Public Accountability Report

Agency Narrative

The Prisoner Review Board (PRB) is an independent, quasi-judicial entity that makes decisions on a range of matters related to adult and juvenile individuals in custody. The 15-member board is appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Illinois Senate.

On February 1, 1978, Illinois transitioned to determinate sentencing, wherein a judge imposes a fixed sentence within a parameter of sentencing timeframes established by the Illinois legislature.

The Board has duties both during an individual’s period of incarceration, and after an individual has been released from custody. While an individual is in custody, the Board determines whether good conduct credits should be revoked based upon an individual’s conduct. Following the completion of an individual’s sentence, individuals are released from custody to serve a period of Mandatory Supervised Release (MSR), the length of which is statutorily determined based upon the sentencing offense. The Board is tasked with setting the conditions of an individual’s MSR, and imposes those requirements based upon the facts of the sentencing offense, the individual’s institutional discipline, risk assessments, recommendations received from the Illinois Department of Corrections, and other rehabilitative interventions. Examples of requirements the Board can impose include, but are not limited to, completing targeted counseling and therapies, no victim contact, Global Positioning System (GPS) monitoring, and movement restrictions.  

The Board also conducts hearings to determine when individuals are eligible and when it is appropriate for them to be released on “parole,” the period of supervised release applicable to individuals who committed a crime prior to 1978. Like MSR, the Board imposes the parole release conditions, and holds revocation hearings for individuals who are alleged to have violated the terms of their release. The Board may order an individual to be returned to custody if they are found to be in violation of those conditions. In addition, pursuant to Morales v. Findley, the PRB is required to appoint counsel to represent certain individuals in custody alleged to have violated the conditions of their parole or MSR.

The Board additionally carries out specialized juvenile parole hearings each month under a provision of the Juvenile Court Act. The PRB, pursuant to M.H. v. Monreal, is required to, among other things, provide counsel to represent juveniles in parole revocation cases. The Board also conducts monthly Youthful Parole Hearings, for certain individuals who were convicted of offenses before the age of 21.

Beginning on January 1, 2022, the Medical Release Act, also known as the Joe Coleman Act, was enacted to allow individuals in custody who are suffering from a terminal illness or medical incapacitation, to file an application seeking medical release. The Board reviews these applications and affiliated medical records and conducts hearings to determine if individuals qualify for a release and if the release is in the best interest of both the applicant and the people of the State of Illinois.

The Board additionally conducts quarterly executive clemency hearings, and then makes confidential recommendations to grant or deny petitions for clemency to the Governor. The Governor has the constitutional executive clemency power to grant or deny petitions.

The Board has a dedicated Victim Notification Unit (VNU), which provides notices to registered victims, trial judges, and prosecutors in connection with parole hearings, statutory releases, and executive clemency hearings. This is in addition to scheduling of personal appearances by victims and victims' families if they wish before the Board.  Registered victims are also given the opportunity to submit victim statements, which are then used to inform the Board when making decisions related to an individual’s release. The VNU also answers questions that victims may have about the Board’s processes. 

The PRB is continuously digitalizing files of individuals in custody to allow PRB staff and IDOC staff to access all necessary PRB documents when reviewing, conducting, and making decisions for all hearing types. The PRB is actively working to: (1) procure an electronic case management system which would streamline many of the agency’s internal processes, including scheduling, and file reviews, and (2) improve transparency by developing a strategy to publish its data on the website. These measures will allow the agency to run more efficiently and effectively for the State of Illinois and for the people the PRB serves.