The Second Chance Public Health and Safety Act

The Second Chance Public Health and Safety Act is the centerpiece of the Second Chance State Initiative. It creates the Department of Returning Residents Affairs to
provide a program of holistic, individualized reentry services to justice-involved individuals. The goal of the department will be to have a holistic, person-centered,
comprehensive public health approach to public safety, restore community cohesion and create stable and healthy communities.

The new department will develop and administer the Second Chance State Program to coordinate government and not-for-profit services with justice-involved residents of the State of Illinois, utilizing a network of community-based service providers operating

in 13 hub sites across the State. It will do this by reimagining Illinois’ response to justice-involved residents by starting the provision of services upon their first interaction with the justice system, which is more impactful than upon their release from incarceration. The Program also provides services during residents’ later interactions with courts, detention centers, and prisons, and after release.

The elements of the program provided by community-led organizations will be facilitated by “navigators” who will help justice-involved residents effectively access
and utilize the available services and providers. The navigator’s role is to create a comprehensive, holistic services plan for those residents to reduce the probability of
recidivism by the resident and help them achieve a higher possibility of a successful return to their community.

The Act also creates the Returning Residents Interagency Council to identify the manner in which State officials and agencies can allocate the use of their resources to best support the needs of returning residents.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mark McCombs

Public Policy Analyst, Safer Foundation
email: mark.mccombs@saferfoundation.org
phone: 708.321.0024