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It’s hard to believe that summer is ending. Although the good weather should hold for a bit longer, our lifeguards will be off the beaches, the tomato harvest will slow down, kids are settling into a school routine, and we’ll turn our attention towards preparations for the upcoming Veto Session in October and November. As if on cue, our schedule started to look a bit more issue/legislative based this week and we had some great discussions with constituents and advocates on a wide array of topics.
We’ve had a lot of inquiries about a bill we passed this session that would address concerns about the ways programmatic and work credit time is allocated in our prisons. While the bill was signed this summer, it takes effect in January of next year. We had a very productive meeting with IDOC where they explained the process they’re going through to recalculate sentence credits, where challenges exist and strategies for addressing those, and department plans for communicating how the process will play out starting in January. The Department is also preparing an FAQ that will give our office and other legislators a resource to share with family members reaching out for updates.
The week continued with conversations around implementation of the mental health first responder bill known as CESSA (Community Emergency Services and Supports Act) also set to take effect in 2024, a discussion with cannabis transportation license holders facing challenges, a meeting with representatives of The John Howard Association about health care and capital needs in Illinois prisons, and a much delayed tour of the amazing Brave Space Alliance where I was able to see their services in action. From the pantry that focuses on ensuring that the food provided is what folks want to have, to their barber shop, to the new dignity project that gives trans folks access to items needed for social transition, what’s most clear is that BSA centers the humanity of the people their serve in a thoughtful and loving way. Look for another opportunity to partner with BSA soon!
The week wasn’t all work and no play though. Candace and I were excited to join with so many neighbors to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the opening of R Public House on Jarvis Square. It was a perfect city night - having dinner on the square while local band Amy Kelly and the Beaver Moon Band played and our neighbors literally danced in the street was a summer highlight for sure.
Further on in the newsletter, look for updates on our office closure for Labor Day and the end of summer hours as well as a ton of happenings in the area in the days ahead.
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