Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) and House Republican Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) have formed the Illinois Joint Investigatory Panel on Early Release. The mission of the panel is to resolve unanswered questions about the details and community impact of Governor Quinn’s “MGT Push” and early release programs.   An initial inquiry has been scheduled for Peoria on August 11. Another is planned for Chicago later in the month.

“We want to give the administration an opportunity to explain what steps they have taken to protect the public and what policies they have put into place since the MGT Push program came to light," Radogno said.

Radogno explained that lawmakers and others have been repeatedly sought information from the Quinn administration without success. For example:

• In December, Governor Quinn appointed former judge David Erickson to conduct an extensive review of release practices. No report has been issued. A June media report indicated the report would be completed by July 4. It is now August;
• In January, Senator Kirk Dillard formally requested that Senate President John Cullerton and House Speaker Michael Madigan convene a Committee of the Whole;
• On January 7, 2010, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees called for a task force to "answer urgent questions" about the Early Release Program;
• On Feb. 22, 2010, State Representative David Reis submitted a letter to Governor Quinn with a list of questions pertaining to the Early Release Program;
• On March 5, 2010 legislators from both parties filed House Resolution 991 to create a non-partisan Early Release Investigative Committee. That resolution was bottled up by the House Democrat leadership;
• When it was revealed that some of those released early had gone missing, Senators Kirk Dillard, Bill Brady and Representative Dennis Reboletti again called for a House-Senate investigation;
• In an editorial on July 8, the Peoria Journal-Star demanded that lawmakers "press Corrections Director Michael Randle on the repeated slip-ups, demanding a step-by-step explanation of how every problem will be addressed before more Illinoisans are put at risk."

Radogno named State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale) as Co-Chair of the panel. Dillard is the senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Criminal Law Committee. Dillard serves on the CLEAR (Criminal Law Edit, Alignment and Reform) Commission, a blue-ribbon panel that since 2005 has been working on a comprehensive rewrite of the state's Criminal Code.Also serving on the Committee will be Senators Tim Bivins (R-Dixon) and Dale Righter (R-Peoria).

Cross selected State Representative Dennis Reboletti (R-Elmhurst) to serve as Co-chair of the panel.  Reboletti is a former prosecutor and has sponsored legislation to prevent implementation of early release programs in the future and has previously called for a legislative investigation into Quinn’s early release programs.

“Since January we have tried to get answers from Governor Quinn and his administration about the MGT Push and early release programs to no avail,” said Cross.  “At least one murder has been committed by an inmate released under this program and yet we still can’t get answers to basic questions such as:  How did the Department of Corrections chose which inmates to release? What crimes had they committed? And most importantly, where are they today?”

Governor Pat Quinn’s Chief of Staff Jerome Stermer and the Illinois Department of Corrections Director Michael Randle are among those who have been invited to testify.

The first inquiry on August 11 will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on the Illinois Central College North campus at 5407 N. University in Peoria.  It will be held in the Arbor Hall 2^nd Floor Auditorium.  

The second is planned for August 25 at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago from Noon to 2 p.m.

Other legislators who will be participating include:  State Representative Bill Mitchell (R-Forsyth), State Representative David Leitch (R-Peoria), State Representative Jim Durkin (R-Countryside), State Representative Jil Tracy (R-Quincy), State Representative Jim Sacia (R-Pecatonica).