Democrat state lawmakers in Illinois are pushing to change the terminology used to refer to criminals, reclassifying them as “justice-impacted individuals” through an amendment to the 2009 Illinois Crime Reduction Act. House Bill 4409, sponsored by several Democrats, aims to replace references to “offenders” with the new term.
The bill would also expand the Adult Redeploy Illinois Oversight Board by adding members from the Illinois Departments of Corrections and Human Services, as well as representatives from the Sangamon and Cook County Adult Probation departments and two individuals with personal experience in the Adult Redeploy Illinois system.
The proposed legislation comes as Illinois, led by Democrat Governor J.B. Pritzker, who won reelection in 2022, has faced criticism for its perceived soft-on-crime policies. In September, Illinois became the first state to eliminate cash bail, a move that has drawn further scrutiny.
Republican State Senator Steve McClure expressed concerns about the effort to reclassify offenders, stating, “There seems to be this rush to take away all accountability for people who commit crimes.” McClure argued that for individuals to truly reform, they must acknowledge their wrongdoings, adding, “If a person is going to get on the right path, they have to know they did something wrong.”
McClure further criticized the move as “apologizing for the criminal” and disregarding the plight of victims, stating, “The only thing that you don’t want to change is the behavior of criminals. And guess who’s paying for that right now? Victims all across this state. I urge a no vote.”
The legislation is being sponsored by Democrat State Representatives Kelly M. Cassidy and Lindsey LaPointe, as well as Democrat State Senators Robert Peters, Mike Simmons, and Adriane Johnson, according to a Fox News report.
While the bill has passed both the state House and Senate earlier this week, according to WGN News, the proposed terminology change would apply to approximately 1,800 offenders in Illinois.