IL HB1643

Creates the Department of Corrections Independent Ombudsperson Law, establishing an Independent Corrections Ombudsperson appointed by the Corrections Oversight Committee to serve a 6-year term, removable only by the Governor for cause

Requires the Ombudsperson to monitor and inspect Department of Corrections facilities, with annual inspections for non-compliant facilities and inspections every 36 months for compliant facilities

Authorizes investigation of unresolved complaints from incarcerated persons, their families, and corrections staff regarding facility conditions and treatment, with authority to conduct unannounced facility visits and confidential interviews

Mandates creation of a uniform data reporting system tracking deaths, suicides, assaults, lockdowns, staff vacancies, staff-to-prisoner ratios, visitation, and solitary confinement use

Requires the Department of Corrections to respond within 20 days with a corrective action plan to inspection findings, and prohibits retaliation against anyone submitting complaints to the Ombudsperson, effective July 1, 2026