Each year, the Illinois Department of Corrections releases an annual report which details programs in place at correctional facilities in the state and statistics about the prison population. In 2017, there were 43,075 inmates that were serving sentences in 25 correctional centers throughout the state. The majority of inmates--29.2 percent--were convicted of Class X felonies or the most serious felony classification for crimes other than murder.

Assault or Battery

Inmates: 3,976

If you have been convicted of a crime, you may have either served a jail sentence and then been subject to probation, or you could have been sentenced to probation in lieu of jail. Either way, probation is taken seriously in Illinois and there are consequences for violators. Probation usually requires those who are convicted of a crime to follow a certain set of rules, which can be different for everyone, based on the crime they were convicted of. Violating a condition of your probation can lead to unwanted consequences.

Common Terms and Conditions for Probation

Though the terms of probation differ from person to person, there are a few conditions that are usually present in most probations. These conditions include:

Being accused of embezzlement does not only threatens a person’s reputation and career but also their freedom. Embezzlement occurs when someone who was legally given access to property intentionally uses that property in an unlawful way.

Attempting to Prove Embezzlement

Embezzlement can occur for different forms of property, including:

Burglary occurs when a person knowingly enters an enclosed dwelling, such as a house or school or a vehicle, such as a car or an aircraft, without authorization, and with the intention of committing a crime. A burglary charge is very serious, but there are some defenses that may be available to an accused person.

Potential Defenses Against Burglary:

• Lawful entry - In this defense, a person had permission to enter the premises, so it can be argued that no breaking and entering occurred.
• Lack of intent - The prosecution will try to prove that a person knowingly entered a building with the intent to commit a crime, and not for some other purpose. If intent cannot be proven, charges may be dropped.
• Coercion - A person may be forced into committing a burglary by verbal or physical threats from another person. In some situations, coercion to commit burglary can be an act of domestic violence.
• Incapacitation - Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol can impair a person’s judgment and awareness and lead them to commit a crime. A person can normally use this defense only if another person drugged them or caused them to be intoxicated.

Lengthy Jail Sentences

In the weeks leading up to the new year, counties throughout Illinois are preparing to implement the facets of a new law that should reduce jail overcrowding. Signed into law earlier this year, the Illinois Bail Reform Act was created with a goal of making it easier for those charged with minor criminal offenses to remain free until they are required to appear in court. 

Defendants Now Have Options to Gain Release

Proponents of the new legislation indicated that the previous bail system unfairly detained the poor and indigent for relatively minor offenses. The new law is said to restore a defendant’s constitutional rights, and avoid serving time in jail prior to actually receiving a trial.