Commission on Children of Incarcerated Parents

Strategic Plan

October 2025

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Introduction 3
• Background 4
• Methodology 7
• Strategic Plan 9
  • Government Policy & Communication 9
  • Programming & Services 22
  • Training & Interactions 29
  • Visitation 36
• Appendix 51

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INTRODUCTION

As of 2022, an estimated 4.3 million U.S children, 6.2% of the child population, have experienced the incarceration of a parent.1 Because of the trauma associated with having an incarcerated parent, children of incarcerated parents are at an increased risk for poor psychological, economic, and physical outcomes as well as low educational attainment. Recognizing the unique burden placed on children of incarcerated parents, and the importance of protecting these children from additional trauma, judgment, and disregard, Illinois lawmakers have created a Commission on Children of Incarcerated Parents to work with state agencies in order to implement statewide changes to improve the lived experiences of children of incarcerated parents.

In April 2019, IL-HB2649 unanimously passed in the House of Representatives, establishing the Task Force on Children of Incarcerated Parents. The Task Force included members of state and local law enforcement; representatives of the adult and juvenile correctional systems; academics; legislators; and individuals with lived experience of personal or parental incarceration. The Task Force was charged with developing recommendations for better serving children and families of the incarcerated. From August 2019 to December 2020 the Task Force met to develop recommendations in seven areas which were published in their final report:

1. Government Policies and Procedures
2. Training
3. Inter-Agency Communication and Collaboration
4. Support for Programming and Services
5. Interactions with Parents when Children are Present
6. Interactions During Visitation
7. Implementation and Enforcement

Under Implementation and Enforcement, the Task Force on Children of Incarcerated Parents recommended the establishment of a Commission on Children of Incarcerated Parents to coordinate agencies and implement the recommendations of the Task Force. The Task Force final report stated that this Commission should (a) include members representing relevant agencies and stakeholder, (b) be transparent and issue annual reports about its progress and the state of policy and practice in the state, and (c) be provided statutory enforcement powers to ensure that its policy and practice changes are implemented appropriately.

State lawmakers heeded this call for an entity to ensure that the Task Force recommendations were appropriately implemented. After the Task Force on Children of Incarcerated Parents Final Report and Recommendations^2 was published in December 2020, lawmakers created the Commission on Children of Incarcerated Parents (HB5525), structured in accordance with the Task Force recommendations. According to Section 106G-5 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 (725 ILCS 5/), the Commission is charged with developing a strategic plan that outlines specific goals, information-gathering activities, benchmarks, and timelines for the purpose of fully implementing the recommendations of the Task Force on Children of Incarcerated Parents. The Commission is also tasked with identifying resources, strategies, and legislative proposals to support the full administration and implementation of the Task Force recommendations.

The Commission conducted its work from September 2023 to January 2025 with staff support from the Illinois Department of Human Services. Over the course of seven full Commission meetings, and 13 smaller work group meetings, it called on the expertise of representatives from state agencies such as the Illinois Department of Corrections, the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services, to develop a comprehensive and realistic strategic plan for the implementation of the Task Force on Children of Incarcerated Parents recommendations.

The Commission on Children of Incarcerated Parents created a strategic plan that covers the following four areas, based on the initial focus areas of the original Task Force report:

1. Government Policy & Communication
2. Training & Interactions
3. Support for Programming & Services
4. Interactions During Visitation

In the pages that follow, this report will provide further context for the creation of the Commission on Children of Incarcerated Parents as well as a detailed and realistic five-year strategic plan for the implementation of the recommendations originally put forth by the Task Force on Children of Incarcerated Parents. The members of this Commission look forward to partnering with the state agencies referenced in the plan to bring it to fruition in a timely and comprehensive manner. We believe that the implementation of the strategic plan below is an important and necessary step toward improving the lived experiences of the children and families of the incarcerated, as well as incarcerated individuals themselves.

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BACKGROUND

Since the 1970s, incarceration rates in the United States have nearly quadrupled, going from 93 per 100,000 U.S. residents in 1972 to 355 per 100,000 U.S residents in 2022.3 This increase in incarceration rates has disproportionately impacted communities of color, who are overrepresented in the incarcerated population.4 In Illinois, for example, more than half of the prison population is Black,5 and Black people in the state are incarcerated at a rate that is 7.5 times higher than white people.6 With over 53,000 individuals incarcerated in jail or prison in Illinois, and another 106,000 on probation or parole, approximately 160,000 Illinois residents are currently behind bars or under community supervision.7 As of 2023, Illinois ranked ninth in the nation with respect to the total number of individuals under correctional control.8

Incarceration is a major life event that acts as a barrier to individuals seeking safe and stable housing and employment.9 It often leads to negative outcomes for the broader community of which incarcerated individuals are a part. Members of the community often experience poor physical, psychological, and economic outcomes along with the incarcerated individuals,10 and on many occasions, children of incarcerated individuals suffer from a decline in academic and health outcomes upon the incarceration of a parent.11

As of 2022, an estimated 4.3 million U.S children, 6.2% of the child population, have experienced the incarceration of a parent.12 Importantly, these numbers vary across race, with 18% of Native American/American Indian children and 10% of Black/African American children having a previously or currently incarcerated parent.13 The average child with a parent incarcerated in a state prison is 9 years old, with 18% of these children being under 5 years old.14 Importantly, earlier exposure to parental incarceration is associated with a greater risk of rule-breaking, potentially high-risk behaviors such as multiple partnerships, and overall poor adjustment into adolescence.15 Parental incarceration is also associated with adverse health and academic outcomes among children and adolescents. For example, children with incarcerated parents are less likely to be on-track for early learning skills, self-regulation, social-emotional development, and physical health & motor development, than their peers.16 And for those children who witness their parent's arrest before incarceration, they are even more likely to demonstrate concerning internalizing behavior during their parent's incarceration, such as being anxious, depressed, and withdrawn, particularly for children under the age of eight.17

Many parents are aware of the negative impact that their incarceration may have on their children. They recognize the significant hardship that their incarceration can place on their children and their families, and often experience anxiety and guilt over the physical and emotional distance between themselves and their children.18 Some parents have tried to work with their facilities to establish parenting programs, improve the in-person visitation experience, and facilitate improved communication by phone and mail.19 However, many have stated that a lack of support services and challenges in understanding and navigating the criminal justice system have been barriers to improving their relationships with their children.20

Notably, since the initial publication of the Task Force on Children of Incarcerated Parents Final Report and Recommendations in December 2020, a number of relevant efforts have been made to improve the lived experiences of children of incarcerated parents in Illinois and across the country. For example, the Family Sentencing Alternative Pilot Program created by the Oregon Department of Human Services delivered a report in January 2021 on the success of the program, featuring a three-year recidivism study highlighting the program's success at reducing new convictions and returns to the criminal justice system among primary caregivers.21 Minnesota established its own pilot project, funded the Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Second Chance Act and supported by the MN Department of Health and the University of Minnesota. The model jail practices learning community program, which has since been expanded into more than 14 counties across the state, is designed to expand services in local jails and communities with the goal of supporting incarcerated parents and their families.22 In Illinois, the Illinois Action for Children (IAFC) recently used a co-design approach to host a workshop geared towards better understanding the challenges facing incarceration-impacted families and co-creating interventions to address these challenges. The process resulted in a list of recommendations to strengthen family connections among those impacted by incarceration which can be found in the IAFC Final Report.23

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METHODOLOGY

The Task Force on Children of Incarcerated Parents was created by HB 2649 after being introduced by State Rep. Delia Ramirez. After being signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker in August 2019, the Task Force spent just over a year developing recommendations to improve the lived experiences of the children and families of incarcerated individuals. The Final Task Force Report was published in December 2020 with recommendations for a Commission to execute their recommendations.

The Task Force on Children of Incarcerated Parents made the following recommendations regarding the establishment, implementation, and enforcement responsibilities of the Commission on Children of Incarcerated Parents:

1. The state should establish a standing Commission on Children of Incarcerated Parents to coordinate agencies and implement the recommendations of this Task Force.
2. The Commission should include members representing relevant agencies and stakeholders.
3. The Commission should be transparent and issue annual reports about its progress and the state of policy and practice in the state.
4. The Commission should be provided statutory enforcement powers to ensure that its policy and practice changes are implemented appropriately.

In order to address these recommendations, State Rep. Delia Ramirez introduced HB 5525 at the beginning of January 2022 to create the Commission on Children of Incarcerated Parents, as recommended by the Task Force on Children of Incarceration. The Commission was signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker in May 2022 to be established in 2023 and was created to reflect the diversity of the State of Illinois including representatives from community-based organizations, formerly incarcerated individuals, individuals impacted by policies relating to children of incarcerated parents, and a broad range of public and private organizations. Section 106G-5 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 (725 ILCS 5/) states that the Commission on Children of Incarcerated Parents is responsible for implementing and coordinating the recommendations of the Task Force, and clearly establishes the Commission membership requirements, including representatives from relevant agencies and involved stakeholders. Since its 2023 inception, the Commission has also published two annual reports informing the public of its progress which have been posted on the websites of the Governor and the General Assembly, thus ensuring that all necessary action has been taken to enact the implementation and enforcement recommendations from the Task Force on Children of Incarcerated Parents listed above.

Administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services and chaired by Cecilia Ruffin, representative from the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Commission held seven meetings between September 2023 and January 2025. Each meeting was designed to bring together representatives from state agencies and other experts in the field, including those with lived experience, to discuss potential options for and barriers to the implementation of the recommendations that were put forth by the Task Force on Children of Incarcerated Parents.

Discussions around the implementation of the Task Force recommendations and the resources that would be needed for the execution of any strategic plan were informed by the 24 statutorily required Commission members including representatives from state agencies such as the Department of Children & Family Services, Department of Juvenile Justice, Department of Human Services, Department of Corrections, Illinois Sheriffs' Association, Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, and Illinois State Police. The Commission included including representation from the government, individuals working in the field, and those personally impacted by policies related to children of incarcerated parents. A full list of Commission members can be found on appointments.illinois.gov.

The Commission was divided into four work groups to address the four categories covered in the final strategic plan which include (1) Government Policy & Communication, (2) Training & Interactions, (3) Support for Programming & Services, and (4) Interactions During Visitation. Each focus group met three to four times to discuss the recommendations related to their topic area. At these work group meetings, each Commissioner volunteered to contribute to the initial drafting of the strategic plan for one or more of the recommendations being addressed by their work group. Full Commission meetings then acted as a space where individual Commissioners or teams of Commissioners could share their ideas for the recommendation for which they were responsible and receive feedback on the feasibility, barriers to, and limitations of their proposed strategy for implementation. Throughout these discussions, the Commission recognized that some of the recommendations put forth by the Task Force may be difficult to implement due to resource constraints. This is especially the case for the implementation of such recommendations in county jails. As a result, the strategic plan below addresses these limitations while nonetheless positing potential pathways for the implementation of the recommendations as put forth by the original Task Force.

In September 2025, the Commission on Children of Incarcerated Parents reviewed the draft of the Strategic Plan and provided their final pieces of feedback. The Commission then convened to take a final vote on the content of the Plan. Agendas and minutes for all formal meetings of the Commission, including record of attendance and roll call votes, can be found on the Illinois Department of Human Services website.

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THE STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE COMMISSION ON CHILDEN OF INCARCERATED PARENTS

GOVERNMENT POLICY & COMMUNICATION

(A)The State of Illinois should conduct an audit of local and state policy and procedures concerning children of incarcerated parents.

