CHANGES IN CIRCUMSTANCES.

SO LET'S DIVE A BIT DEEPER INTO THE DETAILS OF THE JOE COLEMAN MEDICAL ACT.

IT WAS PASSED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE 2 YEARS AGO.

ONE OF THE NATION'S STRONGEST COMPASSIONATE RELEASE LAWS AT THE TIME.

BUT SO FAR, NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF THE REQUEST FROM DYING, A DISABLED PRISONERS HAVE BEEN DENIED.

AS WE MENTIONED, ADVOCATES ARGUE THE LAW ISN'T LIVING UP TO ITS PROMISE.

JOINING US, OUR LISA DANIELS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DARYN EASTERLING CENTER FOR RESTORATIVE PRACTICES.

AND JOINING US FROM THE TOWN OF GREENVILLE IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS IS ATTORNEY TOM, WAR.

HE WAS THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL IN 2022.

WE SHOULD ALSO MENTION WE INVITED MEMBERS OF THE ILLINOIS PRISONER REVIEW BOARD AS WELL AS VARIOUS REPRESENTATIVES FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT, INCLUDING SEVERAL SUBURBAN STATES ATTORNEYS AND SHERIFF, AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE GOP.

THEY ALL DECLINED OUR INVITATIONS.

THANKFUL TO HAVE THE 2 OF YOU, LISA AND TOM TO JOIN US.

I'M LISA, LET'S START WITH YOU, PLEASE.

AS WE MENTIONED, NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF REQUESTS FOR RELEASE BEING DENIED.

DO YOU THINK THIS LAW IS LIVING UP TO ITS PROMISE?

DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

>> AS A FORMER MEMBER OF THE PRISONER REVIEW BOARD.

SPENT.

MANY OPPORTUNITY ACTUALLY ON PANELS AND REVIEWING PETITIONS AS WELL.

THERE ARE OFTEN CHALLENGES IN THE DELIBERATION PROCESS AND ABILITY TO REACH A CONSENSUS WHEN IT COMES TO WHETHER OR NOT SOMEONE SHOULD BE RELEASED IN SPITE OF THE FACT.

THAT THEY MEET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS BE RELEASED UNDER THE JOE COLEMAN ACT.

IN FACT, YOU JUST LEFT THE PRISON REVIEW BOARD EARLIER THIS YEAR JANUARY OF THIS YEAR IN.

AND WE KNOW THAT IN SOME OF RICHARD SAYS >> PAPERWORK THAT HE GOT FROM THE PRISONER REVIEW BOARD.

I THINK IT WAS THE CHAIRMAN WHO SAYS JUST BECAUSE YOU MEET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS DOES NOT NECESSARILY AUTOMATICALLY MEAN THAT YOU WILL BE GRANTED IT JUST MAKES YOU ELIGIBLE FOR FOR CONSIDERATION.

TOM DE BOER, WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES DO YOU THINK SOMEONE SHOULD BE GRANTED?

POLICE?

>> YOU KNOW THAT HYPOTHETICAL IN THE ABSTRACT IS REALLY HARD TO APPLY.

AND YOU HAVE A GOOD ANSWER.

BUT BUT I WAS GOING TO SAY WHAT YOU JUST SAID THAT THE POINTED OUT WHERE METEOROLOGIST LEE REQUIREMENTS MEANS THAT YOU CAN APPLY DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN IT WILL BE GRANTED BEING GRANTED IS PROBABLY VERY FACT SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES.

SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THE GENTLEMAN'S A WHOLE STORY THAT YOU JUST A GIVEN TO ME, GENTLEMAN THAT BEEN IN PRISON FOR QUITE SOME TIME COMMITTED MURDER, ETCETERA, HUMAN BEING WOULD BE ABLE TO SYMPATHIZE WITH HIS PLIGHT.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S BALANCE TO THAT AS WELL FROM SOCIETY PERSPECTIVE THAT HE DID GET A SENTENCE IN THAT SENTENCE HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT.

AND, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE LOST THEIR LIFE, ETCETERA.

I DON'T PRETEND TO I THINK THAT'S AN EASY JOB BEING ON PRISONER REVIEW BOARD.

I'M SURE IT'S MIRED WITH A LOT OF EMOTION AND POLITICS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY SAY THIS LAW IS NOT MEETING ITS EXPECTATION LAWS, WHAT IT IS, IT'S A LONG WHICH MEANS IT'S A TOOL THAT CAN BE UTILIZED AND FOR PEOPLE TO APPLY THAT WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GRANTED IT.

THIS COUNCIL MUCH ABOUT THE LAWS ABOUT THE POLITICS IT.

>> AND WE MAY COME BACK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT AS BOTH TIME BEFORE WE LET YOU BOTH GO.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT MEMBERS OF THE PRB YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO CONSIDER WHEN CONSIDERING A MEDICAL RELEASE REQUEST?

