104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB0044 Introduced , by Rep. Rita Mayfield SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act Creates the Community-Based Corrections Act. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall establish a program that funds community-based nonprofit providers to serve emerging adults as an alternative to traditional incarceration. Provides that community-based providers shall offer housing, workforce training, mental health counseling, and restorative justice programming in alignment with State guidelines. Provides that the program shall be subject to judicial discretion, allowing sentencing judges to assign eligible individuals to community-based settings instead of Department of Corrections facilities. Provides that all community-based providers must have a written agreement with a restorative justice court for all emerging adults within their care to participate in the restorative justice court programs. Provides that community-based providers shall be compensated at a rate equivalent to the monthly per-inmate cost of incarceration as determined by the Department in its Fiscal Impact Statement. Community-based providers shall be paid on a monthly basis for the number of individuals within their care. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall allocate existing budget authority for contractual services to fund the program created by the Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall establish operational standards, including housing conditions, workforce training quality, and mental health support services, to ensure program efficacy. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall monitor and evaluate providers to maintain compliance with State and judicial requirements. Provides that community-based providers shall submit annual reports to the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Services detailing participant outcomes, including recidivism rates, employment statistics, and community reintegration success. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall report program performance to the General Assembly annually, including cost savings from reduced incarceration based on emerging adults participating with community-based providers for fewer years than they would serve in a Department of Corrections facility. Effective immediately. LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB0044 Introduced , by Rep. Rita Mayfield SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act New Act Creates the Community-Based Corrections Act. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall establish a program that funds community-based nonprofit providers to serve emerging adults as an alternative to traditional incarceration. Provides that community-based providers shall offer housing, workforce training, mental health counseling, and restorative justice programming in alignment with State guidelines. Provides that the program shall be subject to judicial discretion, allowing sentencing judges to assign eligible individuals to community-based settings instead of Department of Corrections facilities. Provides that all community-based providers must have a written agreement with a restorative justice court for all emerging adults within their care to participate in the restorative justice court programs. Provides that community-based providers shall be compensated at a rate equivalent to the monthly per-inmate cost of incarceration as determined by the Department in its Fiscal Impact Statement. Community-based providers shall be paid on a monthly basis for the number of individuals within their care. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall allocate existing budget authority for contractual services to fund the program created by the Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall establish operational standards, including housing conditions, workforce training quality, and mental health support services, to ensure program efficacy. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall monitor and evaluate providers to maintain compliance with State and judicial requirements. Provides that community-based providers shall submit annual reports to the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Services detailing participant outcomes, including recidivism rates, employment statistics, and community reintegration success. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall report program performance to the General Assembly annually, including cost savings from reduced incarceration based on emerging adults participating with community-based providers for fewer years than they would serve in a Department of Corrections facility. Effective immediately. LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB0044 Introduced , by Rep. Rita Mayfield SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act New Act New Act Creates the Community-Based Corrections Act. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall establish a program that funds community-based nonprofit providers to serve emerging adults as an alternative to traditional incarceration. Provides that community-based providers shall offer housing, workforce training, mental health counseling, and restorative justice programming in alignment with State guidelines. Provides that the program shall be subject to judicial discretion, allowing sentencing judges to assign eligible individuals to community-based settings instead of Department of Corrections facilities. Provides that all community-based providers must have a written agreement with a restorative justice court for all emerging adults within their care to participate in the restorative justice court programs. Provides that community-based providers shall be compensated at a rate equivalent to the monthly per-inmate cost of incarceration as determined by the Department in its Fiscal Impact Statement. Community-based providers shall be paid on a monthly basis for the number of individuals within their care. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall allocate existing budget authority for contractual services to fund the program created by the Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall establish operational standards, including housing conditions, workforce training quality, and mental health support services, to ensure program efficacy. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall monitor and evaluate providers to maintain compliance with State and judicial requirements. Provides that community-based providers shall submit annual reports to the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Services detailing participant outcomes, including recidivism rates, employment statistics, and community reintegration success. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall report program performance to the General Assembly annually, including cost savings from reduced incarceration based on emerging adults participating with community-based providers for fewer years than they would serve in a Department of Corrections facility. Effective immediately. LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b A BILL FOR HB0044LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b HB0044 LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b HB0044 LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b 1 AN ACT concerning criminal law. