(20 ILCS 5000/5)
Sec. 5. Purpose. The General Assembly finds and declares that:
(1) public safety dictates the adoption of employment
restrictions to protect vulnerable populations, to prevent the risk of loss and liability, and to minimize the likelihood of harm to the public, fellow employees and customers;
(2) gainful employment after release from prison is
one of the critical elements necessary to achieve successful reentry after prison and that employment has been shown to reduce recidivism;
(3) to make our communities safer, public safety also
requires that employment opportunities not be so restricted that people with criminal records are unable to engage in gainful employment;
(4) many State laws and policies impose restrictions
on the employment of persons with criminal records including State government jobs, jobs in State-licensed, regulated and funded entities, and jobs requiring State certification;
(5) no comprehensive review of these restrictions has
been undertaken to evaluate whether the restrictions are substantially related to the safety, trust and responsibility required of the job or to the goal of furthering public safety;
(6) a less restrictive approach is preferred if it
both furthers public safety and preserves employment opportunities; and
(7) the State's agencies, boards, and commissions can
assume a leadership role in providing employment opportunities to people with criminal records by reviewing their employment policies and practices and identifying barriers to employment that can safely be removed to enable people with criminal records to demonstrate their rehabilitation.
(Source: P.A. 96-593, eff. 8-18-09.)
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Last modified: February 18, 2015