WELL, OF COURSE, THE CRITERIA THAT THE STATE IS IN THE STATUTE.

AS YOU STATED EARLIER, WHETHER OR NOT THIS PERSON HAS TERMINAL ILLNESS, WHETHER OR NOT THERE BE INCAPACITATED ARE INCAPACITATED.

>> WHETHER WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE BEING ASKED TO DO WITHIN THAT PERIOD OF 6 MONTHS.

AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE PROPOSED PLAN, MEANING WHAT?

WHAT PRESIDENT PROVISIONS DOES THIS PERSON HAVE IN PLACE TO CARE FOR WILL BE CARED FOR UPON RELEASE.

AND THE INTERESTING THING IS THAT AS I UNDERSTAND THE THE LAW ITSELF AND THE CRITERIA, THE ELIGIBILITY FOR.

BEING ABLE TO APPLY.

THERE'S NO OTHER CRITERIA.

THERE.

THERE ARE NO OTHER.

THERE ARE NO OTHER FACTORS TO CONSIDER.

THERE IS ROOM TO HEAR FROM THE VICTIM OR SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS TO HAVE A AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEIR THOUGHTS AND THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THIS PERSON SHOULD BE RELEASED.

AS IN AS AS INCLEMENT.

BUT THERE ARE NO OTHER FACTORS PER THE STATUTE.

SAY THAT THE PRISONER REVIEW BOARD SHOULD CONSIDER THESE THINGS IN MAKING THE DECISION.

SO IT'S LEFT UP TO THE DISCRETION OF THE PANELISTS.

EXACTLY.

AND AND THAT'S ACTUALLY THAT'S ACTUALLY IN THE GUIDELINES THAT IT IS THE WHETHER OR NOT THIS PERSON IS GRANTED OR DENIED IS AT THE SOLE DISCRETION OF THE ILLINOIS PRISONER REVIEW BOARD.

>> SO THIS MEDICAL RELEASE ACTIVISTS ALSO TOUTED AS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO REDUCE THE HIGH COST OF CARING FOR ELDERLY.

AND OBVIOUSLY THOSE WHO NEED A GREAT DEAL OF MEDICAL CARE IN PRISON.

I'M TOM IS RELEASING PEOPLE WHO ARE INCARCERATED UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES.

IS THAT A SMART WAY FOR THE STATE TO SAVE MONEY?

>> I'M NOT CONVINCED I'M NOT SAYING IT IS OR ISN'T BECAUSE AGAIN, THOSE TYPES BEFORE TAKING A LAWYER, I WAS A FINANCE PERSON.

SO I THE PRECARIOUS OF CAN BE COMPLICATED IN, FOR EXAMPLE, IF I USE A HYPOTHETICAL THAT WE SAY WE HAVE SOMEONE.

ELDERLY BEEN THERE FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

THEY'RE INCURRING MEDICAL COSTS IN PRISON.

THEY HAVEN'T WORKED IN A COUPLE OF DECADES.

IF THEY DO MEET THAT THE FACTORS AND THEY'RE LET OUT BY THE PRISONER REVIEW BOARD, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GO GET A FULL-TIME JOB WITH PRIVATE INSURANCE, ETCETERA.

SO THOSE COSTS ARE LIKELY GOING TO BE BORNE BY THE TAXPAYERS TO SOME OTHER MECHANISM.

SO I WOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON OF IF WE LET AND THEN OUT THROUGH THIS PROCESS IS GOING TO ALLEVIATE THE TAX PAYER FROM CARRYING THOSE COST.

ME JUST SHIFTED TO ANOTHER FUN DURING ANOTHER POOL OF TAX DOLLARS.

BUT I WOULDN'T SAY THAT IT'S AN AUTOMATIC TAX SAVINGS.

KNOW I WOULD.

>> ELISE, JUST KEEPING PRISONERS WITH SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITIONS INCARCERATED.

IT DOES.

IS THAT BURDENING THE PRISON SYSTEM THAT IS ALREADY?

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD ARGUE STRAPPED.

I WOULD I WOULD I WOULD SAY THAT WOULD BE BECAUSE >> THERE PEOPLE AGAIN WHO ARE INCAPACITATED THAT ARE NOW LEFT TO BE CARED FOR AND HAVING A LOT OF THEIR DAILY NEEDS AND THAT BECOMES A BURDEN ON STAFF ON THE CORRECTION STAFF VERSUS MEDICAL STAFF.

AND SO NOW THERE'S THERE'S THIS EXPECTATION OF CORRECTIONS STAFF TO DO THINGS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF YEAH.

THE SCOPE OF THE JOB DESCRIPTION.

