KANKAKEE, Ill. — Local Sheriff’s Departments are calling on the governor to reconsider a policy that allegedly releases felons into area communities. Officials say the recent policy shift by the Illinois Department of Corrections resulted in setting convicted felons free despite requests by federal immigration authorities to house them in designated facilities. The Illinois Sheriff’s Association says in 2019, 223 felons were transferred to the Jerome Combs Detention Center, in Kankakee after serving time in an IDOC facility. Of those 223, 204 had been convicted of committing the following crimes:
- 36 convictions of sexual offenses against minors including victims as young as 5
- 11 convictions of murder, attempted murder or intent to kill or injure
- 19 convictions of predatory criminal sexual assault
- 33 convictions of a criminal offense involving a weapon
- 50 convictions for drug offenses involving a substance other than cannabis
- 55 convictions for felony-level traffic offenses including aggravated DUI, having a fourth DUI or DUI resulting in death
