Criminal Justice Policy Commission

The Criminal Justice Policy Commission was created in the Legislative Council by Public Act 465 of 2014. The Commission is comprised of seventeen members—two members of the House of Representatives, two members of the Senate, one Attorney General representative, and twelve members appointed by the Governor. The Commission is charged to do all of the following: Collect, prepare, analyze, and disseminate information regarding state and local sentencing and proposed release policies and practices for felonies and the use of prisons and jails, collect and analyze information concerning how misdemeanor sentences and the detention of defendants pending trial affect local jails, conduct ongoing research regarding the effectiveness of the sentencing guidelines, and in cooperation with the Department of Corrections, collect, analyze, and compile data and make projections regarding the populations and capacities of state and local correctional facilities, the impact of the sentencing guidelines and other laws, rules, and policies on those populations and capacities, and the effectiveness of efforts to reduce recidivism.