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 464 men and seven women were among the parolees. Of the parolees sentenced for crimes involving weapons, one was a veteran, and the median age was 32. The youngest parolee was a 19-year-old man sentenced in 2024, and the oldest was a 68-year-old man sentenced in 2024.
The offender who had been incarcerated the longest was Vincent E. Smith. He was convicted in 2011 when he was 30 years old. He is now 43.
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 | 471 | 1.5% | 98.5% | 32 |
| Winnebago County | 24 | 4.2% | 95.8% | 30 |
| Will County | 24 | 4.2% | 95.8% | 32.5 |
| Macon County | 23 | 0% | 100% | 34 |
| DuPage County | 19 | 0% | 100% | 32 |
| Peoria County | 19 | 0% | 100% | 30 |
| St. Clair County | 17 | 0% | 100% | 31 |
| Champaign County | 16 | 6.3% | 93.8% | 27 |
| Madison County | 15 | 0% | 100% | 33 |
| Lake County | 14 | 0% | 100% | 29 |
| Kane County | 14 | 0% | 100% | 26 |
| Kankakee County | 11 | 0% | 100% | 30 |
| McLean County | 10 | 0% | 100% | 24.5 |
| Sangamon County | 8 | 0% | 100% | 26 |
| Tazewell County | 7 | 0% | 100% | 42 |
| Vermilion County | 4 | 0% | 100% | 36.5 |
| DeKalb County | 4 | 0% | 100% | 27 |
| Kendall County | 4 | 0% | 100% | 33.5 |
| Rock Island County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 28 |
| Saline County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 36 |
| Henry County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 24 |
| Stephenson County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 28 |
| Macoupin County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 35 |
| Williamson County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 29.5 |
| Adams County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 40 |
| Crawford County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 40.5 |
| Grundy County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 32.5 |
| Knox County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 28 |
| Clark County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 32 |
| Clinton County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 31 |
| Bond County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 45 |
| Warren County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 35 |
| Edwards County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 39 |
| Stark County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 22 |
| Hardin County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 42 |
| Jackson County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 23 |
| Jasper County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 32 |
| Jefferson County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 59 |
| Piatt County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 27 |
| Jersey County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 37 |
| Ogle County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 32 |
| Morgan County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 39 |
| Monroe County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 35 |
| McHenry County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 28 |
| McDonough County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 31 |
| Massac County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 39 |
| Mason County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 30 |
| Lasalle County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 45 |
| Livingston County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 45 |
| Carroll County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 32 |
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