A pair of Illinois lawmaker are trying to stop the state from suing former prisoners to to pay for their own incarceration.
Right now, the state of Illinois sues about 10 former inmates a year.
CASSIDY: It’s morally repugnant, it’s just, it’s wrong.
State Representative Kelly Cassidy is sponsoring a new bill to prohibit the Illinois Department of Corrections from trying to get money from former inmates.
CASSIDY: It’s also counterproductive. We know any barrier to re-entry is a path to recidivism.
A corrections spokeswoman says they are neutral on the bill.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Illinois attorney general says they would welcome the change.
Last fall, one lawsuit involved the state seeking more than $100,000 from a parolee.