Policy and procedures impacting children of incarcerated parents vary greatly from agency to agency and jurisdiction to jurisdiction. This inconsistency creates a bureaucratic maze that children and their caregivers must navigate to establish and maintain contact and communication between parents and children, directly impacting the mental health and long-term resilience of both these groups. In order to move towards consistent policies across carceral systems, it is essential that current policies and procedures are researched and compiled into a database that can be provided to the Commission on Children of Incarcerated Parents and local jurisdictions to establish best practices, identify obstacles, and implement child-friendly policies and procedures. This will require an audit of formal/written policies and procedures; unwritten policies and procedures; channels of communications between agencies (state and local); and sources of information (e.g., webpages) where children of incarcerated parents and their caretakers can obtain information on status of, access to, and communication with incarcerated parents.

Objectives & Indicators of Success

Objective 1: The Commission will contract an outside partner with the ability to conduct survey work, organize & review documents, and summarize their findings. This contracted partner, in conjunction with the Commission, will identify state agencies that interface with children of incarcerated parents and identify the most appropriate points of contact at those agencies.

• Indicator of Success 1.1: Commission has identified outside partner, finalized contract, and provided all necessary onboarding information.
• Indicator of Success 1.2: Commission and contracted partner have compiled a complete list of agencies with point of contact and contact information.

Objective 2: The Commission and contracted partner will secure written policies and procedures, as well as links to information on each state agency website that in anyway pertain to the process by which the agency identifies and responds to children whose parents have been arrested in their presence, detained pending disposition of the case, or incarcerated by the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) or Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ).

• Indicator of Success 2.1: All state agency policies and procedures have been submitted.
• Indicator of Success 2.2: Policies and procedures have been compiled by contracted partner and summarized in a matrix for Commission review.
• Indicator of Success 2.3: Commission review of policy and procedures has been completed and recommendations made to state agencies or the Illinois General Assembly (ILGA), as needed.

Objective 3: The contracted partner will conduct a survey of senior administrators at local offices of state agencies to ascertain the level of knowledge and response to children of incarcerated parents, their caretakers, and the incarcerated parents, where appropriate.

• Indicator of Success 3.1: Contracted partner has created a survey addressing the following policies and procedures:
  • Frequency of contacts with incarcerated children or their caretakers
  • Under what circumstances they would receive a request for services/response to children of incarcerated children
  • The specialized needs they have identified in children of incarcerated parents and the resources they have provided to address those needs
  • Barriers to providing services to respond to the specialized needs of children of incarcerated parents
  • Resources they think would help identify those needs (e.g., training of staff, transportation)
  • Privacy, legal or safety barriers prevent their office from responding to the needs of incarcerated children or their caretakers
  • Information they provide/post on carceral visitation and other rights and resources for children of incarcerated parents and their caretakers
  • Training that has been provided to their staff on carceral visitation and other rights and resources for children of incarcerated parents and their caretakers

• Indicator of Success 3.2: List of relevant agency office contacts at targeted agency offices has been developed by Commission and contracted partner, and the mechanism for survey dissemination established.
• Indicator of Success 3.3: Survey has been disseminated to targeted agency office contacts.
• Indicator of Success 3.4: Survey results have been compiled, analysis completed, and results presented to members of the Commission by the contracted partner.
• Indicator of Success 3.5: Survey results have been discussed by Commission and specific policy, procedural, and public information recommendations have been made for each agency.

Objective 4: Relevant members of the Commission will connect with representatives from the Illinois Sheriffs Association (ISA), Illinois State Police (ISP), Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB), Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP), Cook County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), and Chicago Police Department (CPD) to obtain copies of written policies from each department relative to:

• Indicator of Success 4.1: Representatives of key law enforcement agencies have been contacted, and their assistance has been confirmed.

• Indicator of Success 4.2: Mechanisms of communication with each group of stakeholders have been identified and contact lists have been compiled.
• Indicator of Success 4.3: Letter/email to law enforcement contacts has been drafted and sent and goal percentage of law enforcement agencies responding with policies has been met.
• Indicator of Success 4.4: Policy compilation and analysis has been completed.
• Indicator of Success 4.5: Results have been discussed by Commission and specific policy and procedural recommendations have been made to local law enforcement agencies.

Objective 5: Commission members with ties to law enforcement will work with the contracted partner and law enforcement representatives (from ISA, ISP, ILETSB, ILACP, CCSO, and CPD) to create and conduct a survey of local law enforcement agencies including sheriff's offices to ascertain the following:

• ???Policies for visitation by children of incarcerated parents including:

• Ongoing contact between incarcerated parents and their children including available channels of communication between parents and children, caregivers, state agencies, social service providers, courts, and other caring for their children
• Screening processes for new inmates to determine the status of children for whom they might be the primary caretaker
• How information on visitation and other communication between incarcerated parents and their children is made publicly available

• Indicator of Success 5.1: Representatives of key law enforcement agencies have been contacted and their assistance enlisted.
• Indicator of Success 5.2: Mechanisms of communication with each group of stakeholders have been identified and contact lists have been compiled.
• Indicator of Success 5.3: Survey has been disseminated to targeted agency office contacts.
• Indicator of Success 5.4: Survey results have been compiled, analysis completed, and results presented to members of the Commission by the contracted partner.
• Indicator of Success 5.5: Survey results have been discussed by Commission and specific policy, procedural, and public information recommendations have been made to local law enforcement agencies.

Agencies & Stakeholders ??Involved

• Illinois Department of ??Corrections (IDOC), Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), and the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ)
  • Strategic plan implementation co-leads
  • Collection of policies and procedures for each section of the office and local offices under the agency's jurisdiction
  • Identification of appropriate local and regional office administrators to which the agency survey should be sent
  • Dissemination and collection of survey results

• Illinois Sheriffs Association (ISA), Illinois State Police (ISP), Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP), Regional police associations, Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board (ILETSB), Cook County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), and Chicago Police Department (CPD)

Additional Resources Needed

Funding:

• Amount: $100,000 for IDHS (the administering agency of the Commission) to contract an outside partner to conduct this work
• Source: General Revenue
• Relevant Considerations: This will require an additional allocation from the ILGA.

Staff:

• Organization: Contracted staff
• Name and/or Title: TBD
• Hiring Need: Yes
• Relevant Considerations: Delays in state hiring could impact timelines; Academic institutions might be interested in analyzing data.

Technology:

• Type: Survey tool
• Hardware/Software Needed: Excel

Implementation Plan

Timeline	Steps	Deliverables
Months 1-3	Commission contracts with outside partner	RFP for commission partner Finalized contract
Months 4-5	Commission onboards new partner
Months 6-8	Partner conducts policy audit of relevant state agencies	Summary of existing policies related to children of incarcerated parents to be shared with Commission
Months 8-12	Partner designs & conducts survey of state administrators on current practices & policies	Summary of survey results to be shared with Commission
Months 12-15	Partner designs & conducts survey of local law enforcement on current practices & policies	Summary of survey results to be shared with Commission
Months 15-18	Partner summarizes findings and Commission publishes online	Website or webpage summarizing existing practices & policies

(A) In order to improve the ability of agencies to connect children and other family members with needed resources, the State of Illinois should develop a central hub or clearinghouse for agencies to better coordinate and share information which can also be used to better inform families and the public.

To promote consistency and improve understanding of existing policies on the facilitation of communication and engagement between incarcerated parents and their children, the Commission recommends setting up a system that facilitates increased coordination of information gathering, articulation, and dissemination. First, agency leads at relevant state agencies must be identified to be part of this multi-agency initiative. These leads will ensure that policies and practices around facilitation of communication and engagement between parents who are incarcerated, and their children are clear, consistent, and made widely publicly available. Agency leads must facilitate regular meetings which are open to the public to obtain feedback on whether policies are addressing needs or require reconsideration or revision. This will also ensure that information is being publicly shared to the greatest extent possible. It is important that all available information sharing tools are utilized so that the information can be accessible to as many people as possible. This may include posting on websites, sharing on a listserv that is easy for people to join, and sharing regularly with direct service providers, NGOs, advocates, external stakeholders, etc. This also includes regularly scheduled meetings to ensure that coordination and sharing of information is implemented and continuously being improved and that there are ongoing opportunities to engage individuals and external stakeholders.

Objectives & Indicators of Success

Objective 1: The Commission will coordinate relevant agency leads to create standardized substantive policy that is applicable to all agencies which engage with or impact children of incarcerated parents. Policy should include but not be limited to information needed to help identified constituencies with new and updated policies, hours for phone use, video visitation, in person visitation and mandates on how information/policies must be shared to ensure consistency across state agencies.

• Indicator of Success 1.1: The Commission has identified potential agency leads and requested their participation.
• Indicator of Success 1.2: Agency leads have shared existing policies with the Commission
• Indicator of Success 1.3: The Commission has identified an outside contractor to synthesize the information shared by agency leads.
• Indicator of Success 1.4: Working with agency personnel, the outside contractor has standardized the protocol based on the information from agency leads and presented it to the Commission.
• Indicator of Success 1.5: The Commission has approved standardized protocol, after sending it back for revisions, if necessary.
• Indicator of Success 1.6: Standardized policy has been adopted by agencies.

Objective 2: The Commission will partner with lead agencies and outside contractor to ensure that the public has access to the standardized policy that has been adopted by state agencies.

• Indicator of Success 2.1: Agencies have posted policies to their websites.
• Indicator of Success 2.2: The Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) has created a listserv that is sufficiently easy for the public to join and navigate.
• Indicator of Success 2.3: The Commission has sent out policies and links to websites through listservs and shared these with other stakeholders identified by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS).

Objective 3: The Commission will establish quarterly meetings of representatives from each relevant state agency that would have jurisdiction for information sharing to foster collaboration. This meeting will be open to the public and include key agency personnel and external stakeholders (e.g., service providers, advocates, and impacted individuals).

• Indicator of Success 3.1: IDHS, the administering agency of the Commission, has been designated as the lead agency to coordinate these meetings.
• Indicator of Success 3.2: The Commission has created a list of the designated agency personnel to participate in these meetings.
• Indicator of Success 3.3: A list of external stakeholders, providers, and NGOs with interest and expertise in the policies being discussed has been created by the Commission.
• Indicator of Success 3.4: The administering agency of the Commission, IDHS, has established a schedule of meetings and posted this publicly.
• Indicator of Success 3.5: First meeting has been held.

Objective 4: Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ), Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), and Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), with input from external stakeholders, will create a standardized template for information briefs/one pagers to ensure that information is shared to outside stakeholders and people in custody in an easily shared and useful format.

