(1) In addition to the powers, duties, and responsibilities which are otherwise provided by law, the Department shall have the following powers:
         (a) To accept persons committed to it by the courts
    
of this State for care, custody, treatment, and rehabilitation, and to accept federal prisoners and noncitizens over whom the Office of the Federal Detention Trustee is authorized to exercise the federal detention function for limited purposes and periods of time.
        (b) To develop and maintain reception and evaluation
    
units for purposes of analyzing the custody and rehabilitation needs of persons committed to it and to assign such persons to institutions and programs under its control or transfer them to other appropriate agencies. In consultation with the Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (now the Department of Human Services), the Department of Corrections shall develop a master plan for the screening and evaluation of persons committed to its custody who have alcohol or drug abuse problems, and for making appropriate treatment available to such persons; the Department shall report to the General Assembly on such plan not later than April 1, 1987. The maintenance and implementation of such plan shall be contingent upon the availability of funds.
        (b-1) To create and implement, on January 1, 2002, a
    
pilot program to establish the effectiveness of pupillometer technology (the measurement of the pupil’s reaction to light) as an alternative to a urine test for purposes of screening and evaluating persons committed to its custody who have alcohol or drug problems. The pilot program shall require the pupillometer technology to be used in at least one Department of Corrections facility. The Director may expand the pilot program to include an additional facility or facilities as he or she deems appropriate. A minimum of 4,000 tests shall be included in the pilot program. The Department must report to the General Assembly on the effectiveness of the program by January 1, 2003.
        (b-5) To develop, in consultation with the Illinois
    
State Police, a program for tracking and evaluating each inmate from commitment through release for recording his or her gang affiliations, activities, or ranks.
        (c) To maintain and administer all State correctional
    
institutions and facilities under its control and to establish new ones as needed. Pursuant to its power to establish new institutions and facilities, the Department may, with the written approval of the Governor, authorize the Department of Central Management Services to enter into an agreement of the type described in subsection (d) of Section 405-300 of the Department of Central Management Services Law. The Department shall designate those institutions which shall constitute the State Penitentiary System. The Department of Juvenile Justice shall maintain and administer all State youth centers pursuant to subsection (d) of Section 3-2.5-20.
        Pursuant to its power to establish new institutions
    
and facilities, the Department may authorize the Department of Central Management Services to accept bids from counties and municipalities for the construction, remodeling, or conversion of a structure to be leased to the Department of Corrections for the purposes of its serving as a correctional institution or facility. Such construction, remodeling, or conversion may be financed with revenue bonds issued pursuant to the Industrial Building Revenue Bond Act by the municipality or county. The lease specified in a bid shall be for a term of not less than the time needed to retire any revenue bonds used to finance the project, but not to exceed 40 years. The lease may grant to the State the option to purchase the structure outright.
        Upon receipt of the bids, the Department may certify
    
one or more of the bids and shall submit any such bids to the General Assembly for approval. Upon approval of a bid by a constitutional majority of both houses of the General Assembly, pursuant to joint resolution, the Department of Central Management Services may enter into an agreement with the county or municipality pursuant to such bid.
        (c-5) To build and maintain regional juvenile
    
detention centers and to charge a per diem to the counties as established by the Department to defray the costs of housing each minor in a center. In this subsection (c-5), “juvenile detention center” means a facility to house minors during pendency of trial who have been transferred from proceedings under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 to prosecutions under the criminal laws of this State in accordance with Section 5-805 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, whether the transfer was by operation of law or permissive under that Section. The Department shall designate the counties to be served by each regional juvenile detention center.
        (d) To develop and maintain programs of control,
    
rehabilitation, and employment of committed persons within its institutions.
        (d-5) To provide a pre-release job preparation
    
program for inmates at Illinois adult correctional centers.
        (d-10) To provide educational and visitation
    
opportunities to committed persons within its institutions through temporary access to content-controlled tablets that may be provided as a privilege to committed persons to induce or reward compliance.
        (e) To establish a system of supervision and guidance
    
of committed persons in the community.
        (f) To establish in cooperation with the Department
    