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 5 Community-Based Corrections Act. 6 Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to create a 7 transformative post-conviction model that reduces reliance on 8 traditional incarceration for emerging adults by fostering 9 partnerships between the Department of Corrections, the 10 Department of Human Services, and nonprofit, community-based 11 providers to implement restorative justice, workforce 12 training, and mental health support. 13 Section 10. Definitions. In this Act: 14 "Community-based provider" means a nonprofit organization 15 that provides residential and rehabilitative services to 16 emerging adults. 17 "Emerging adult" means an individual who is at least 18 18 years of age but under 26 years of age who has been convicted 19 of a crime that is eligible for confinement in a penal 20 institution. 21 "Penal institution" has the meaning ascribed to the term 22 in Section 2-14 of the Criminal Code of 2012. 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB0044 Introduced , by Rep. Rita Mayfield SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act New Act New Act Creates the Community-Based Corrections Act. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall establish a program that funds community-based nonprofit providers to serve emerging adults as an alternative to traditional incarceration. Provides that community-based providers shall offer housing, workforce training, mental health counseling, and restorative justice programming in alignment with State guidelines. Provides that the program shall be subject to judicial discretion, allowing sentencing judges to assign eligible individuals to community-based settings instead of Department of Corrections facilities. Provides that all community-based providers must have a written agreement with a restorative justice court for all emerging adults within their care to participate in the restorative justice court programs. Provides that community-based providers shall be compensated at a rate equivalent to the monthly per-inmate cost of incarceration as determined by the Department in its Fiscal Impact Statement. Community-based providers shall be paid on a monthly basis for the number of individuals within their care. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall allocate existing budget authority for contractual services to fund the program created by the Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall establish operational standards, including housing conditions, workforce training quality, and mental health support services, to ensure program efficacy. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall monitor and evaluate providers to maintain compliance with State and judicial requirements. Provides that community-based providers shall submit annual reports to the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Services detailing participant outcomes, including recidivism rates, employment statistics, and community reintegration success. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall report program performance to the General Assembly annually, including cost savings from reduced incarceration based on emerging adults participating with community-based providers for fewer years than they would serve in a Department of Corrections facility. Effective immediately. LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b A BILL FOR New Act LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b HB0044 LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b HB0044- 2 -LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b HB0044 - 2 - LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b HB0044 - 2 - LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b 1 "Restorative justice court" means a judicial body 2 facilitating community-based resolutions to address harm 3 caused by offenders and promote rehabilitation. 4 Section 15. Establishment of community-based corrections. 5 (a) The Department of Corrections shall establish a 6 program that funds community-based nonprofit providers to 7 serve emerging adults as an alternative to traditional 8 incarceration. 9 (b) Community-based providers shall offer housing, 10 workforce training, mental health counseling, and restorative 11 justice programming in alignment with State guidelines. 12 (c) The program shall be subject to judicial discretion, 13 allowing sentencing judges to assign eligible individuals to 14 community-based settings instead of Department of Corrections 15 facilities. All community-based providers must have a written 16 agreement with a restorative justice court for all emerging 17 adults within their care to participate in the restorative 18 justice court programs. 19 (d) The Department of Human Services shall approve 20 community-based providers as eligible to participate in the 21 program, based on their ability to deliver high-quality 22 programming consistent with Department of Human Services 23 mandates. 24 Section 20. Funding and payment structure. HB0044 - 2 - LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b HB0044- 3 -LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b HB0044 - 3 - LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b HB0044 - 3 - LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b 1 (a) Community-based providers shall be compensated at a 2 rate equivalent to the monthly per-inmate cost of 3 incarceration as determined by the Department of Corrections 4 in its Fiscal Impact Statement. Community-based providers 5 shall be paid on a monthly basis for the number of individuals 6 within their care. 7 (b) The Department of Corrections shall allocate existing 8 budget authority for contractual services to fund the program 9 created by this Act. 10 Section 25. Standards and oversight. 11 (a) The Department of Human Services shall establish 12 operational standards, including housing conditions, workforce 13 training quality, and mental health support services, to 14 ensure program efficacy. 15 (b) The Department of Human Services shall monitor and 16 evaluate providers to maintain compliance with State and 17 judicial requirements. 18 Section 30. Reporting and accountability. 19 (a) Community-based providers shall submit annual reports 20 to the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human 21 Services detailing participant outcomes, including recidivism 22 rates, employment statistics, and community reintegration 23 success. 24 (b) The Department of Corrections shall report program HB0044 - 3 - LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b HB0044- 4 -LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b HB0044 - 4 - LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b HB0044 - 4 - LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b 1 performance to the General Assembly annually, including cost 2 savings from reduced incarceration based on emerging adults 3 participating with community-based providers for fewer years 4 than they would serve in a Department of Corrections facility. HB0044 - 4 - LRB104 03575 RLC 13599 b