• Indicator of Success 4.1: Standardized template has been created.
• Indicator of Success 4.2: Standardized template has been approved by appropriate agencies.
• Indicator of Success 4.3: The mechanisms through which to share information with people in custody are identified. Mechanisms should include but are not limited to:

Agencies & Stakeholders Involved

• Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) (Policy, Legal, Executive, Public Information Office, IDOC facilities administrators)
  • Policy and template development, approval and implementation
• Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) (Policy, Legal, Executive, Public Information Office, IDJJ facilities administrators)
  • Policy and template development, approval and implementation
• Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) (Policy, Legal, DHS statewide, regional and local office administrators, Public Information Office)
  • Policy and template development, approval and implementation
  • Ensuring compliance with Commission mandates
  • Approval and dissemination of IDOC/IDJJ policy change notices to caseworkers and other personnel interacting with the parents and guardians of the children of incarcerated parents
  • Development of NGO and stakeholder distribution lists

• Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT)
  • Creation of the listserv portal
• Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) (Policy, Legal, DCFS statewide, regional and local office administrators, Public Information Office)
  • Policy and template development, approval, and implementation
  • Approval and dissemination of DOC/DJJ policy change notices to caseworkers and other personnel interacting with the parents and guardians of the children of incarcerated parents
  • Input on NGO and stakeholder distribution lists
• External stakeholders: NGOs, social service providers, legal providers, returning citizen advocacy organizations
  • Input on standardized protocols and public information template
  • Conduit for policy updates from state agencies
  • Participation in quarterly meetings

Additional Resources Needed

Funding:

• Amount: $250,000 for IDHS (the administering agency of the Commission) to contract an outside partner to conduct this work
• Source: General revenue
• Relevant Considerations: Technology and staffing for initial protocol and template development, and development of listserv portal should be considered.

Staff:

• Organizations: Lead administrative agency, IDOC, DJJ, DCFS, DHS
• Name and/or Title: TBD
• Hiring Need: Yes, in addition to dedication of a portion of existing personnel

Technology:

• Type: Listserv portal and website updates
• Hardware/Software Needed: TBD

Implementation Plan

Timeline	Steps	Deliverables/ Milestones
Months 1-2	Commission establishes quarterly meeting with representatives from relevant state agencies to foster collaboration	First quarterly meeting is held, administered by IDHS
Months 3-5	Commission, agency leads, and outside contractor collaborate to create standardized protocol	Standardized policy that has been approved by agencies and Commission
Months 6-7	Commission ensures adoption and public access of standardized policy	Standardized policy posted on all relevant agency sites and sent to all relevant stakeholders
Months 8-9	Commission partners with state agencies and external stakeholders to create and approve standardized template for information briefs	Agency and Commission-approved information brief template

(C)The State of Illinois should develop formalized interagency communication channels and feedback loops.

Illinois should develop formalized interagency communication channels to ensure coordination and accountability. Feedback loops should be created via communications tools or standing work groups charged with implementing the Task Force's recommendations. An Interagency Coordinator, smaller work groups, and a communication platform site will allow the Commission to effectively coordinate across agencies and, ultimately, to improve the service of children and families of incarcerated parents.

Objectives & Indicators of Success

Objective 1: The state will create and fund a position for an Interagency Coordinator to coordinate the Commission and interagency work groups.

• Indicator of Success 1.1: Commission has determined whether Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) administrative support will continue coordinating the Commission indefinitely.
• Indicator of Success 1.2: If IDHS policy advisors will not continue coordinating indefinitely, Commission has drafted a position description and sought General Revenue funding for a Interagency Children of Incarcerated Parents Coordinator, housed within IDHS.
• Indicator of Success 1.3: Coordinator has been hired and onboarded.

Objective 2: The Interagency Coordinator will work with the Commission to establish two work groups to develop interagency communication channels and feedback loops. One work group will be centered on developing communication processes for families involved with the IL Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS), while the other will center on developing communication processes for all other families. Work groups will be made up of representatives from the state agencies serving on the Commission.

• Indicator of Success 2.1: Potential work group members have been identified, contacted, and approved by the Commission (and the Governor's Office, if needed).
• Indicator of Success 2.2: Interagency Coordinator, in conjunction with work groups, has determined the purpose, proposed timeline, and projected deliverables of each work group
• Indicator of Success 2.3: Interagency Coordinator has scheduled, reserved rooms, and managed invitations, agenda, and minutes for work group and Commission meetings, in which work groups report out on their progress.

Objective 3: The work groups, with guidance from the Interagency Coordinator, will establish an interagency communication platform.

• Indicator of Success 3.1: Work groups have decided what information would be shared via the communication channel.
• Indicator of Success 2.2: Work groups has reviewed platforms which the agencies already use and which are approved by the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) and has selected a platform for interagency communication regarding incarcerated individuals and their children and other loved ones.
• Indicator of Success 2.3: Under leadership of the Interagency Coordinator, a platform for interagency communication has been created and member agencies have been granted access.

Agencies & Stakeholders Involved

• Work group members would come from the following agencies represented on the Commission:
  • Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)
    • Interagency Children of Incarcerated Parents Coordinator
  • Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)
    • Chief of Programs or representative
    • Policy Advisor for Reform Initiatives
    • Chief of Women and Family Services or representative
  • Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
    • Incarcerated Parent Coordinator
    • Deputy of Permanency or representative
    • Associate Deputy of Child Welfare Community Agencies or representative
    • Legal
  • Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender
    • Representative from Family Defense
  • Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ)
  • County jails and sheriffs
    • Cook County Sheriff's Office
    • Representatives from at least three county jails
    • Representatives from at least three police departments

Additional Resources Needed

Funding:

• Amount: $150,000
• Source: General revenue
• Relevant Considerations: Would include hiring for a new position within IDHS

Staff:

• Organizations: IDHS, IDOC, DCFS, Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender, IDJJ, and county jails and Sheriffs offices
• Name and/or Title: TBD
• Hiring Need: An Interagency Children of Incarcerated Parents Coordinator housed within IDHS

Technology:

• Type: Cloud-based platform for interagency communication (such as Microsoft Teams or SharePoint)
• Hardware/Software Needed: TBD software

Implementation Plan

Timeline	Steps	Deliverables/ Milestones
Months 1-3	State creates position for Interagency Coordinator	Interagency Coordinator position filled and onboarded
Months 4-5	Interagency Coordinator works with Commission to establish work groups	Work groups established, meetings scheduled, and purpose established
Months 6-10	Work groups develop interagency communication platform	Interagency communication platform created and members granted access

(D)The State of Illinois should develop a data-sharing model with the goal of helping families stay physically closer together.

Currently, the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) does not consider family location when placing incarcerated individuals in their initial facility. After 6 months individuals can request a facility transfer, and proximity to visitors such as family members is an allowable justification for a transfer, although there is no guarantee that the request will be granted. Additional data on the location of the family, the status of the relationship with the incarcerated parent (e.g., guardianship and visitation rights), and the family's interest in visiting the incarcerated parent could assist IDOC in considering transfer requests and possibly in considering initial placement in facilities close to families.

For families with Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) involvement, some of this information could come from DCFS. For families without DCFS involvement, the information would come directly from families and incarcerated individuals. A centralized database into which multiple agencies feed up-to-date family information may make it easier to incarcerate parents in facilities as close as possible to their children and other family members. Families should be presented with the choice of enrolling in the centralized database and be advised of any potential risks of enrollment.

Objectives & Indicators of Success

Objective 1: The Commission in conjunction with relevant representatives from the involved state agencies will identify which individuals from the IDOC population have DCFS involvement, and of those, which individuals have rights to see their children, and in which counties those children reside.

• Indicator of Success 1.1: The Commission in conjunction with relevant representatives from the involved state agencies has determined what information should be shared between IDOC and DCFS to identify individuals who are in both systems and who have visitation rights, and their locations.
• Indicator of Success 1.2: The Commission in conjunction with relevant state agency representatives has determined the best means to share the information (e.g., flat transfer or access to each other's data systems).
• Indicator of Success 1.3: DCFS and IDOC have shared data within one year of the first meeting between the Commission and the relevant agency representatives.

Objective 2: For families who do not have DCFS involvement, the Commission in conjunction with IDOC will expand the existing process whereby incarcerated individuals can request a facility transfer. This expansion will allow incarcerated parents to request that they be transferred to a facility within the general location of their children with the caveat that, while IDOC will take the information into consideration, IDOC cannot guarantee that it will place individuals near their families. When such familial transfers are not approved, IDOC, in conjunction with the Commission, will develop a process to ensure that all incarcerated individuals are informed of the reason for their request being denied, whether it be a result of security levels, risk assessments, or other individual factors.

• Indicator of Success 2.1: IDOC and Commission representatives have met to discuss potential processes.
• Indicator of Success 2.2: IDOC and Commission have determined whether an external partner and/or external funding are needed. If so, IDOC team has consulted Commission agencies and stakeholders for recommendations and hired an external partner.
• Indicator of Success 2.3: IDOC has designed and implemented a process for collecting and identifying facility transfer requests from incarcerated parents seeking to be closer to their children.
• Indicator of Success 2.4: If it is necessary to verify the information on the location of children and incarcerated parents beyond self-report of the family and parent, IDOC team has developed verification process, which may involve external partner and/or state agencies.
• Indicator of Success 2.5: IDOC has designed and implemented a process for sharing facility transfer decisions with incarcerated individuals who request placement closer to their children.

Agencies & Stakeholders Involved

• Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)
  • Develop process for information collection and updates
  • Develop process for information sharing with DCFS
  • Involved agency staff include:
    • Chief Inspector (Constituent Services)
    • Transfer Coordinator Officer
    • Chief of Programs
    • Policy Advisor for Reform Initiatives

• Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)

Additional Resources Needed

Funding:

• Amount: TBD based on cost of information sharing databases and processes
• Source: External grant
• Relevant Considerations: TBD

Staff:

• Organization: IDOC, DCFS
• Name(s) and/or Title(s): TBD
• Hiring Need: No

Technology:

• Type: Database for secure interagency information sharing and updating
• Hardware/Software Needed: TBD

Implementation Plan

Timeline	Steps	Deliverables/ Milestones
Months 1-12	Commission coordinates relevant information sharing between DCFS and IDOC	IDOC and DCFS have established and adopted data sharing process
Months 1-12	Commission and IDOC design and implement process for collecting and updating location information	Process for collecting and updating location information has been implemented by IDOC

PROGRAMMING & SERVICES

(E) County Sheriffs and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) should build programming for incarcerated parents and their families.

AND

The State of Illinois must do more to provide programs and services that support family reunification during and post incarceration.

Existing research suggests that carceral systems have detrimental effects on not only incarcerated individuals, but also on children and loved ones. To combat the long-term effects of incarceration, developing trauma-informed, person-centered, culturally responsive programming for caregivers, children, and families is necessary. Programming can facilitate overall positive family engagement, improve relationships, decrease the impact of trauma, and create more secure familial attachments and bonds.

Objectives & Indicators of Success

Objective 1: The Commission will identify a set of specific jail-appropriate and prison-appropriate programs and publish that list for use by jails and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) within six months of the publication of the strategic plan. This list will include programs that meet Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) reunification services requirements to the greatest extent possible.

• Indicator of Success 1.1: Commission has identified external partner to research jail- and prison-appropriate programs and compile list.
• Indicator of Success 1.2: List of programs is reviewed and approved by the Commission, the Cook County Public Guardian, and Public Defenders across the state with an eye towards meeting the needs of court-involved parents.
• Indicator of Success 1.3: Commission has partnered with Illinois Sheriffs' Association (ISA) and IDOC to publish the list of programs on their respective websites.
• Indicator of Success 1.4: 50% of programs listed meet DCFS requirements for reunification services.

Objective 2: The Commission will identify a viable contracting mechanism and a source of funding to make those curricula available to any interested jails or prisons in Illinois, potentially through grants or a framework contract.

• Indicator of Success 2.1: Commission has identified a viable contracting mechanism.
• Indicator of Success 2.2: Commission has purchased curricula for interested jails/prisons.

Objective 3: IDOC and county jails will publicly commit to improving the quality of contact visitations through the adoption of programming meant to improve physical and emotional connection.

• Indictor of Success 3.1: Public commitments from multiple county jails and IDOC facilities.

