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Pass the Home for Good bill
Each year, thousands of Illinoisans return from prison without a place to live. The stigma of a record impedes their ability to get a job, leaving them unable to afford market-rate housing at a time when affordable housing is already limited.
Without secure and stable housing, the likelihood of recidivism increases. Having a consistent place to live is one of the most critical factors in breaking this cycle, reducing repeat offenses, and improving public safety – not to mention saving our communities money.
Illinois has an opportunity to make our communities safer and stronger by addressing the issue of housing insecurity facing people returning from prison. We can address this issue through programs like Home for Good (HB624), which creates a comprehensive strategy to ensure people returning from prison have access to stable housing and the support services necessary to successfully reintegrate.
As an elected official, it’s important that I represent all of my constituents, including those who have been impacted by the criminal justice system. It’s my responsibility – and the responsibility of elected officials across Illinois – to understand the obstacles and hurdles holding people back, and to do what we can to help.
Home for Good is an investment in our communities that desperately need it. Every dollar spent housing and serving someone returning from prison through Home for Good will bring $5 of economic growth back to their community and save taxpayers the expense of recidivism.
In Lake County, we’re blessed to have many officials leading the way on this issue – including Sen. Adriane Johnson, the Senate sponsor of Home for Good, who is committed to passing the bill during the fall veto session. But this requires a statewide solution, and I encourage her Senate colleagues to send it to Governor Pritzker for his signature as soon as possible.
Marc Jones, Waukegan Township supervisor and chairman of the Coalition to Reduce Recidivism