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 seven men and one woman were among the parolees. Of the parolees sentenced for sex crimes, one was a veteran, and the median age was 40. The youngest parolee was a 25-year-old man sentenced in 2021, and the oldest was a 58-year-old man sentenced in 2023.
The offender who had been incarcerated the longest was Cynthia E. Warren. She was convicted in 2014 when she was 27 years old. She is now 37.
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 | 128 | 1.6% | 98.4% | 42.5 |
| Lake County | 11 | 0% | 100% | 45 |
| Winnebago County | 8 | 12.5% | 87.5% | 39.5 |
| Sangamon County | 7 | 0% | 100% | 41 |
| Kane County | 6 | 0% | 100% | 42.5 |
| McLean County | 5 | 0% | 100% | 45 |
| Tazewell County | 4 | 0% | 100% | 56 |
| Will County | 4 | 0% | 100% | 42 |
| DuPage County | 3 | 0% | 100% | 50 |
| Williamson County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 38 |
| Madison County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 61 |
| Logan County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 37.5 |
| Pike County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 33 |
| Kankakee County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 32.5 |
| Jefferson County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 36.5 |
| Franklin County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 31.5 |
| Coles County | 2 | 0% | 100% | 38.5 |
| Rock Island County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 72 |
| Whiteside County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 43 |
| Saline County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 51 |
| Vermilion County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 39 |
| Schuyler County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 34 |
| Union County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 53 |
| Mason County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 48 |
| Knox County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 66 |
| Henderson County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 38 |
| Hancock County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 32 |
| Gallatin County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 75 |
| Fayette County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 33 |
| Edgar County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 73 |
| DeKalb County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 61 |
| Clay County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 38 |
| Christian County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 33 |
| Champaign County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 45 |
| Carroll County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 56 |
| Boone County | 1 | 0% | 100% | 42 |
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