Objective 4: The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) will award grants for community-based organizations to deliver listed services in county jails and prisons across the state, funded by the Illinois General Assembly (ILGA). ICJIA will monitor the success of these services.

• Indicator of Success 4.1: Funds have been allocated by Illinois General Assembly and awarded to jails and IDOC.
• Indicator of Success 4.2: Grantees have been provided access to ICJIA's i2i training initiative to build capacity.
• Indicator of Success 4.3: ICJIA, in partnership with the Commission, has developed metrics that jails and prisons can adopt to track effective service delivery and visitation satisfaction.
• Indicator of Success 4.4: ICJIA has developed a survey to assess family satisfaction and engagement, as well as metrics to track effective service delivery.
• Indicator of Success 4.5: ICJIA's data collection methods have been adopted by county jails and IDOC.

Objective 5: The Commission will work to contract with an outside vendor to identify or develop culturally appropriate and trauma-informed programs, resources, and services that can be utilized during visitation, post visitation, and post incarceration. This solicitation will be publicized by Commission members such that a wide pool of vendors is aware of its existence.

• Indicator of Success 5.1: RFP has been drafted and released.
• Indicator of Success 5.2: Vendor has been selected, and contract has been established.
• Indicator of Success 5.3: Multiple programs and other resources have been developed.

Objective 6: The Commission will convene a work group comprised of state jails and prisons, as well as representatives from ICJIA, to share best practices and barriers to adopting effective programming.

• Indicator of Success 6.1: Commission has identified relevant stakeholders for work group.
• Indicator of Success 6.2: Work group, in partnership with the Commission, has determined a regular meeting schedule and held the first meeting.
• Indicator of Success 6.2: Work group has established process for sharing quarterly results of family satisfaction assessments and program adoption.

Agencies & Stakeholders Involved

1. Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)
2. Illinois Sheriffs' Association (ISA)
3. Cook County Sheriff's Office
4. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
5. Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)
6. Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA)
7. Cook County Public Guardian
8. Public Defender Offices

Additional Resources Needed

Funding:

• Amount: $500,000
• Source: General Assembly
• Relevant Considerations: Purchase of curricula for state jails and prisons; Grant awards for community-based organizations delivering listed services; Cost of data collection and analysis

Staff:

• Organization(s): IDOC, Cook County Sherriff's Office, IDHS, ICJIA
• Name(s) and/or Title(s): Multiple
• Hiring Need: No

Technology:

• Type: Program implementation tools; Data collection tools
• Hardware/Software Needed: TBD

Implementation Plan

Timeline	Steps	Deliverables/ Milestones
Months 1-6	Commission identifies agency to research existing programming across the state and decide what programs should be implemented or modified Commission brings appropriate stakeholders to the table for input	Stakeholders engaged and committed Deliverables and timeline established
Months 6-12	Commission seeks funding for programming	Funding secured
Months 12-24	ICJIA, in partnership with IDOC and county jails, provides training, develops procedures for an improved visitation model, and disseminates awards to community-based organizations	Policies developed and programs adopted Funds awarded to community organizations
Months 24-36	ICJIA, IDOC and county jails launch new programming	Program launched
Months 36-48	ICJIA and potential external research partner collaborate with IDOC and county jails to collect data on family satisfaction assessment and program adoption and success Researchers share findings with work group on a quarterly basis	Data collection and analysis completed Findings disseminated

(F)The State of Illinois should develop social-emotional programming for children and parents coping with incarceration.

Illinois should develop comprehensive, culturally responsive social-emotional programming for children, their caregivers, and parents coping with incarceration. Statewide, available programming for children, their caregivers, and parents coping with incarceration is under-resourced, and inadequate to successfully support families. While services such as parenting classes, enhanced visitation, mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, and family counseling are available in certain jurisdictions and facilities through the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), the Cook County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), and certain nonprofit organizations, they are not broadly and equitably available throughout the state. Additionally, these services are often underutilized because of poor communication between staff, agencies, and even state leaders. Long waitlists for such programming, limited space and staffing shortages also impact availability of services for incarcerated parents, their children, and caregivers. Where services are provided through community-based volunteer and nonprofit organizations, the lack of stable funding and resources impact their availability and effectiveness.

Social-emotional programming for children, parents, and caretakers coping with incarceration should be provided in a comprehensive, cohesive, and consistent manner throughout the state. Moreover, where families are unable to connect or reconcile, programming providing free therapy or support groups for incarcerated parents and their children should be made available.

Objectives & Indicators of Success

Objective 1: The Commission will develop a thorough and quantifiable understanding of all existing programming currently offered by county jails, IDOC, DCFS, and nonprofit community-based organizations across Illinois.

• Indicator of Success 1.1: Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) has issued an RFP and awarded a contract to create a complete catalogue of all services available to children, their caregivers, and parents coping with incarceration including parenting classes, enhanced visitation, mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, and family counseling. The catalogue includes eligibility criteria and how to access the available services as well as whether programs meet DCFS reunification standards.
• Indicator of Success 1.2: Identified vendor has published a gap assessment quantifying the scope of the gaps in social-emotional programming for children, parents and caretakers, both inside detention facilities and in communities with high-levels of incarceration. Final documentation also includes an assessment of the prevalence and accessibility of programs that meet DCFS standards.

Objective 2: The Commission will develop and publish a set of recommendations on how to prioritize investments in social-emotional programming, specifying the types of programming that should be funded given identified needs and gaps in resources. The Commission will develop metrics for evaluating efficacy of prioritized programming.

• Indicator of Success 2.1: Commission has partnered with identified vendor to review gap assessment, and determine recommendations for prioritizing investments in social-emotional programming.
• Indicator of Success 2.2: Commission has published set of recommendations and proposed programs for jails and prisons to draw from.
• Indicator of Success 2.3: Commission has proposed metrics for tracking program efficacy.

Indicator of Success 2.4: ICJIA has published information on available programming throughout the state and keeps this information up to date.

Objective 3: The Commission, in collaboration with partner agencies, will seek funding from the Illinois General Assembly (ILGA) to support recommended prioritized programming and to track performance metrics.

• Indicator of Success 3.1: ICJIA has issued RFP for review of metrics of accessibility and success of identified programming investments throughout the state.
• Indicator of Success 3.2: Vendor has provided Commission and partner agencies an analysis on the effectiveness and accessibility of prioritized programming throughout the state.
• Indicator of Success 3.3: Programs identified as effective and accessible continue to receive funding and support. Programs identified as ineffective or with limited accessibility, are removed from prioritized programming list.

Objective 4: ILGA will allocate funding for centralized and equitable programming throughout the state.

• Indicator of Success 4.1: Amount of funds allocated for Objective 1.
• Indicator of Success 4.2: Amount of funds allocated for Objective 3.

Objective 5: The Commission will examine insurance practices and develop recommendations on how the state can address a lack of private insurance companies willing to cover children in care.

• Indicator of Success 5.1: Commission has identified external research partner to conduct analysis of existing insurance practices across the state
• Indicator of Success 5.2: Commission and external research partner have developed a set of recommendations for addressing private insurance limitations and shared with Illinois General Assembly.

Agencies & Stakeholders Involved

1. Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA)
   1. Lead agency for purposes of research, funding requests, issuance of necessary RFPs, etc.
2. Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)
3. Illinois Sheriffs Association (ISA)
4. llinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
5. llinois State Board of Education (ISBE)
6. Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)

Additional Resources Needed

Funding:

• Amount: TBD
• Source: Objective 1 and Objective 3 will require separate approval for funding from the Illinois General Assembly.
• Relevant Considerations: Explore private/federal funding for Objectives 1 and 3.

Staff:

• Organization(s): Consultants to conduct gap analysis and to conduct follow-up metrics review of the effectiveness of the prioritized programming.
• Name(s) and/or Title(s): TBD
• Hiring Need: Yes, consultants

Technology:

• Type: TBD
• Hardware/Software Needed: TBD. However, there will be a need to ensure there is technology to support ICJIA with maintaining current information on available programming throughout Illinois.

Implementation Plan

Timeline	Steps	Deliverables/ Milestones
Months 1-2	Commission develops a thorough understanding of existing programming offered by county jails, IDOC, IDCFS, and nonprofit community-based organizations across Illinois	Complete catalogue of all services available to children, their caregivers, and parents coping with incarceration Gap assessment published by identified vendor analyzing gaps in social-emotional programming.
Months 12 - 18	Commission partners with identified vendor to develop recommendations on prioritizing investments in social-emotional programming	Published recommendations on prioritization of programming investments, a set of proposed programs for jails and IDOC to draw from, and metrics for tracking program efficacy
Months 18 - 36 On-going	Commission, in collaboration with partner agencies, seeks funding from the Illinois General Assembly to support recommended prioritized programming and to monitor/review metrics on viability of those programs.	Funding is secured Recommended programs are funded and monitored.

TRAINING & INTERACTIONS

(G) Law enforcement should receive extensive training to minimize trauma to parents and children during all interactions.

• The Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards Board (ILETSB) should prioritize trauma-informed practice training in curricula designed for all officers who receive their training.
• Training for law enforcement and corrections officers should include concrete scenarios around arrest and visitation. Officers who demonstrate successful engagement with the materials should be prioritized for duty related to children and families.
• ILETSB should include young people in the development of such scenarios and training modules.
• Training must be done on a continual basis with support from agency leadership.
• Law enforcement policies and procedures for arrests in the presence of children should be publicly available and transparent.
• These policies and procedures should be consistent across the state.

Law enforcement, corrections, and child welfare agencies lack the extensive training needed to most effectively serve families of justice-involved individuals. Based on previous testimony, most law enforcement agencies across the state receive some training on how to handle potentially traumatic situations in which children are present. However, officers are not trained on the specific policies of their home agency until after they have graduated from the academy and are already in the field. Additionally, children who witness a parent's arrest or other high-stress interactions with law enforcement may suffer long-lasting mental health repercussions.

Trauma-informed care is an approach used to engage people with histories of trauma. It recognizes the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledges the role that trauma can play in people's lives. Trauma-informed criminal justice responses can help to avoid re-traumatizing individuals. This increases safety for all, decreases the chance of an individual returning to criminal behavior, and supports the recovery of justice-involved women and men with serious mental illness. Partnerships across systems can also help link individuals to trauma-informed services and treatment.

Training for law enforcement offers the opportunity for responding officers to minimize stress levels while still focusing on safety. Trauma-informed training allows officers to de-escalate; recognize and control emotional reactivity within themselves; and establish a psychologically safe space even during an arrest. By adopting trauma-informed approaches, law enforcement can significantly reduce the chances of traumatization. Additionally, continual training and consistent policies and procedures are essential for several reasons, including:

1. Adapting to New Laws and Regulations: Laws and regulations frequently change, and officers need to stay updated to ensure they are enforcing the law correctly and avoiding legal pitfalls.
2. Enhancing Skills and Knowledge: Regular training helps officers sharpen their practical skills, make informed decisions quickly, and manage stress effectively. This is crucial for maintaining professionalism and confidence in high-pressure situations.
3. Improving Safety and Effectiveness: Ongoing training equips officers with the latest techniques and knowledge, which can improve their safety and effectiveness on the job. This includes staying current with new technologies and policies.
4. Boosting Morale and Reducing Stress: Training on new topics can prevent boredom, reinvigorate the workforce, and improve overall morale. Well-trained officers are more confident in their abilities, which reduces stress and enhances job performance.
5. Building Community Trust: Continuous training helps officers handle various situations more effectively, which can reduce incidents that lead to negative press, lawsuits, or community distrust. This, in turn, helps maintain high standards and public respect.

