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 121 men and nine women were among the parolees. Of the parolees sentenced for crimes against persons, four were veterans, and the median age was 37. The youngest parolee was a 23-year-old man sentenced in 2022, and the oldest was a 69-year-old man sentenced in 2021.
The offender who had been incarcerated the longest was Jose Cervantes. He was convicted in 2010 when he was 31 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 | 130 | 6.9% | 93.1% | 37 |
| Macon County | 25 | 4% | 96% | 42 |
| Winnebago County | 22 | 9.1% | 90.9% | 36 |
| Lake County | 21 | 0% | 100% | 37 |
| St. Clair County | 15 | 6.7% | 93.3% | 41 |
| Will County | 14 | 0% | 100% | 38.5 |
| Peoria County | 13 | 7.7% | 92.3% | 38 |
| Champaign County | 10 | 0% | 100% | 42 |
| Madison County | 10 | 10% | 90% | 43 |
| Kane County | 9 | 0% | 100% | 38 |
| Vermilion County | 9 | 11.1% | 88.9% | 36 |
| Sangamon County | 9 | 11.1% | 88.9% | 41 |
| McHenry County | 7 | 0% | 100% | 35 |
| Kankakee County | 6 | 0% | 100% | 38 |
| Lasalle County | 6 | 0% | 100% | 45 |
| DeKalb County | 5 | 0% | 100% | 31 |
| Adams County | 5 | 0% | 100% | 34 |
| Rock Island County | 4 | 0% | 100% | 34.5 |
| Stephenson County | 4 | 0% | 100% | 28 |
| McLean County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 38 |
| Montgomery County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 40 |
| Marion County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 27 |
| Lawrence County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 47 |
| Shelby County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 29 |
| Tazewell County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 35 |
| DuPage County | 3 | 33.3% | 66.7% | 39 |
| Jefferson County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 47 |
| Jackson County | 3 | 33.3% | 66.7% | 35 |
| Boone County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 32 |
| Coles County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 45 |
| Clinton County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 41 |
| Randolph County | 2 | 50% | 50% | 30.5 |
| Fulton County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 32 |
| Macoupin County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 43 |
| Christian County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 40.5 |
| Lee County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 38.5 |
| Knox County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 34.5 |
| Union County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 32 |
| Clark County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 26 |
| Calhoun County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 43 |
| Bureau County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 33 |
| Williamson County | 1 | 100% | 0% | 39 |
| Crawford County | 1 | 100% | 0% | 49 |
| Saline County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 37 |
| Douglas County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 22 |
| Richland County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 32 |
| Pike County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 37 |
| Woodford County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 40 |
| Ogle County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 39 |
| Moultrie County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 27 |
| Edgar County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 34 |
| Monroe County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 42 |
| Effingham County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 39 |
| Franklin County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 40 |
| Massac County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 37 |
| Mason County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 62 |
| Grundy County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 37 |
| Hancock County | 1 | 100% | 0% | 31 |
| Logan County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 40 |
| Henderson County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 21 |
| Henry County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 40 |
| Iroquois County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 42 |
| Kendall County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 35 |
| Johnson County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 39 |
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