of Transportation to supply a sufficient number of prisoners for use by the Department of Transportation to clean up the trash and garbage along State, county, township, or municipal highways as designated by the Department of Transportation. The Department of Corrections, at the request of the Department of Transportation, shall furnish such prisoners at least annually for a period to be agreed upon between the Director of Corrections and the Secretary of Transportation. The prisoners used on this program shall be selected by the Director of Corrections on whatever basis he deems proper in consideration of their term, behavior and earned eligibility to participate in such program – where they will be outside of the prison facility but still in the custody of the Department of Corrections. Prisoners convicted of first degree murder, or a Class X felony, or armed violence, or aggravated kidnapping, or criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse or a subsequent conviction for criminal sexual abuse, or forcible detention, or arson, or a prisoner adjudged a Habitual Criminal shall not be eligible for selection to participate in such program. The prisoners shall remain as prisoners in the custody of the Department of Corrections and such Department shall furnish whatever security is necessary. The Department of Transportation shall furnish trucks and equipment for the highway cleanup program and personnel to supervise and direct the program. Neither the Department of Corrections nor the Department of Transportation shall replace any regular employee with a prisoner.
        (g) To maintain records of persons committed to it
    
and to establish programs of research, statistics, and planning.
        (h) To investigate the grievances of any person
    
committed to the Department and to inquire into any alleged misconduct by employees or committed persons; and for these purposes it may issue subpoenas and compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of writings and papers, and may examine under oath any witnesses who may appear before it; to also investigate alleged violations of a parolee’s or releasee’s conditions of parole or release; and for this purpose it may issue subpoenas and compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents only if there is reason to believe that such procedures would provide evidence that such violations have occurred.
        If any person fails to obey a subpoena issued under
    
this subsection, the Director may apply to any circuit court to secure compliance with the subpoena. The failure to comply with the order of the court issued in response thereto shall be punishable as contempt of court.
        (i) To appoint and remove the chief administrative
    
officers, and administer programs of training and development of personnel of the Department. Personnel assigned by the Department to be responsible for the custody and control of committed persons or to investigate the alleged misconduct of committed persons or employees or alleged violations of a parolee’s or releasee’s conditions of parole shall be conservators of the peace for those purposes, and shall have the full power of peace officers outside of the facilities of the Department in the protection, arrest, retaking, and reconfining of committed persons or where the exercise of such power is necessary to the investigation of such misconduct or violations. This subsection shall not apply to persons committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 on aftercare release.
        (j) To cooperate with other departments and agencies
    
and with local communities for the development of standards and programs for better correctional services in this State.
        (k) To administer all moneys and properties of the
    
Department.
        (l) To report annually to the Governor on the
    
committed persons, institutions, and programs of the Department.
        (l-5) (Blank).

Attorney's Note

Under the Illinois Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
First-degree murder20 years to lifeup to $25,000
Class X felonybetween 6 and 30 yearsup to $25,000
For details, see § Ill. Comp. Stat. 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-20 and § Ill. Comp. Stat. 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-25
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Terms Used In Illinois Compiled Statutes 730 ILCS 5/3-2-2

  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Joint resolution: A legislative measure which requires the approval of both chambers.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Municipalities: has the meaning established in Section 1 of Article VII of the Constitution of the State of Illinois of 1970. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.27
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • State: when applied to different parts of the United States, may be construed to include the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" may be construed to include the said district and territories. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.14
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.

         (m) To make all rules and regulations and exercise
    
all powers and duties vested by law in the Department.
        (n) To establish rules and regulations for
    
administering a system of sentence credits, established in accordance with Section 3-6-3, subject to review by the Prisoner Review Board.
        (o) To administer the distribution of funds from the
    
State Treasury to reimburse counties where State penal institutions are located for the payment of assistant state’s attorneys’ salaries under § 4-2001 of the Counties Code.
        (p) To exchange information with the Department of
    
Human Services and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services for the purpose of verifying living arrangements and for other purposes directly connected with the administration of this Code and the Illinois Public Aid Code.
        (q) To establish a diversion program.
         The program shall provide a structured environment
    
for selected technical parole or mandatory supervised release violators and committed persons who have violated the rules governing their conduct while in work release. This program shall not apply to those persons who have committed a new offense while serving on parole or mandatory supervised release or while committed to work release.
        Elements of the program shall include, but shall not
    
be limited to, the following:
            (1) The staff of a diversion facility shall
        
provide supervision in accordance with required objectives set by the facility.
            (2) Participants shall be required to maintain
        
employment.
            (3) Each participant shall pay for room and board
        
at the facility on a sliding-scale basis according to the participant’s income.
            (4) Each participant shall:
                 (A) provide restitution to victims in
            
accordance with any court order;
                (B) provide financial support to his
            
dependents; and
                (C) make appropriate payments toward any
            
other court-ordered obligations.
            (5) Each participant shall complete community
        
service in addition to employment.
            (6) Participants shall take part in such
        