I WOULD ALSO IMAGINE THE IMPACT ON PUBLIC SAFETY IS SOMETHING PANELISTS THE BOARD MEMBERS CONSIDER WHEN CONSIDERING APPLICATION.

YEAH, ALWAYS CONSIDER THAT AND >> AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU THINK THIS PERSON TOO JONAH'S POINT IS ELDERLY HAS BEEN INCARCERATED FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS.

IN MOST CASES AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT POSES.

ABSOLUTELY NO THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

IF RELEASED.

>> OKAY.

SO I DID SAY WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT POLITICS A LITTLE BIT.

PRISON REVIEW BOARD SUPPOSED TO BE ROUGHLY EVENLY SPLIT BETWEEN REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS.

EXPLAINER FOR THOSE AT HOME.

WE'VE WE'VE MENTIONED IT EACH RELEASE REQUEST IS DECIDED BY A PANEL OF JUST BOARD MEMBERS OF THE THE GREATER DATA SHOWS, AND AS WE MENTIONED, THIS INFORMATION COMES FROM THE INJUSTICE WATCHING WBEZ THAT REPUBLICANS ARE CASTING MORE VOTES THAN DEMOCRATS AND THAT THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO DENY A REQUEST FOR RELEASE.

I'M LISA FIRST COME TO YOU AS WELL, TOM.

BUT, YOU KNOW, ONCE USE OUT ON THE PRISONER REVIEW BOARD, DID YOU EVER EXPERIENCED BOARD MEMBERS WHO SEEM TO BE IDEOLOGICALLY OPPOSED TO RELEASING PEOPLE WHO ARE INCARCERATED.

ABSOLUTELY.

ABSOLUTELY.

THERE.

I'VE ALWAYS SAID IT'S MY >> BELIEF THAT THE BOARD VOTES ITS IDEOLOGY, THE VOID, THE BOARD VOTES, WHAT THEY BELIEVE AND IN SPITE OF THEIR A CRITERIA THAT NEED TO BE WHERE THE STATUTES THAT NEED TO CONSIDERED WHEN MAKING DECISIONS ON WHETHER OR NOT SOMEBODY IS GOING TO BE RELEASED OR CLEMENCY IS GOING TO BE GRANTED.

THERE IS A THERE'S ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MY BELIEF SYSTEM INTO THE GUIDELINES OF THE STATUTE.

IF THE STATUTE, IF THE IF STATUTE THAT WE ARE TO CONSIDER ONE OF THE STATUES THAT WE'RE CONSIDER OUR TO CONSIDER IS WHAT DOES THIS DOES RELEASED AND IS PER PERSON DEPRECATE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE CRIME.

THERE'S THERE'S NO CRITERIA FOR THAT.

THERE'S NO THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THAT IT'S IT'S ALL SUBJECTIVE IN.

SO.

IF I WANT, IF I BELIEVE THAT A PERSON DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE, THEN MY RUSSIAN NOW IS SIMPLY I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT RELEASING THIS PERSON WOULD DEPRECATE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE CRIME.

MY DECISION FALLS UNDER THE STATUTE.

>> TOM, YOUR THOUGHTS ON POLITICS AND HOW THEY MIGHT PLAY INTO SOME OF THE DECISIONS OF THE PRB MAKES.

>> MISS DANIELS JUST MADE A VARIETY OF EXCELLENT POINTS OF WHICH I AGREE WITH HER ON.

YOU KNOW, THE THE FACTORS ARE 6 OF THEM ACTUALLY.

AND NONE OF THEM SPECIFICALLY DISCUSS WHAT WHEN SHE JUST MENTIONED.

BUT THAT'S THE HUMAN CONDITION YOU'LL SEE IT IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM.

YOU'LL SEE IT IN THE JUDICIARY IN GENERAL, THE WORD IDEOLOGY OF PEOPLE THAT INFLUENCE THEIR DECISIONS BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, IT'S A VERY BROAD RANGE OF DISCRETION.

I WOULD POINT OUT THAT PRIOR TO THIS BEING PASSED WAS A SIMILAR METHOD CLEMENCY.

THE GOVERNOR THROUGH THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.

AND I WOULD HUMBLY SUGGEST LEAST CONSIDER A MONTH SAYING IT'S TRUE.

I'M SAYING CONSIDER THE PASSING.

THIS LAW WAS A WAY TO SHIFT THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS ISSUE, WHICH IS VERY COMPLEX TO THE PRISONER REVIEW BOARD BECAUSE MAYBE THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE THESE DIFFICULT DECISIONS BECAUSE THE IDEOLOGY CAN BE SO HEATED ON BOTH SIDES.

YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT GENTLEMAN CERTAINLY STAFF.

SORRY.

SORRY.

OBVIOUSLY THE 3 OF US CAN TALK ABOUT THIS A LOT MORE