IllinoisIllinois would count prison days toward sentence credit
Starting January 1, 2027, Illinois would count prison days toward sentence credit and require the Department to recalculate release dates and share credit information.
What it does
People serving prison sentences would receive one day of sentence credit for each day served. The text excludes people serving natural life sentences.
The Department would recalculate release dates for people already in prison, counting one day of credit for each day served on their current sentence.
The Department would provide people in its custody with sentence-credit information in print, online, and at its facilities.
Argument forPeople in prison may have a clearer path to earn time off, while written materials could help them understand the rules.
Argument againstA shorter recalculated sentence could bring releases forward, giving communities and victims less time to prepare.
More detail
The Department of Corrections would credit one day for each day a person serves in prison. The rule applies to people serving prison sentences in Illinois. A person serving a natural life sentence would not receive this credit. The bill would take effect January 1, 2027.
The Department of Corrections would recalculate each incarcerated person's release date. The recalculation would cover each person incarcerated when the bill takes effect, regardless of conviction or sentencing date. The calculation would credit one day for each day spent in prison on the current sentence. The Department would have six months after the bill takes effect to recalculate release dates.
The Department would make current sentence-credit information available in print, online, and at its facilities. The information would be available to everyone in the Department's custody. The materials would cover eligibility, earning, loss, calculation, and proof of sentence credits. The bill would take effect January 1, 2027.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 22Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michael CrawfordLatest
- Aug 6Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Lindsey LaPointe
- Apr 16Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kevin John Olickal
- Mar 27Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
- Mar 12Assigned to Judiciary - Criminal CommitteeMinor
- Mar 12Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Anne Stava
- Feb 20Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Barbara Hernandez
- Feb 10Referred to Rules Committee
- Feb 10First ReadingMinor
- Feb 5Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Justin SlaughterIntroduced
Criminal JusticeGovernment & EthicsPublic Safety