Currently, ILETSB's training for law enforcement and correctional officers who are mandated to participate includes:

• Annual Mandate Training Requirements (no hourly minimum standard established)
  • Trauma and resilience Informed practice training
  • Crisis Intervention Training
  • Emergency Medical Response Training and certification
  • Law Updates
  • Officer Wellness and Mental Health
  • Firearms Restraining Order Act (Certificate Required)
  • Firearms Qualification (Rules & Appendix in JCAR24
• 3-Year Mandate Training Requirements (no hourly minimum standard established)
• Constitutional and Proper Use of Law Enforcement Authority
  • Human Trafficking
  • Domestic Violence training early due to volume of DV calls
  • Trauma and Resilience
  • Restorative justice philosophy and systems thinking (understanding connectedness and impact)
  • Cultural Competency (including implicit bias and racial & ethnic sensitivity)
  • Civil Rights
  • Human Rights and Rights of the Child
  • Procedural Justice
  • Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect
  • Sexual Assault /Trauma Informed Response (all police officers)
• Sexual Assault/Abuse Investigator Training (for those who investigate sexual assault crimes)
• At least 6 hours of instruction on use of force techniques, including the use of de-escalation techniques to prevent or reduce the need for force whenever safe and feasible.
  • When force must be used, techniques are taught to ensure that the use of force is objectively reasonable, necessary, and proportional under the totality of the circumstances and to ensure appropriate supervision and accountability.
  • These hours may be all in scenario-based hours or a mixture of scenario & classroom.
• Partnership with the Child Advocacy Centers who conduct victim sensitive interviews
• At least 6 hours of training focused on high-risk traffic stops
  • These hours may be all in scenario- specific training on officer safety techniques, including cover, concealment, and time
• Specific training on the law concerning stops, searches and use of force under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution (no hourly minimum standard established)
• 3-Year Use of Force Mandate Training Requirements
  • At least 12-hours of hands-on, scenario-based role-playing-based hours or a mixture of scenario & classroom
• 5-Year Mandate Training Requirement
  • Psychology of Domestic Violence (no hourly minimum standard established)

While the above listed training addresses some of the concerns that are most prevalent in trauma-informed policing practices, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) should work to prioritize trauma-informed practice training in ILETSB Basic Law Enforcement (BLE) and Basic Corrections Officer (BCO) curricula. The initial basic training should explain how children of arrested parents are at greater risk; discuss recommended practices for officers when parents are arrested; both when children and present and not present; and identify additional resources which officers should seek to help safeguard children of arrested parents. Training for law enforcement and corrections officers should include concrete scenarios around arrest and visitation. Consistency in policies, procedures, and training is crucial to establishing a culture of trauma-informed law enforcement across the state.

Objectives & Indicators of Success

Objective 1: ILETSB will review current Student Performance Objectives (SPOs) in the Basic Law Enforcement (BLE) Program and Basic Corrections Officer (BCO) Program curricula, at which point it will revise, write, and add SPOs to meet the instructional goal of providing trauma-informed training to all officers.

• Indicator of Success 1.1: ILETSB has updated current SPOs and presented them to academy directors for feedback.
• Indicator of Success 1.2: ILETSB has revised SPOs as needed.
• Indicator of Success 1.3: ILETSB has revised and/or added SPOs to BLE and BCO integrated scenario block of instruction for arrest and visitation scenarios.
• Indicator of Success 1.4: ILETSB has partnered with Commission to identify youth in the state to review arrest and visitation scenario training modules. ILETSB and the Commission have shared arrest and visitation scenarios with these youth.
• Indicator of Success 1.5: ILETSB and the Commission have established a forum to receive feedback from state youth and have integrated relevant feedback into the final revised curricula.
• Indicator of Success 1.6: ILETSB Board has approved revised curricula.
• Indicator of Success 1.7: ILETSB has begun training in BLE and BCO academy programs.

Objective 2: ILETSB will add the subject of safeguarding children of arrested parents to its In-Service Training Mandates Procedural Justice guidelines.

• Indicator of Success 2.1: ILETSB Board has approved revised In-Service Training Mandates.
• Indicator of Success 2.2: ILETSB has informed all Mobile Team Units (MTUs) of Procedural Justice guidelines changes.
• Indicator of Success 2.3: ILETSB has distributed to all MTUs an ILETSB pre-approved Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents lesson plan, that includes video scenario training.

Objective 3: ILETSB will identify an external vendor to develop the online version of Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents program for MTUs which they will distribute.

• Indicator of Success 3.1: ILETSB has identified an external vendor to develop the online program.
• Indicator of Success 3.2: ILETSB has distributed an online version of the ILETSB certified program to all BLE, BCO and MTUs.

Objective 4: ILETSB will identify officers who demonstrate successful engagement with the materials and prioritize them as trainers for Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents subjects.

• Indicator of Success 4.1: ILETSB has formed a special work group with police, county jails, and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) to identify teaching credentials that are required for teaching Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents subjects.
• Indicator of Success 4.2: BLE, BCO and MTU instructors are ILETSB-certified instructors in Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents subjects.

NOTE: See the Appendix for draft BLE and BCO curriculum outlines, mandated law enforcement training requirements, and ILETSB Board approved guidelines that reflect the changes mentioned in the objectives above.

Agencies & Stakeholders Involved

1. Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB)
   1. Coordination and certification of new training (including scenario training) curricula into BLE, BCO and MTU programs
   2. Delivery of pre-approved Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents lesson plan to all MTUs

Additional Resources Needed

Funding:

• Amount: $25,000
• Source: ILETSB
• Relevant Considerations: The largest expense will be for online course development.

Staff:

• Organization(s): ILESTB and Academy Directors
• Name(s) and/or Title(s): Basic Law Enforcement and Basic Corrections Academy Directors.
  1. Directors of: Chicago Police Academy, Cook County Sheriff's Bureau of Training Police Academy, Illinois State Police Academy, Macon County Law Enforcement Training Center, Police Training Institute, Sauk Valley Community College Police Academy, Southwestern Illinois College Police Academy, Suburban Law Enforcement Academy.
• Hiring Need: No

Technology:

• Type: Online ILETSB certified program
• Hardware/Software Needed: TBD

Implementation Plan

Timeline	Steps	Deliverables/ Milestones
Month 1-9	ILETSB will review and update BLE and BCO curricula	Curricula has received ILETSB Board certification
Month 9	ILETSB will distribute copies of new curriculum to all BLE and BCO academies and MTUs	Lesson plans have been electronically distributed and training has begun
Month 9-16	ILETSB will identify a vendor for online program development and create an online version of the ILETSB certified program	Online ILETSB certified program has been distributed to all BLE, BCO and MTUs

(H) Explore co-responder models, including those that leverage trained community stakeholders.

Co-responder models in law enforcement have proliferated across Illinois and the country. The co-responder approach holds promise of addressing the concerns of criminal justice reform advocates while also addressing frustrations voiced by law enforcement that their job duties have become overly broad. That said, with this proliferation it is difficult to know which approaches have worked, what successes they have realized, and how co-responder models can reduce trauma for family units. In particular, the Task Force expressed an interest in research on models that leverage trained community stakeholders as well as research on the budgetary implications of shifting towards these models. The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) has been tasked with administering grant funding for four pilot co-responder programs under HB 4736. The Commission should work with ICJIA and leverage its considerable expertise to develop a deeper understanding of co-responder models.

Objectives & Indicators of Success

Objective 1: The Commission will enter into an intergovernmental agreement with ICJIA to produce a co-responder model report that provides a snapshot of the national landscape; identifies and details the five highest performing co-responder programs; examines co-responder models in Illinois; highlights and explains the utility and effectiveness of models that leverage community stakeholders; and details the costs and benefits of co-responder programs.

• Indicator of Success 1.1: Commission and ICJIA have entered into an intergovernmental agreement.
• Indicator of Success 1.2: ICJIA has worked with national and local stakeholders to develop a detailed and comprehensive report on co-responder models that is within 9 months of intergovernmental agreement execution.

Objective 2: The Commission will analyze existing co-responder model landscape, determine recommendations for the adoption of further co-responder efforts in Illinois, and present these recommendations to relevant law enforcement agencies.

• Indicator of Success 2.1: Commission has reviewed and discussed ICJIA's co-responder model report.
• Indicator of Success 2.2: With support from ICJIA, Commission has developed a clear list of recommendations for the adoption of further co-responder efforts in Illinois.
• Indicator of Success 2.3: Commission has published recommendations on Commission website and shared with relevant law enforcement agencies and stakeholders.

Agencies & Stakeholders Involved

1. Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA)
   1. Research partner, report author
2. Law enforcement agencies across the state:
   1. Illinois State Police (ISP)
   2. Cook County Sheriff's Office

Additional Resources Needed

Funding:

• Amount: $250,000
• Source: General revenue
• Relevant Considerations: N/A

Staff:

• Organization(s): Illinois Criminal Justice Authority (ICJIA)
• Name(s) and/or Title(s): Research Team
• Hiring Need: Contract needed with ICJIA
• Technology:
• Type: N/A
• Hardware/Software Needed: N/A

Implementation Plan

Timeline	Steps	Deliverables/ Milestones
Months 1-5	Commission and ICJIA develop an intergovernmental agreement	IGA signed by Commission and ICJIA
Months 6-15	ICJIA writes report on existing co-responder models	Final Report on co-responder models
Months 16-18	Commission develops recommendations for adopting co-responder models and shares with relevant law enforcement agencies	Recommendations for adopting co-responder models published

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Visitation

(I) The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) should provide more phones to parents who are incarcerated.

To create the opportunity for individuals in custody to restore and to maintain existing familial ties, the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) should provide more phones to parents who are incarcerated. Studies have proven communication to be a tool for reducing recidivism and institutional disciplinary incidents, especially when that communication pertains to human connection, which is necessary for emotional regulation and survival. With communication devices (defined as phones, tablets, laptops, and/or any electronic device that permits communication between two parties), incarcerated parents would have the option to stay connected with their loved ones if they so choose. This option may ease emotional stressors and minimize strain on their relationships during these periods of separation. Even though in-person presence may be limited, communication devices permit individuals to remain connected and in tune with the day-to-day happenings of their loved ones' lives.

The cost of current communication services varies by size and capacity of each correctional facility and by the state in which it is housed. In July 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) passed new regulations indicating prison phone call rates to be capped at $0.06/minute and video calls capped at $0.16/minute. Illinois' phone rates are already at and in some regions, below these newly federal established rates. However, it is important to consider the manner in which these prices affect those in custody, whether they are children or adults, and how it influences their ability to maintain contact with their loved ones.

In order to further promote the opportunity for communication for parents in custody, IDOC should identify and contract a vendor with access to communication devices and advanced communication services, including, but not limited to, texting, voice, video calls, etc. Additionally, communications infrastructure in prisons should be evaluated and upgraded, including installing high-resolution video technology in the correctional facilities' day rooms. Educational programming should be installed to foster individuals on their anticipated journeys of re-entry. Parents in custody must prepare for their return home, and educational programming and online workshops allow them to expand their skill set and knowledge. It will take support from several partner agencies to advance this option to encourage a better quality of life and opportunity.

