Drug offenders given cheaper, more effective second chance

SPRINGFIELD–Drug courts, first introduced to Illinois in 2001, allow non-violent drug offenders to attend highly structured and closely monitored drug treatment programs in exchange for having their sentences reduced or dropped.

The benefits of these courts are well documented.  A study by the Attorney General showed that offenders sent to drug court are between 20 and 40 percent less likely to become repeat offenders than those sent to a traditional court. The Office of National Drug Control Policy also estimates that a drug court program can save up to $20,000 per participant.

However, under current state law, drug offenders can only be sent to drug court once. State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) passed legislation today with a vote of 54-00 to give these non-violent drug offenders another chance.

“Drug addiction is a disease, and as such, we should treat it like one. These are people who are caught up in a life they don’t wish to live in, but can’t escape after one try. We owe it to them and the taxpayers to utilize this cheaper, more effective option,” said Stadelman.

Stadelman’s proposal places no limit on the number of times a defendant can be assigned to drug court as long as they admit their addiction to drugs and have not committed a violent offense in the last ten years.

The legislation will now go to the Illinois House of Representatives.

Stadelman passes proposal in reaction to Cherry Valley fire

SPRINGFIELD– In November of 2014, Cherry Valley firefighters arrived at a house fire only to find a hydrant that was inoperable and to be used only for flushing, not fighting fires. As it turns out, the hydrants were broken and no one had told the fire department. While the house burned, they had to wait for water to be transported to the scene before the fire could be extinguished.

A proposal passed by State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) would require private water companies to notify fire departments of the working capacity of the hydrants. Stadelman was joined last week in the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee by Cherry Valley Fire Chief Craig Wilt, who testified in support of the legislation.

“This legislation would make it much easier for fire departments with private water systems to know the amount of water they have in storage if there is a fire. Right now, it’s unknown how much water is available in a private water system for firefighting, versus a municipal system where we know we will not run out of water,” said Wilt.

“Firefighters need to know the working condition of the hydrants they use. It’s extremely unfortunate a family had to lose its home because the Cherry Valley fire department hadn’t been updated on the status of the hydrants. This legislation will stop that from happening again,” said Stadelman.

The legislation passed the Senate today and will be sent to the Illinois House of Representatives. 

VIDEO: Families, providers will suffer if budget cuts go through

• Human Services
• Autism
• Budget
• Rockford

Last week, I visited several social service providers in the Rockford community that will be affected by the governor’s budget cuts. These drastic cuts are not simply numbers on a spreadsheet; they hurt real families. The Autism Program alone served over 2,000 local people. Attempting to balance the budget on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens is not the way to fix our budget problem.

April 2 Machesney Park Town Hall

Machesney Park Town Hall

When: April 2, 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Where: Machesney Park Village Hall (300 Roosevelt Road, Machesney Park)

Click on the flier for more information