This dashboard presents data on Illinois’ Mandatory Supervised Release population. Illinois has a determinate sentencing system, in which individuals convicted of a felony and sentenced to prison are sentenced to both a prison sentence determined by the court and a set period of mandatory supervised release (MSR) served after completion of their prison sentence. The length of time individuals serve on MSR is determined by the felony class of the crime for which they were sentenced to prison and generally ranges from 6 months to 3 years, but can be longer for those sentenced to prison for a domestic battery offense or a sex offense.

Individuals on MSR are required to fulfill conditions set by the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, which commonly include: not being arrested, prohibitions on possessing firearms, participation in programs and/or treatment intended to address criminogenic risks and needs (e.g., substance abuse treatment), meeting with a parole agent, and complying with conditions such as being on electronic monitoring/home confinement.

The number of people on MSR (parole) may vary, depending on the number and nature of crimes for which people are convicted, the number and lengths of prison sentences imposed, and the length of MSR supervision. The number of people on MSR and the length of their supervision, in turn, impact prison admissions and populations. If someone violates the conditions of their MSR, they may be returned to prison to serve up to the remainder of their MSR term.

Information on MSR populations comes from the Illinois Department of Corrections public data portal and is updated quarterly. These data reflect the number of people on MSR on the date associated with the end of each quarter (e.g., June 30 for the 2nd quarter).