counseling, educational, and other programs as the Department may deem appropriate.
            (7) Participants shall submit to drug and alcohol
        
screening.
            (8) The Department shall promulgate rules
        
governing the administration of the program.
        (r) To enter into intergovernmental cooperation
    
agreements under which persons in the custody of the Department may participate in a county impact incarceration program established under Section 3-6038 or 3-15003.5 of the Counties Code.
        (r-5) (Blank).
         (r-10) To systematically and routinely identify with
    
respect to each streetgang active within the correctional system: (1) each active gang; (2) every existing inter-gang affiliation or alliance; and (3) the current leaders in each gang. The Department shall promptly segregate leaders from inmates who belong to their gangs and allied gangs. “Segregate” means no physical contact and, to the extent possible under the conditions and space available at the correctional facility, prohibition of visual and sound communication. For the purposes of this paragraph (r-10), “leaders” means persons who:
            (i) are members of a criminal streetgang;
             (ii) with respect to other individuals within the
        
streetgang, occupy a position of organizer, supervisor, or other position of management or leadership; and
            (iii) are actively and personally engaged in
        
directing, ordering, authorizing, or requesting commission of criminal acts by others, which are punishable as a felony, in furtherance of streetgang related activity both within and outside of the Department of Corrections.
    “Streetgang”, “gang”, and “streetgang related” have the
    
        (s) To operate a super-maximum security institution,
    
in order to manage and supervise inmates who are disruptive or dangerous and provide for the safety and security of the staff and the other inmates.
        (t) To monitor any unprivileged conversation or any
    
unprivileged communication, whether in person or by mail, telephone, or other means, between an inmate who, before commitment to the Department, was a member of an organized gang and any other person without the need to show cause or satisfy any other requirement of law before beginning the monitoring, except as constitutionally required. The monitoring may be by video, voice, or other method of recording or by any other means. As used in this subdivision (1)(t), “organized gang” has the meaning ascribed to it in § 10 of the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act.
        As used in this subdivision (1)(t), “unprivileged
    
conversation” or “unprivileged communication” means a conversation or communication that is not protected by any privilege recognized by law or by decision, rule, or order of the Illinois Supreme Court.
        (u) To establish a Women’s and Children’s Pre-release
    
Community Supervision Program for the purpose of providing housing and services to eligible female inmates, as determined by the Department, and their newborn and young children.
        (u-5) To issue an order, whenever a person committed
    
to the Department absconds or absents himself or herself, without authority to do so, from any facility or program to which he or she is assigned. The order shall be certified by the Director, the Supervisor of the Apprehension Unit, or any person duly designated by the Director, with the seal of the Department affixed. The order shall be directed to all sheriffs, coroners, and police officers, or to any particular person named in the order. Any order issued pursuant to this subdivision (1)(u-5) shall be sufficient warrant for the officer or person named in the order to arrest and deliver the committed person to the proper correctional officials and shall be executed the same as criminal process.
        (u-6) To appoint a point of contact person who shall
    
receive suggestions, complaints, or other requests to the Department from visitors to Department institutions or facilities and from other members of the public.
        (v) To do all other acts necessary to carry out the
    
provisions of this Chapter.
    (2) The Department of Corrections shall by January 1, 1998, consider building and operating a correctional facility within 100 miles of a county of over 2,000,000 inhabitants, especially a facility designed to house juvenile participants in the impact incarceration program.
     (3) When the Department lets bids for contracts for medical services to be provided to persons committed to Department facilities by a health maintenance organization, medical service corporation, or other health care provider, the bid may only be let to a health care provider that has obtained an irrevocable letter of credit or performance bond issued by a company whose bonds have an investment grade or higher rating by a bond rating organization.
     (4) When the Department lets bids for contracts for food or commissary services to be provided to Department facilities, the bid may only be let to a food or commissary services provider that has obtained an irrevocable letter of credit or performance bond issued by a company whose bonds have an investment grade or higher rating by a bond rating organization.
     (5) On and after the date 6 months after August 16, 2013 (the effective date of Public Act 98-488), as provided in the Executive Order 1 (2012) Implementation Act, all of the powers, duties, rights, and responsibilities related to State healthcare purchasing under this Code that were transferred from the Department of Corrections to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services by Executive Order 3 (2005) are transferred back to the Department of Corrections; however, powers, duties, rights, and responsibilities related to State healthcare purchasing under this Code that were exercised by the Department of Corrections before the effective date of Executive Order 3 (2005) but that pertain to individuals resident in facilities operated by the Department of Juvenile Justice are transferred to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
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