CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Governor JB Pritzker has signed an executive order setting up a committee that will try to come up with ways to reform the state’s criminal justice system.
Governor Pritzker’s executive order is called the Justice, Equity and Opportunity Initiative.
"This initiative will conduct research, pilot programs and advocate for legislation as we work to build a justice system that reflects the values of the people of Illinois," he said.
Pritzker said his Justice, Equity and Opportunity Initiative will bring together agencies, organizations and others who have a stake in reforming the criminal justice system so that the state uses a coordinated approach to tackle the problem.
The committee that will be headed by Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton will file its first report in 90 days on what’s doable in the first year.
Victor Dickson, the president and CEO of the Safer Foundation, said 4.2 million people in Illinois have arrest or conviction records out of roughly 9 million adults in the state. He welcomes the initiative as a way to reduce the state's recidivism rate. It's estimated that 48 percent of people released from prison will wind up back in the criminal justice system within three years.