Objectives & Indicators of Success

Objective 1: IDOC and/or the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) will contract a vendor to provide communication devices to every individual in custody. These devices will be provided at no/low cost to the individuals in custody, will enable individuals to engage in advanced communication services (e.g., texting, voice calls, and video calls), and will include educational programming options including online courses and workshops geared towards preparing individuals for reentry.

• Indicator of Success 1.1: IDOC and/or CMS have identified a vendor with access to communication devices and video technology at reasonable cost to IDOC.
• Indicator of Success 1.2: IDOC and communications vendor have organized a tutorial series to introduce users to the platform and its features, including how to register for educational programming.
• Indicator of Success 1.3: Communication devices have strengthened the expansion of educational programming through access to online courses preparing individuals for reentry.

Objective 2: If necessary, IDOC will update its kiosk video technology to permit higher quality resolution and improved video conferencing between those in custody and their loved ones.

• Indicator of Success 2.1: Video technology quality has been evaluated and updated as necessary.
• Indicator of Success 2.2: Reliable internet services have been established to allow for for uninterrupted and clear video conferencing.

Objective 3: The Commission will recommend legislation be developed to address visitation fees/rates in the state of Illinois. The following parties will serve as partners in this effort: IDOC, CMS, and the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ).

• Indicator of Success 3.1: Commission has reviewed Public Act PA99-878 and considered excessive billing for phone calls, video calls and texts etc. excessive billing for phone calls, video calls and texts etc.
• Indicator of Success 3.2: Text of the legislation reduces costs further for communication services, especially text messaging.

Agencies & Stakeholders Involved

1. Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)
   1. Strategic plan implementation lead
2. Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS)
   1. Potential strategic plan implementation co-lead
   2. Support in development of legislation to reduce Illinois' phone fees
3. Office of the Attorney General (OAG) - Legislative Unit
   1. Support in development of legislation to reduce Illinois' phone fees
4. Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ)
   1. Support in development of legislation to reduce Illinois' phone fees
5. Communications Vendor
   1. Communication device provider

Additional Resources Needed

Funding:

• Amount: See below
• Source: See below
• Relevant Considerations: IDOC utilizes private vendors to provide secured electronic communication devices to inmates. The private vendor provides these electronic communication devices to IDOC without charge. The vendor monetizes its "communication devices" by providing additional add-ons like movies and games for a fee paid by the inmate. Typically, these optional charges are paid from an inmate's discretionary, commissary account.

Staff:

• Organization:
  • IDOC
  • IDJJ
• Name and/or Title:
  • IDOC
    • Chief Officer of Constituent Affairs, Chief of Programs and Support Services, Assistant Wardens of Operations, Manager of Intergovernmental Relations, Procurement, Telecommunications, Finance, Intel, Operations
  • IDJJ
    • Director of IDJJ, Senior Policy Advisor, Director of Intergovernmental Relations, Independent Juvenile Ombudsperson

• Hiring Need: Contract with communication vendor

Technology:

• Type: Communication devices
• Hardware/Software Needed:
  • Phone and video services for non-physical visitation purposes
  • Educational Programs
  • Video technology for kiosks, or other suitable area (phone room, common area, or housing unit) as correctional institutions that house low security/low risk inmates allow for considerably more liberty of movement and privacy.

Implementation Plan

Timeline	Steps	Deliverables/ Milestones
Months 1 - 6	Development period for legislation on Illinois' phone rates. Expansion on PA 99-878. The Office of the Attorney General's Legislative Unit, IDOC, DJJ, and CMS would work on expanding the reach of PA 99-878 during the 2025 legislative session.	New/Updated legislation to uplift and reduce state communication rates

(J) The Illinois Department of Corrections should do everything it can to ensure that individuals are housed as close to their home communities as possible.

The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) should take a proactive approach to ensuring individuals who are in custody are housed as close to their home communities as possible. A plethora of data collected over the years suggests that visitation deters errant behavior while in custody and reduces recidivism rates. Proximity to incarcerated loved ones permits and even encourages children and their caregivers to visit. This act allows the maintenance of relationships and the opportunity to start repairing or building those connections. Proximity also has a monetary impact on families. When individuals in custody are housed far away from their home communities, the increased travel expenses place a financial burden on the families hoping to see their incarcerated loved ones. Housing incarcerated individuals closer to home will help to ease the financial burden of visitation.

IDOC should modify its transfer policy language to include home community as a potential reason why an individual may request a transfer that would be considered. IDOC should also inform staff of this change and bring awareness to this modification so that those in custody may make informed decisions if it pertains to their situation. To impose accountability, the Commission should request that IDOC add a new segment to its Annual Report to share data on the number of transfer requests submitted and executed per this transfer policy modification. This task would provide transparency across correctional facilities, state agencies, and members of the public.

Objectives & Indicators of Success

Objective 1: IDOC will update its transfer policy to include proximity to home community as a reason that an individual can request a transfer.

• Indicator of Success 1.1: Transfer policy has been updated, approved, and disseminated.
• Indicator of Success 1.2: IDOC has provided a written explanation and appeared before the Commission to explain how the "proximity to home communities" will be weighted relative to other factors when considering transfer requests.
• Indicator of Success 1.3: Once adopted and implemented, IDOC has developed a new process for tracking facility transfer request approvals and rejections on a yearly basis, with the understanding that such tracking will be used to understand the volume of transfer requests and the many considerations that must be made, rather than used as a benchmark by which IDOC will be evaluated. This tracking process will be internal and will allow IDOC to share aggregate information with community partners and other stakeholders to demonstrate the barriers to request approval.

Objective 2: IDOC will notify staff of this update to the transfer policy and make sure it is accessible to those in custody and their families.

• Indicator of Success 2.1: Policy and Directive Unit at IDOC has written a memo outline changes to the transfer policy.
• Indicator of Success 2.2: Memo has been distributed and posted in relevant staff offices and on relevant state websites.
• Indicator of Success 2.3: IDOC has distributed the memo (or equivalent physical form of notice) and posted in common areas within IDOC facilities.

Agencies & Stakeholders Involved

1. Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)
   1. Strategic plan implementation lead

Additional Resources Needed

Because this is a simple and internal policy modification, it should not require additional funding, staff, and/or tools, only extensive notice for awareness purposes of all involved parties.

Funding:

• Amount: None
• Source: None
• Relevant Considerations: None

Staff:

• Organization(s): IDOC
  • Policy and Directive Unit
    • Updating IDOC's transfer policy for internal review and once approved, issue notification to staff, relevant state offices, and the public

Name(s) and/or Title(s): see above

Hiring Need: No

Technology:

Type: N/A

Hardware/Software Needed: N/A

Implementation Plan

Timeline	Steps	Deliverables/ Milestones
Months 1 - 2	The Policy and Directive Unit will develop the appropriate language to modify IDOC's transfer policy to include proximity to home community as a valid reason for a person in custody to request a transfer.	Draft of IDOC's transfer policy for internal review and agency adoption
Months 2 - 3	IDOC internal review	Internal review completed and approved
Months 4 - 5	The Policy and Directive Unit will issue notification of update to transfer policy	Notification of update memo has been distributed and posted
Months 6 - 7	IDOC will ensure Transfer Coordinators are factoring in proximity to home community as a valid reason when evaluating a person's placement and/or transfer request	Transfer Coordinators are factoring in home community when evaluating cases
1 year after policy is adopted	IDOC will add a new segment in their Annual Report to share numbers on requests/cases handled in relation to this updated transfer policy	IDOC reports on number of transfer requests submitted and executed per this policy modification

(K) Contact visitation between children and incarcerated parents should be a right.

AND

All jails across the state should have visitation options.

AND

Visitation rooms in all correctional facilities should be child friendly.

It is vital for incarcerated parents and their children to have positive contact to maintain their relationship and bond to any extent possible. Parent/child interactions are enhanced when the location of that contact is comfortable, amenable to positive interactions, and allows focus on the contact rather than concerns about the environment. To maintain safety and security of those living and working in jails and prisons and to prevent incarcerated people from leaving the facility, most correctional facilities have brick and steel construction, concrete floors, steel seating, and bland wall coloring, all of which reduce comfort. This atmosphere causes children to be averse to visiting their parent at a correctional facility and reduces the likelihood of a child having positive interactions when they do visit.

Jails and prisons should make their visitation areas more comfortable to increase the likelihood of children visiting and having positive experiences. 95% of incarcerated people will return to the community, and relationships with loved ones outside of the facility should be supported to improve the chances of positive reintegration upon re-entry.

Objectives & Indicators of Success: State Prison System

Objective 1: IDOC will adopt a common and actionable definition of "child-friendly" to ensure that jails and prisons can pursue a commonly understood goal when upgrading and updating their spaces. This definition will be inclusive of children of different ages.

• Indicator of Success 1.1: Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) has hired at least two outside experts who have worked on similar policies in other states to consult on revised administrative directives.
• Indicator of Success 1.2: IDOC has incorporated a definition of "child-friendly" into its administrative directives.

Objective 2: IDOC will adopt a goal of having child-friendly visitation spaces in all prisons within five years.

• Indicator of Success 2.1: IDOC has issued a press release regarding child-friendly visitation spaces.
• Indicator of Success 2.2. IDOC has published and regularly updates an easily accessible list of facilities with and without visitation spaces that meet the newly adopted administrative definition.
• Indicator of Success 2.3: Percent of prisons with child-friendly visitation spaces.

Objective 3: The Illinois General Assembly (ILGA) will allocate funding for state prisons to create child-friendly visitation spaces.

• Indicator of Success 3.1: IDOC has submitted a budget request to cover the costs of upgrades to visitation spaces, itemized by facility.
• Indicator of Success 3.2: Amount of funds allocated towards prison visitation spaces.

Objective 4: ILGA will allocate funding for jails to create child-friendly visitation spaces

• Indicator of Success 4.1: Amount of funds allocated to prison visitation spaces.

Objective 5: IDOC will make publicly available information regarding the availability and condition of child-friendly visitation spaces in jails and prisons across the state.

• Indicator of Success 5.1: IDOC has published information on its website regarding IDOC facilities with child-friendly spaces. This information is regularly updated.

Objectives & Indicators of Success: County Jails

Objective 1: The Illinois Sheriff's Association (ISA) will adopt a common and actionable definition of "child-friendly" to ensure that jails can pursue a commonly understood goal when upgrading and updating their spaces. This definition will be inclusive of children of different ages.

• Indicator of Success 1.1: ISA, with support as needed from the Commission, has hired at least two outside experts who have worked on similar policies in other states to consult on a definition and to convene stakeholder meetings of ISA members.
• Indicator of Success 1.2: ISA has adopted a definition of "child-friendly" that members agree on.
• Indicator of Success 1.3: ISA has published a list of members who allow in-person visitation, virtual visitation, and no-form of visitation, as well as a list of members with child-friendly visitation spaces.

Objective 2: County jails with contact visitation will adopt the goal of having child-friendly visitation spaces within five years.

• Indicator of Success 2.1: Percent of jails which have committed to creating child-friendly visitation spaces within five years.
• Indicator of Success 2.2: Among jails with visitation spaces, percent of jails which have child-friendly spaces.

Objective 3: County jails without contact visitation will develop a strategy within six months that details how they could introduce child friendly visitation within 5 years. This will include the per county cost of those changes.

