRB members unconfirmed by the Senate Executive Appointments Committee. She is also a member of that committee.

“I'm really struck by the fact that it's a three-person board or three-person committee that's going to make this decision,” said Bryant. “What if it's three that we haven't even had the oversight on yet?”

Bryant is also one of the growing number of GOP lawmakers now pushing for a fairer process in the once-every-decade map redistricting job now underway.

"Since the redistricting hearings began, Senate Republicans have insisted on waiting to draw new legislative and congressional boundaries until the complete U.S. Census Bureau data is released," Bryant wrote in a post on her Facebook page. "That report is expected to be released late this summer."

 Through it all, Democrats have continued to press forward with a redistricting plan critics charge is totally partisan and designed to keep them in control.