| Thursday, July 2, 2009
The Honorable Pat Quinn
Office of the Governor
207 State Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
Re SB 1320
Dear Governor Quinn
The League of Women Voters of Illinois asks that you support SB 1320, a measure that creates an Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council.
Such a panel would examine sentencing policies and practices with the goal of increasing proportionality and would monitor costs and activities of the criminal justice and correctional systems. It calls for collecting data, analyzing proposed legislation and setting rational priorities for the use of resources.
Over a quarter of a century ago, the League called for guidelines to reduce disparity in sentencing to promote fairness. At the time we pointed out the need to provide funds for probation, to provide resources for alcohol and drug treatment and to encourage the development of community programs for offenders who otherwise would have been sent to prison,
The Leagues sees SB 1320 as a useful tool to promote fairness and to rationalize the use of scarce resources without jeopardizing public safety. For these reasons, the League urges you to sign SB 1320. Thank you for considering our request.
Sincerely yours,
Nancy Marcus Eileen Subak
President Criminal Justice Issue Specialist
League of Women Voters of Illinois
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