SB2879 Engrossed

LRB095 19230 HLH 45488 b






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    AN ACT concerning State government.

 
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    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
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represented in the General Assembly:



 
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    Section 5. The Department of Human Services Act is amended  
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by adding Section 1-35 as follows:
 
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    (20 ILCS 1305/1-35  new)
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    Sec. 1-35. Families of incarcerated parents.  The 
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Department of Human Services and the Illinois Department of 
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Corrections shall work cooperatively with community 
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organizations and service providers to identify local 
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providers of services and to develop informational materials 
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for families and children of incarcerated parents.
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    The Department of Human Services shall develop 
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informational materials for families and children of 
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incarcerated parents.  The materials shall be designed to inform 
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children and families of incarcerated parents about the social 
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services that are available to them, including visitation 
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programs, family counseling, mentoring, school-based programs, 
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and other programs identified by community organizations that 
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work with families of prisoners.  The materials shall be 
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designed to reduce stigma and to provide support for children 
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of incarcerated parents.  The materials shall (i) provide 
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telephone and Internet contacts for the children's caregivers 
 


 






SB2879 Engrossed
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LRB095 19230 HLH 45488 b




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with further information and (ii) assist the children's 
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caregivers in locating and accessing services for the children.  
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The Department shall make this information available through 
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its website and through its existing toll-free telephone 
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numbers. 
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    The Department of Corrections shall provide the materials 
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to inmates during orientation. The Department of Corrections 
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shall provide one sealed envelope containing the public 
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information to the inmate so that the inmate may address it to 
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the inmate's children's caregiver. The Department of 
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Corrections shall mail that envelope to the address provided by 
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the inmate.  The cost of postage will be charged to the inmate's 
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trust account.  If the inmate is indigent, the Department of 
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Corrections shall pay the postage fees for mailing the 
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informational material to the inmate's children's caregiver.  
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The informational materials shall also be made available within 
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the Department of Corrections' facility visiting rooms and 
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waiting areas. 
 

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    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
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becoming law.