NW Illinois News

There was one offender convicted of a crime involving drugs living in Jo Daviess County released on parole during the second quarter of 2023, according to Illinois Department of Corrections data obtained by the NW Illinois News.

The data shows that the released offender was a man. He was convicted in 2021 when he was 41 years old. He is now 44.

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	156	3.2%	96.8%	40.5
St. Clair County	26	11.5%	88.5%	40.5
Madison County	25	28%	72%	43
Winnebago County	18	11.1%	88.9%	32
Lake County	18	16.7%	83.3%	36
Kane County	17	5.9%	94.1%	41
Will County	15	6.7%	93.3%	43
Sangamon County	14	21.4%	78.6%	38.5
Macon County	12	16.7%	83.3%	43
Peoria County	10	10%	90%	40.5
McLean County	9	33.3%	66.7%	42
Marion County	8	25%	75%	41.5
Randolph County	8	50%	50%	43
Coles County	7	0%	100%	49
Lasalle County	7	28.6%	71.4%	45
McHenry County	7	14.3%	85.7%	28
Rock Island County	7	14.3%	85.7%	39
Dupage County	7	14.3%	85.7%	40
Pike County	6	33.3%	66.7%	39.5
Richland County	6	16.7%	83.3%	40.5
Montgomery County	6	0%	100%	37
Kankakee County	6	0%	100%	43.5
Union County	6	16.7%	83.3%	40
Jefferson County	5	20%	80%	38
Vermilion County	5	0%	100%	40
Christian County	5	80%	20%	41
Champaign County	5	0%	100%	38
Iroquois County	5	0%	100%	37
Jersey County	4	25%	75%	42.5
Monroe County	4	50%	50%	42.5
Lawrence County	4	25%	75%	47.5
Franklin County	4	0%	100%	37.5
Stephenson County	4	0%	100%	42
Fayette County	4	50%	50%	50
Effingham County	4	25%	75%	31.5
Tazewell County	4	0%	100%	35
DeKalb County	4	25%	75%	36.5
Crawford County	4	75%	25%	41
Williamson County	4	0%	100%	45.5
Adams County	4	0%	100%	27
Shelby County	3	33.3%	66.7%	46
Warren County	3	66.7%	33.3%	34
White County	3	33.3%	66.7%	37
Whiteside County	3	66.7%	33.3%	46
McDonough County	3	33.3%	66.7%	45
Carroll County	3	0%	100%	50
Cass County	3	66.7%	33.3%	51
Clay County	3	33.3%	66.7%	38
Edgar County	3	100%	0%	35
Fulton County	3	33.3%	66.7%	32
Henry County	3	33.3%	66.7%	40
Jackson County	3	100%	0%	42
Macoupin County	3	33.3%	66.7%	35
Bureau County	3	66.7%	33.3%	39
Livingston County	2	0%	100%	42.5
Clinton County	2	50%	50%	42
Calhoun County	2	0%	100%	44
Cumberland County	2	0%	100%	42.5
Ford County	2	0%	100%	37.5
Bond County	2	50%	50%	42
Schuyler County	2	100%	0%	41.5
Saline County	2	100%	0%	39
Greene County	2	50%	50%	45
Hancock County	2	0%	100%	48.5
Morgan County	2	0%	100%	35.5
Knox County	1	0%	100%	28
Brown County	1	0%	100%	44
Kendall County	1	0%	100%	24
Jo Daviess County	1	0%	100%	44
Ogle County	1	0%	100%	58
Wabash County	1	100%	0%	58
Douglas County	1	0%	100%	27
Marshall County	1	0%	100%	50
Edwards County	1	0%	100%	36
Lee County	1	0%	100%	39
Pulaski County	1	100%	0%	46
Massac County	1	0%	100%	30
Hardin County	1	100%	0%	30
Gallatin County	1	0%	100%	53