Issue Position: JB's Criminal Justice Reform Plan

Issue Position

It's time to imagine a criminal justice system that gives Illinoisans a chance to reach their full potential. It's time to end mass incarceration and get our communities the support they need to thrive. It's time to move away from a system of imprisonment and build a true system of justice.

As governor, I will propose an office of Criminal Justice Reform and Economic Opportunity, spearheaded by my pick for Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. This office will focus on evidence-based solutions to move us forward. We will build economic opportunity to keep people out of the criminal justice system and help Illinoisans transition back to their communities. We're going to support youth and adults so they don't enter the justice system in the first place. We're going to reform sentencing to match the offense and support rehabilitation. Finally, we're going to reduce gun violence with the public health approach we need to keep our communities safe.

Long term, we must reverse Bruce Rauner's systemic disinvestment in communities across our state. Bruce Rauner decimated human services in Illinois, blocked public education funding, and undermined economic opportunity for so many of our communities. These are the services and foundations that enable communities to build better lives and as governor, I will fight every day to reverse this damage.

My plan focuses on four key areas:

Legalize marijuana and modernize sentencing, especially for low level drug offenses.
Reduce recidivism and re-entry by removing economic barriers around employment, affordable housing, human services, and family reunification.
Reform our juvenile justice system and end the criminalization of children by investing in court diversion programs and restorative justice alternatives to incarceration.
Treat gun violence like a public health epidemic and make police more accountable to the communities they serve.

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