(a) There is established a Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparity in the Criminal Justice System. The commission shall consist of the Chief Court Administrator, the Chief State's Attorney, the Chief Public Defender, the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, the Commissioner of Correction, the Commissioner of Children and Families, the Child Advocate, the Victim Advocate, the chairperson of the Board of Pardons and Paroles, the chairperson of the Commission on Equity and Opportunity, or their designees, two members of the Commission on Equity and Opportunity designated by the executive director of the commission, a representative of municipal police chiefs, a representative of a coalition representing police and correctional officers, six members appointed one each by the president pro tempore of the Senate, the speaker of the House of Representatives, the majority leader of the Senate, the majority leader of the House of Representatives, the minority leader of the Senate and the minority leader of the House of Representatives, and two members appointed by the Governor. The Chief Court Administrator or said administrator's designee shall serve as chairperson of the commission. The commission shall meet quarterly and at such other times as the chairperson deems necessary.

(b) The mission of the commission shall be to address the overrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities, with particular attention to African-Americans and Latinos, in the state's criminal justice system, and shall include consideration of the impact of such racial and ethnic disparity on minority communities. The commission shall:

(1) Sponsor conferences, forums and educational and training programs on the causes, effects and implications of racial and ethnic disparity in the state's criminal justice system;

(2) Collaborate with national, state and local organizations and institutions to identify strategies for reducing racial and ethnic disparity in the state's criminal justice system;

(3) Develop, evaluate and recommend promising and emerging policies and practices, including any legislation to implement such policies and practices;

(4) Determine whether any statutory provision negatively impacts the racial and ethnic disparity in the state's criminal justice system and recommend statutory changes to the Governor and General Assembly to reduce such impact;

(5) Make recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly and state and local agencies and organizations on the implementation of any such strategy, policy, practice or legislative change; and

(6) Assess the impact of any implementation of such strategies, policies, practices or legislative changes.

(c) Not later than January 15, 2017, and biennially thereafter, the commission shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the Governor and the General Assembly concerning the activities and accomplishments of the commission. Such report shall cover the time period since the previous report.

(P.A. 00-154; P.A. 04-234, S. 2; P.A. 06-196, S. 179; P.A. 11-51, S. 134; P.A. 15-109, S. 1; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3, S. 166.)

History: P.A. 04-234 replaced Board of Parole with Board of Pardons and Paroles, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 06-196 made a technical change in Subsec. (b)(10), effective June 7, 2006; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Commissioner of Public Safety” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection” in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 15-109 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “the chairperson of the Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission” and adding provision re quarterly meeting, amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re mission of commission and replacing former provisions in Subdivs. (1) to (12) with provisions re duties of commission in new Subdivs. (1) to (6), and amended Subsec. (c) by replacing provision re annual reporting of additional resources with provisions re biennial reporting of activities of commission and adding reference to Governor; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing reference to chairpersons of African-American Affairs, Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs and Asian Pacific American Affairs Commissions with reference to chairperson and two members of Commission on Equity and Opportunity, effective July 1, 2016.