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SB 2073: Retroactive Parole for Children and Young Adults
Senate Sponsor
Senator Seth Lewis
Senate Bill 2073 would allow people currently incarcerated and convicted when they were younger than 21 to benefit from recent prospective parole laws. The recent laws, Public Act 102-1128 (2023) and Public Act 100-1182 (2019) created the first new parole opportunities in Illinois since our state abolished parole in 1978. Together, the laws ensure no children 17 and younger can receive a life without parole sentence; they also extend parole consideration to most people 18-20.
SB 2073 would apply both bills retroactively to make sure youthful parole opportunities are applied fairly and evenly and bring Illinois in line with most states that have abolished life without parole for children and young adults.
A majority of states that have abolished life without parole sentences for children and young adults have made these changes retroactive. This includes conservative states like Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, and Wyoming.
If passed today, only 523 people in Illinois (or 1.7% of the current prison population) would be eligible immediately, 355 of whom were convicted in Cook County.
Read the Full Bill Download the Fact Sheet Learn About Emerging AdultsBill Status
The bill was introduced in the Senate on February 9, 2023.