I am writing to ask that you ensure that the SMART Act is funded in this year’s budget. This Act is important for my community, and important for our state. Illinois spends needlessly to incarcerate non-violent drug possession offenders for short periods of time. Our communities are faced with the reality of thousands of individuals who return home after short sentences with only increased despair and barriers to success to show for their involvement in the justice system. The SMART Act provides treatment for individuals who need it, and creates the first-in-the-nation state sponsored drug school for communities across Illinois.

This approach has proven 85 percent effective in Cook County reducing recidivism to only 15 percent. The recidivism rate for people incarcerated by Illinois is over 50 percent. This Act also saves valuable dollars at all levels of government – reducing costs and back logs in law enforcement, prosecution, and incarceration. This Act that costs $1.9 million promotes the drug school model that currently saves Cook County $2 million annually in prosecutorial costs. The SMART Act is my number one priority—and it should be yours too.