• Indicator of Success 3.1: Commission and ISA have coordinated work groups with county jail representatives to discuss barriers to contact visitation and solutions for implementing child-friendly contact visitation.
• Indicator of Success 3.2: County jails without contact visitation have provided Commission with memo documenting their strategy for implementing child-friendly contact visitation within five years.
• Indicator of Success 3.3: Commission has annual meetings with county jail representatives to monitor progress on strategies for implementing child-friendly contact visitation and troubleshoot any difficulties.

Objective 4: ILGA will allocate funding for jails to create child-friendly visitation spaces.

• Indicator of Success 4.1: Amount of funds allocated to jail visitation spaces.

Objective 5: ISA will make publicly available information regarding the availability and condition of child-friendly visitation spaces in jails across the state.

• Indicator of Success 5.1: ISA has published information on its website regarding county jails with child-friendly spaces. This information is regularly updated.

• Indicator of Success 5.1: Every county jail in Illinois has published information on its website regarding the availability of child-friendly spaces. This information is regularly updated.

Agencies & Stakeholders Involved

1. Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)
   1. Strategic plan implementation lead
2. Illinois Sheriffs Association (ISA)
   1. County Sheriffs
   2. Jail Operators

Additional Resources Needed

Funding:

• Amount: $50,000 per IDOC facility and an average of $200,000 per County Jail facility
  • DOC - $1,350,500 (27 facilities)
  • Jails - $18,400,000 (92 county jails)
• Source: General revenue
• Relevant Considerations: Both approaches will likely need to be phased in over time and it is likely that some prison or jails facilities are in such a state of disrepair that updating visitation spaces may make less sense than rebuilding the entire facility. Many county jails have opted to only provide video visitation and may need funding for structural additions to their facilities and added staffing to accommodate in-person visitation. It should be cautioned that some jails may elect to close if costs aren't covered by the State due to lack of funding at the local level. Additionally, any updates to correctional facilities may require ongoing funding to maintain, repair, and/or replace improvements put in place.

Staff:

• Organization(s):
  • IDOC
    • Assistant Wardens of Operations
    • Facility Engineers
    • Lead of Engineering
    • Depending on the nature of the work required to be done, Capital Development Board may need to be involved
  • ISA, County Jails
    • County Sheriffs
    • Jail Leadership
    • Additional jail staff to supervise visitation
  • Hiring need: None

Technology:

Type: TBD

Hardware/Software Needed: TBD

Implementation Plan

Timeline	Steps	Deliverables/ Milestones
Month 1-4	IDOC will hire or partner with an outside group with expertise in correctional visitation best practices to develop a child-friendly definition and standards.	Draft definition and standards for child-friendly spaces
Months 5-8	IDOC will adopt child-friendly definition into policy and ISA will encourage members to adopt definition into local policy	Updated administrative directive with child-friendly definition and county jails adopt child-friendly definition
Months 9-12	IDOC will make a public commitment of developing child friendly visitation spaces in every facility within 5 years	IDOC public commitment
Months 12-16	IDOC will perform an audit of visitation spaces across the system and share results with Commission to post publicly	Public accounting of existing child friendly visitation spaces
Months16- ongoing	IDOC will maintain a count of the child friendly visitation spaces on its webpage	IDOC webpage updated with this information
Months 12-18	ISA members will submit information on existing child friendly spaces with ISA County jails will make commitment to developing child-friendly visitation spaces	ISA Webpage updated with this information County jails public commitment and written strategy memo
Months 12-24	ILGA will create funding for jails and DOC to upgrade spaces	Budget line item created for funding this transformation

(L) The Illinois Department of Corrections should provide programming to help parents and children process visits in a way that facilitates the healing process.

When a parent is incarcerated, children may feel loss, shame, abandonment, and even guilt. To mitigate as much short-term damage as possible, the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) should provide programming to help children and parents process visits and heal. IDOC should develop an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), creating a system whereby DCFS supports children in coping with the loss of a parent to incarceration when the parent has been sentenced to serve six months or more in a correctional facility. The IGA should allow DCFS to provide this support to children who are not in the care or custody of DCFS. The DCFS Family caseworker should help ensure that the child can maintain phone, video and in-person visitation with their incarcerated parent. The caseworker, or an assigned counselor, should work with the child before and after initial visits to help children process the new style of interaction with their parent over the initial 6-month period. The caseworker should also work with the incarcerated parent, any correctional casework staff, the child's academic institution, and whoever is caring for the child during the parent's incarceration to provide information and guidance for maintaining a healthy relationship for the child. Finally, the DCFS caseworker should help to ensure the stability of the family when the parent is ultimately released from incarceration.

Objectives & Indicators of Success

Objective 1: IDOC will enter into an IGA with DCFS to establish core policy, procedures, and staffing levels to implement casework services for families impacted by incarceration.

• Indicator of Success 1.1: DCFS has identified service providers and caseworkers needed to serve families impacted by incarceration, specifically persons with knowledge of correction systems.
• Indicator of Success 1.2: IDOC has identified current locations and numbers of persons to be served with services designed to build/rebuild relationships, including number of current incarcerated parents by facility.
• Indicator of Success 1.3: IDOC and DCFS work group has been established to outline basic elements needed to serve families impacted by incarceration.
• Indicator of Success 1.4: IDOC and DCFS have identified and implemented training to specifically address needs of children and families with an incarcerated family member.

Objective 2: IDOC and DCFS will build a screening and referral process which they will use to identify and serve families impacted by incarceration.

• Indicator of Success 2.1: IDOC has developed a screening tool to identify incarcerated parents in need of services to support a healing process for their children.
• Indicator of Success 2.2: IDOC and DCFS have established a referral and feedback process to assign casework staff.
• Indicator of Success 2.3: In collaboration with IDOC, families, and impacted children, DCFS has developed a client registration process for caseworker assignment to families who agree to participate.
• Indicator of Success 2.4: IDOC has ensured that DCFS assigned staff have access to incarcerated parents for visitation and identify IDOC Clinical Services staff to liaise with DCFS caseworkers.
• Indicator of Success 2.5: DCFS has established data tracking plan to evaluate program success and monitor potential participant and enrolled participant numbers to prepare for any future GRF funding requests.
• Indicator of Success 2.6: DCFS has visited with incarcerated parents to understand individual situations and with the children to identify services needed and begun providing services.
• Indicator of Success 2.7: Program evaluation report which includes data related to service provision, enrollment, and other outcomes has been published two years after the work group has been convened.

Objective 3: DCFS will explore ways to make healing services available to County Jails upon request, ensuring that children with parents in county jails receive healing services as well.

• Indicator of Success 3.1: Local DCFS staff have established policies and practices and have educated local County Sheriffs and/or Jail Administrators on implementing services for families of those incarcerated in County Jails following sentencing.
• Indicator of Success 3.2: Local DCFS staff have identified service providers to provide services that DCFS does not provide that will aid children of parents who are incarcerated in County Jails.
• Indicator of Success 3.3: Local DCFS staff have reached out and identified families willing to participate in services designed to facilitate healthy relationships between children and parents incarcerated in County Jails.
• Indicator of Success 3.4: DCFS has visited with parents incarcerated in County Jails and their families to understand individual situations and begin providing services.

Objective 4: The Illinois General Assembly (ILGA) will allocate funds for DCFS to maintain and expand casework services for children and families impacted by incarceration.

• Indicator of Success 3.1: DCFS has prepared a budget line focused on the staffing and service costs needed to serve children and families with a parent incarcerated in an ??IDOC facility, and which may be later applied to County Jails and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP).
• Indicator of Success 3.2: ILGA has approved this funding.
• Indicator of Success 3.3: DCFS has received the approved funding and has allocated it to cover necessary staffing and service costs.

Agencies & Stakeholders Involved

1. Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)
   1. Identification of incarcerated parents with children/families in need of support
   2. Streamlining of security measures for program participants to meet with casework staff
   3. Allowance of family friendly activities during visitation time
2. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
   1. Implementation of casework services, including transportation, for children of incarcerated parents
   2. Provision of specific training to staff working with children of incarcerated parents to understand those specific needs
   3. Establishment of referral needs to ensure program has needed services
   4. Assessment of resource needs and development of missing services
   5. Ongoing collaboration with correctional entities and families to evaluate and improve programming
3. Illinois County Jails
   1. Identification of incarcerated parents with children/families in need of support
   2. Streamlining of security measures for program participants to meet with casework staff
   3. Allowance of family-friendly activities during visitation time

Additional Resources Needed

Funding:

• Amount: TBD
• Source: General Revenue
• Relevant Considerations: DCFS has considerable overlap with those involved in various levels of the criminal legal system, including the Incarcerated Parent Advocacy Program to address issues related to families with an incarcerated parent. However, DCFS has expressed need for increased staffing at the caseworker level to address general casework and may not be in a position to dedicate resources solely for incarcerated parents.

Staff:

• Organizations(s): IDOC, County Jails, DCFS
• Name(s) and/or Title(s): Casework supervisors, Caseworkers
• Hiring Need: Yes, and potential external partners including training, transportation, and counseling services

Technology:

• Type: TBD
• Hardware/Software Needed: TBD

Implementation Plan

Timeline	Steps	Deliverables/ Milestones
Months 1 - 4	IDOC and DCFS to establish a work group to identify the needs and scope	Workgroup of knowledgeable staff selected and scope of work established Regular work group meeting schedule established
Months 5 - 6	Workgroup will develop a screening tool and referral process	Tool and referral form created
Months 7 - 10	IDOC will screen potential program participants DCFS will evaluate available services specific to this population, assess any gaps, and establish data tracking plan	Program participants identified Inventory of available services has been assessed and data plan established
Months 8 - 12	DCFS and IDOC will initiate engagement of children, supportive families, and incarcerated parents	Casework engagement begun
Months 12 - 18	DCFS will build relationships with local County Jail administration and evaluate scope of work and need for services	Relationship established with County Jails, scope of work determined, and inventory of available services completed
Months 18 - 24	DCFS and County Jails will develop screening processes and implement work with incarcerated parents, children, and families	Casework engagement begun at County Jails
Months 24 - 36	DCFS will use program evaluation to determine any funding needed from the Illinois General Assembly to maintain and expand the program for children of incarcerated parents.	Funding increase requested, as needed

(M)The State of Illinois should provide additional funding to support enhanced visitation.

Enhanced visitation generally refers to special programming bringing together incarcerated individuals and their loved ones. This can range from annual events to recurring "Day with Dad" programs to more regular programs that help to create some special opportunity for connection between incarcerated parents and their children. Jails and prisons across the country support or facilitate a range of enhanced visitation options, typically in partnership with non-profit organizations.

These programs require planning and resources to occur and to be effective. Funding considerations include the need for proper staffing, staff training, and post-visit support staff availability for people who are incarcerated as well as their children. Some funding should also be accessible to non-profit organizations, allowing them to work with local jails or the state prison system to plan and execute enhanced visitation opportunities. Removing the responsibility for funding these programs from jails and prisons may allow more and better enhanced visitation opportunities.

Objectives & Indicators of Success

Objective 1: The Commission will partner with an external research partner to identify specific promising programs, in Illinois and outside of Illinois, and develop a reference guide for prisons and jails.

• Indicator of Success 1.1: Commission has identified external research partner to develop a list of at least 20 model enhanced visitation programs, including low-cost options.
• Indicator of Success 1.2: Commission has approved list and made it available online along with sufficient detail on how these programs work.
• Indicator of Success 1.3: The Commission has partnered with external research partner to develop concrete recommendations for adopting models from enhanced visitation list in Illinois where applicable.

