Sophia Manuel, Policy Advisor for Reform Initiatives at IDOC | Illinois Department of Corrections oficial website
Sophia Manuel, Policy Advisor for Reform Initiatives at IDOC | Illinois Department of Corrections oficial website
The data shows that 24 men and two women were among the parolees. Of the parolees sentenced for crimes against persons, one was a veteran, and the median age was 37. The youngest parolee was a 21-year-old woman sentenced in 2023, and the oldest was a 55-year-old man sentenced in 2023.
The offender who had been incarcerated the longest was Harry S. Odell. He was convicted in 2018 when he was 40 years old. He is now 46.
Commonly referred to as parole in Illinois, Mandatory Supervised Release (MSR) is a post-prison supervision period, in which individuals must follow specific rules like check-ins with parole officers; violations can lead to re-incarceration. Unlike parole, MSR is automatically required for all individuals released after serving a prison sentence.
In 2023, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill to reform Illinois’ Mandatory Supervised Release program. The law aims to reduce recidivism and reportedly create a more effective and equitable supervision system by incentivizing education, streamlining the review process, and expanding virtual check-ins.
“Our current supervision system too often operates unfairly, with rules that make it simply a revolving door back to jail,” Pritzker said at a bill signing ceremony in Chicago. “In fact, more than 25% of people who are released from prison in Illinois end up back behind bars, not because they’re recidivists, but instead for a noncriminal technical violation.”
A 2018 report from the Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council indicated that 43% of released prisoners in Illinois return to prison within three years, costing taxpayers an estimated $152,000 per recidivism event.
| County | Total Number of Parolees | % Women | % Men | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 170 | 4.7% | 95.3% | 36 |
| Winnebago County | 35 | 8.6% | 91.4% | 36 |
| St. Clair County | 26 | 7.7% | 92.3% | 36.5 |
| Macon County | 24 | 0% | 100% | 47 |
| Will County | 22 | 0% | 100% | 37.5 |
| Lake County | 19 | 0% | 100% | 39 |
| Peoria County | 16 | 6.3% | 93.8% | 35.5 |
| Kane County | 12 | 8.3% | 91.7% | 36 |
| Kankakee County | 10 | 0% | 100% | 35.5 |
| DuPage County | 10 | 0% | 100% | 31 |
| Sangamon County | 9 | 11.1% | 88.9% | 37 |
| Madison County | 9 | 0% | 100% | 45 |
| Champaign County | 8 | 12.5% | 87.5% | 40 |
| Adams County | 7 | 14.3% | 85.7% | 36 |
| Vermilion County | 6 | 16.7% | 83.3% | 31.5 |
| McHenry County | 6 | 33.3% | 66.7% | 33 |
| Logan County | 6 | 16.7% | 83.3% | 37.5 |
| Jackson County | 4 | 25% | 75% | 48.5 |
| Stephenson County | 4 | 0% | 100% | 44.5 |
| Rock Island County | 4 | 0% | 100% | 42 |
| McLean County | 4 | 0% | 100% | 36.5 |
| Marion County | 4 | 0% | 100% | 34.5 |
| White County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 23 |
| Christian County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 34 |
| Lasalle County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 53 |
| Franklin County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 37 |
| Knox County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 35 |
| Henry County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 37 |
| Whiteside County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 34 |
| Saline County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 30 |
| Jersey County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 31 |
| Menard County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 36.5 |
| Mason County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 39.5 |
| Coles County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 34 |
| Kendall County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 35.5 |
| Williamson County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 32 |
| Alexander County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 36 |
| Livingston County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 55 |
| Grundy County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 57 |
| Warren County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 21 |
| Wabash County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 50 |
| Clay County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 33 |
| Jasper County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 32 |
| Stark County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 24 |
| Boone County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 44 |
| Carroll County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 40 |
| Macoupin County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 36 |
| Jefferson County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 26 |
| Randolph County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 32 |
| Pulaski County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 46 |
| Pike County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 35 |
| Perry County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 22 |
| Clark County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 44 |
| Ogle County | 1 | 100% | 0% | 39 |
| Morgan County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 28 |
| Montgomery County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 28 |
| DeKalb County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 37 |
| Crawford County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 40 |
| Marshall County | 1 | 100% | 0% | 38 |
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