IL HB4845

Establishes an Independent Corrections Ombudsperson position appointed by the Corrections Oversight Committee for a 6-year term, removable only by the Governor for cause.

Ombudsperson cannot be a current or former employee of the Department of Corrections, Department of Juvenile Justice, or their contractors.

Ombudsperson shall monitor and inspect correctional facilities, investigate unresolved complaints from inmates and staff, and collect data on deaths, suicides, assaults, lockdowns, staffing, and solitary confinement.

Ombudsperson must conduct facility inspections at least annually for non-compliant facilities and every 36 months for compliant facilities, issuing public reports with recommendations.

Department of Corrections must respond in writing within 20 days to findings with a corrective action plan; retaliation against complaint filers is prohibited, and terminated employees can seek back-pay in civil court.

Act becomes effective July 1, 2024.