Objective 2: The Commission will petition the State to create a grant program, administered by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA), to fund enhanced visitation in jails and prisons.

• Indicator of Success 2.1: The Commission has petitioned the Illinois General Assembly (ILGA) for funding using the list of recommendations for adopting enhanced visitation models as a guide.
• Indicator of Success 2.2: ILGA has allocated $2 million annually to fund an enhanced visitation grant.
• Indicator of Success 2.3: ICJIA has developed a NOFO splitting funding between jails and prisons.
• Indicator of Success 2.4: ICJIA has awarded grants and assessed impacts made by grantees.

Agencies & Stakeholders Involved

1. Illinois General Assembly (ILGA)
   1. Funding decision maker
2. Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA)
   1. Grant making and grant administration organization

Additional Resources Needed

Funding:

• Amount: $2 million
• Source: General revenue
• Relevant Considerations: Most jails and IDOC either do not have legal grantmaking authority or lack the internal capacity to release and effectively manage grants.

Staff:

• Organizations(s): ICJIA, External research partner
• Name(s) and/or Title(s): TBD
• Hiring Need: Contract with external research partner

Technology:

• Type: TBD
• Hardware/Software Needed: TBD

Implementation Plan

Timeline	Steps	Deliverables/ Milestones
Months 1 - 6	Commission will contract with external partner to develop list of enhanced visitation models and recommendations for adoption in IL	List of enhance visitation models and recommendations for IL published online
Months 7 - 8	Commission will petition ILGA for funding to develop further enhanced visitation programming	Funding awarded by ILGA with ICJIA as grant administrator
Months 18 - 24	ICJIA will identify grantees for ILGA funding to implement enhanced visitation in prisons and jails	Grants distributed by ICJIA

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APPENDIX

Basic Law Enforcement and Correction Officer Curriculum Outlines

POLICE FUNCTION AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR:

Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents

Instructional Goal: This training is designed to educate frontline officers in best practices for conducting arrests of parents, both when children are present and when they are not. The information outlines procedures for ensuring children's safety and well-being throughout the parental arrest process.

Allotted Class Time: 1.5 hours

• Student Performance Objectives:
• Explain how children of arrested parents are at greater risk for negative physical and emotional health consequences.
• Describe recommended practices for officers when parents are arrested, both when children are present and not present.
• Identify what additional resources officers should seek to safeguard children of arrested parents.
• Guest lecture option. - Discuss trauma experienced as a child of an arrested or incarcerated parent. Add .5 Hours to the course.

Resources:

Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents: Officer Training Facilitator Guide

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) 44 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 200 Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 836-6767

In Association with The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice 810 7th Street, NW Washington, DC 20531 (202) 616-6500

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Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents

Course Outline:

1. NOTE: Refer to:
   1. Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents: Officer Training Facilitator Guide to teach this course.
   2. Videos:
      1. Video Scenario #1
         1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9inJ_wCXvMk
      2. Video Scenario #2
         1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUinHk4cNVY
      3. Put if All together Final Video Scenario
         1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG0JRQwlp4k
      4. California POST Training Video on Law Enforcement Responsibility for Children of Arrested Parents
         1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vrw5zqCze8
2. This training has three sections -
   1. The Why - We will discuss children of arrested parents - the effects the arrest of a parent can have on children.
   2. The What - We will discuss examples of agency policy designed to address this issue.
   3. The How - And we will discuss how police officers can implement the recommended practices into everyday duties.

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INTEGRATED SCENARIOS BLE

Instructional Goal: Simulation exercises can serve to reinforce knowledge, skills, and abilities previously presented to the recruit. Practical exercises serve to integrate materials. Ideally, scenarios would be presented periodically throughout the course, where appropriate, to ensure recruit officers' understanding of the materials presented in instructional blocks. Additional hours dedicated to this activity have been added to the curriculum to ensure recruits receive sufficient training scenarios.

Allotted Class Time: 92 hours

Instructional Note: An instructor developing a hypothetical circumstance for recruits should use the student performance objectives within the instructional unit as the shell around which to develop the scenarios. Likewise, the instructor should devise a standard of performance expected from each recruit for each selective objective. Ideally, feedback to the recruit should occur as to his/her level of performance. For administrative purposes, the instructor should include a list of the chosen instructional blocks and student performance objectives in the lesson plan. Additionally, outside of this block, specific scenarios could be developed within blocks of instruction such as Courtroom Testimony, Initial Medical Response, DUI, Traffic Crash and Traffic Stops.

Suggested scenarios:

• Basic citizen complaint/report writing (example: theft of property, loud music complaint)
• Escalating Domestic Violence (example: verbal argument to domestic battery)
• Sexual Assault (example: responsibilities as first responding officer)
• Missing Person (special needs - Alzheimer's, autistic, developmentally disabled)
• Terry Stop (example: "loitering" around school property or outside business at closing)

While the actual number of student performance objectives chosen for coverage in a scenario may vary, each scenario should touch upon the following generic elements, as appropriate:

• Tactical response emphasizing officer safety
• Proper and appropriate use of force to include de-escalation
• Interaction of the officer with a variety of individuals, including children that are present and not present during the parents' arrest.
• Summon appropriate back-up, supervisor, specialized officer, interpreters, child mental health community partners, Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), other agencies.
• Interview of a complainant, victim, witness, and suspect
• Recognition of the elements of a criminal offense
• Provide emergency medical aid to victim
• Recognition of persons with disabilities to include Autism, Alzheimer's, and both physical disability, and mental illness
• Recognition of the rights of crime victims
• Recognize situation where an Amber Alert or Silver Search would be appropriate
• Preservation of a crime scene

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INTEGRATED SCENARIOS BCO

Instructional Goal: Simulation exercises can serve as a means to reinforce knowledge, skills, and abilities previously presented to the recruit. Practical exercises serve to integrate materials. Ideally, scenarios would be presented periodically throughout the course, where appropriate, to ensure recruit officers' understanding of the materials presented in instructional blocks.

Allotted Class Time: 20 hours

Instructional Note: An instructor developing a hypothetical circumstance for recruits should use the student performance objectives within the instructional unit as the shell around which to develop the scenarios. Likewise, the instructor should devise a standard of performance expected from each recruit for each selective objective. Ideally, feedback to the recruit should occur as to his/her level of performance. For administrative purposes, the instructor should include a list of the chosen instructional blocks and student performance objectives in the lesson plan. Additionally, outside of this block, specific scenarios could be developed within blocks of instruction such as initial medical response, processing a new detainee, communicating with a detainee in a mental health crisis, etc.

Suggested scenarios:

• Basic detainee complaint/report writing
• Proper and appropriate use of force to include de-escalation
• Interaction of the CO with a variety of individuals
• Interaction with children during jail visitation.
• Interview of a complainant, victim, witness, and suspect
• Provide emergency medical aid to victim
• Recognition of persons with disabilities to include Autism, Alzheimer's, and both physical disability, and mental illness
• Recognition of the rights of detainee
• Preservation of a crime scene
• Search of cell for contraband or evidence
• Writing of reports and other supportive documents

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Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board

Mandated Law Enforcement Training - Continual Training

Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board

JB Pritzker, Governor: Phone: 217/782-4540

Keith Calloway, Executive Director: Fax: 217/524-5350

SAFE-T ACT (July 2022)

Refer to ILETSB Mandated Guidelines for guidance

Annual Mandate Training Requirements

(no hourly minimum standard established)

• Crisis Intervention Training
• Emergency Medical Response Training and certification
• Law Updates
• Officer Wellness and Mental Health
• Firearms Restraining Order Act (Certificate Required)
• Firearms Qualification (Rules & Appendix in JCAR) https://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/020/02001730sections.html)

3-Year Mandate Training Requirements

(no hourly minimum standard established)

• Constitutional and Proper Use of Law Enforcement Authority
• Cultural Competency - including implicit bias and racial & ethnic sensitivity
• Civil Rights
• Human Rights
• Procedural Justice - including Trauma-Informed Practices and Children of Incarcerated Parents
• Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect
• Sexual Assault /Trauma Informed Response (all police officers)
• Sexual Assault/Abuse Investigator Training (for those who investigate sexual assault crimes)

3-Year Use of Force Mandate Training Requirements

(At least 12-hours of hands-on, scenario-based role-playing)

• At least 6 hours of instruction on use of force techniques, including the use of de-escalation techniques to prevent or reduce the need for force whenever safe and feasible or when force must be used, to use force that is objectively reasonable, necessary, and proportional under the totality of the circumstances; and to ensure appropriate supervision and accountability (These hours may be all in scenario-based hours or a mixture of scenario & classroom)
• At least 6 hours of training focused on high-risk traffic stops (These hours may be all in scenario-based hours or a mixture of scenario & classroom)
• Specific training on officer safety techniques, including cover, concealment, and time (no hourly minimum standard established)
• Specific training on the law concerning stops, searches and use of force under  the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution (no hourly minimum standard established)

5-year Mandate Training Requirement

• Psychology of Domestic Violence (no hourly minimum standard established)
• Trauma-Informed Practices and Children of Incarcerated Parents (no hourly minimum standard established)

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Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board

Board Approved Guidelines

EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2022

Key Human Rights Guidelines

In order to assist law enforcement agencies in accessing the widest possible variety of in-service mandated Human Rights Training (P.A. 99-352), the Training Board has outlined the types of in-service training that would meet the mandate.

Any certified training course that contains any of the following Human Rights Guidelines would be eligible to comply with the mandate:

• Trauma-Informed Practices and Children of Incarcerated Parents
• Illinois Human Rights Act
  • Protecting Personal Dignity
  • Mental Health Intervention
  • Agency Recruitment/Hiring Policies
  • Protecting Those with Disabilities
  • Crises Interventions
• Domestic Violence
  • Orders of Protection
  • Propensity Evidence
• Sex Crimes
  • Human Trafficking
  • Sexual Assault
  • Sexual Abuse
  • Propensity Evidence
  • Agency Harassment Policies
• Hate Crimes
  • Rights of LGBT
  • Violence based on Race or Religion
  • Violence based upon Nationality
  • Verbal Communication Skills in Foreign Languages
• Crimes Against the Elderly
  • Elder Abuse Financial Exploitation
• Crimes Against Children
  • Child Pornography
  • Child Exploitation
  • Missing Children
  • Child Abuse

Key Procedural Justice Guidelines

In order to assist law enforcement agencies in accessing the widest possible variety of in-service mandated Procedural Justice Training (P.A. 99-352), the Training Board has outlined the types of in-service training that would meet the mandate.

Any certified training course that contains any of the following Procedural Justice Guidelines would be eligible to comply with the mandate:

• Supervisory Procedural Justice - Fairness and Consistency
  • Leadership Development
  • Effective Supervision
  • Organizational Policy and Oversite
  • Officer Wellness & Safety
  • Recruiting to reflect community diversity
• First Responder Procedural Justice - Impartiality
  • Trauma-Informed Practices and Children of Incarcerated Parents
  • Reasonable Use of Force
  • De-escalation Training
  • Crisis Intervention Team Training
  • Verbal and Non-verbal communication
  • Bias Awareness
  • Language and Cultural Responsiveness
  • Trauma and Victim Services
  • Disease of Addiction
• Community Relationships - Voice & Transparency
  • Restorative Justice Philosophy
  • Problem Oriented Policing
  • Technology and Social Media
  • Neighborhood Crime Analysis
  • Public Dialog
  • Dispute Resolution
  • Public Perception
  • Building Trust and Legitimacy