HB1064 Summary

• Establishes parole eligibility for individuals under 21 at time of offense (with limited exceptions) who were sentenced on or after June 1, 2019, with review by the Prisoner Review Board after serving 10 years for most offenses, 20 years for aggravated criminal sexual assault, and 20 years for first-degree murder.

• Persons convicted of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child are ineligible for parole review under this section; first-degree murder convicts subject to natural life imprisonment or sentencing under Section 5-4.5-105 are eligible only after serving 40 years.

• Requires the Prisoner Review Board to provide eligible persons with appointed counsel one year before hearing, written case documents nine months before hearing, and consider diminished culpability of youthful offenders and evidence of growth and maturity during incarceration.

• Mandates notification of victims and State's Attorney at least 12 months before hearing, with victim rights to attend, submit statements in multiple formats, and be informed of victim positions on parole; victim statements remain confidential and not subject to FOIA.

• Allows parole denial only if Board determines substantial risk of non-compliance with parole conditions, that release would deprecate offense seriousness, or would adversely affect institutional discipline; denied applicants receive written decisions and may seek subsequent reviews after 5 or 10 years depending on offense type.