Public Act 0869 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1995 Enrolled LRB096 05393 RLC 15459 b

Public Act 096-0869

AN ACT concerning corrections.

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

Section 5. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by changing Section 3-7-2 as follows:

(730 ILCS 5/3-7-2) (from Ch. 38, par. 1003-7-2)

Sec. 3-7-2. Facilities.

(a) All institutions and facilities of the Department shall provide every committed person with access to toilet facilities, barber facilities, bathing facilities at least once each week, a library of legal materials and published materials including newspapers and magazines approved by the Director. A committed person may not receive any materials that the Director deems pornographic.

(b) (Blank).

(c) All institutions and facilities of the Department shall provide facilities for every committed person to leave his cell for at least one hour each day unless the chief administrative officer determines that it would be harmful or dangerous to the security or safety of the institution or facility.

(d) All institutions and facilities of the Department shall provide every committed person with a wholesome and nutritional diet at regularly scheduled hours, drinking water, clothing adequate for the season, bedding, soap and towels and medical and dental care.

(e) All institutions and facilities of the Department shall permit every committed person to send and receive an unlimited number of uncensored letters, provided, however, that the Director may order that mail be inspected and read for reasons of the security, safety or morale of the institution or facility.

(f) All of the institutions and facilities of the Department shall permit every committed person to receive visitors, except in case of abuse of the visiting privilege or when the chief administrative officer determines that such visiting would be harmful or dangerous to the security, safety or morale of the institution or facility. The chief administrative officer shall have the right to restrict visitation to non-contact visits for reasons of safety, security, and order, including, but not limited to, restricting contact visits for committed persons engaged in gang activity. No committed person in a super maximum security facility or on disciplinary segregation is allowed contact visits. Any committed person found in possession of illegal drugs or who fails a drug test shall not be permitted contact visits for a period of at least 6 months. Any committed person involved in gang activities or found guilty of assault committed against a Department employee shall not be permitted contact visits for a period of at least 6 months. The Department shall offer every visitor appropriate written information concerning HIV and AIDS, including information concerning how to contact the Illinois Department of Public Health for counseling information. The Department shall develop the written materials in consultation with the Department of Public Health. The Department shall ensure that all such information and materials are culturally sensitive and reflect cultural diversity as appropriate. Implementation of the changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly is subject to appropriation.

(f-5) The Department shall establish a pilot program in one or more institutions or facilities of the Department to permit committed persons to remotely visit family members through interactive video conferences. The Department may enter into agreements with third-party organizations to provide video conference facilities for family members of committed persons. The Department may determine who is a family member eligible to participate in the program and the conditions in which and times when the video conferences may be conducted. The Department may conduct such conferences as an alternative to transporting committed persons to facilities and institutions of the Department near the residences of family members of the committed persons.

Beginning on October 1, 2010 and through October 1, 2012, the Department shall issue an annual report to the General Assembly regarding the implementation and effectiveness of the pilot program created by this subsection (f-5).

(g) All institutions and facilities of the Department shall permit religious ministrations and sacraments to be available to every committed person, but attendance at religious services shall not be required.

(h) Within 90 days after December 31, 1996, the Department shall prohibit the use of curtains, cell-coverings, or any other matter or object that obstructs or otherwise impairs the line of vision into a committed person's cell.

(Source: P.A. 94-629, eff. 1-1-06.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2010.