By Ahmadou Dramé
The state of Illinois has a duty to deliver public safety to all residents in a manner that is fiscally responsible, equitable and effective.
An analysis of current government spending, however, raises concerns whether policymakers and elected officials are meeting their responsibilities.
State and local governments in Illinois spend more than $9.1 billion annually on prisons and policing in our state. This is happening at a time when the population of people incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections has declined by more than 40% over the past decade and when there is growing public support for more community-driven solutions to violence.
There is more cost-effective way to achieve meaningful public safety – a comprehensive and coordinated investment by the Illinois General Assembly to expand housing and support for the thousands of Illinoisians who, because of an arrest or conviction record, struggle to find a safe and secure place to live.
With an investment of just $103 million in the Home for Good program (HB3162 and SB2403), Illinois taxpayers can save $650 million and stop the cycle of recidivism, incarceration, and violence to build a stronger and safer state— and put Illinois on a pathway to greater fiscal responsibility.
Last year’s state budget allocated $900 million to rebuild crumbling state prisons; the Department of Corrections annual budget is about $2 billion; and across Illinois, state and local governments spend more than $6.2 billion annually on policing. In sum, Illinois spends more than $9.1 billion on prisons and policing in our state.
The criminal legal system touches many Illinoisans. More than 3.3 million people were arrested or convicted in Illinois between 1979 and 2020. Over 100,000 people cycle through Cook County Jail annually. Approximately 20,000 people leave Illinois state prisons each year.
The status quo is ineffective, and costly. 36.7% of people return to Illinois state prisons within 3 years of release. These arrests, convictions, and returns to prison add to the total cost of the current criminal legal system. Each time someone recidivates it costs $203,000 in 2025 inflation adjusted dollars. In 2024, 52% of people admitted to IDOC custody had been previously incarcerated. These recidivism events cost the state over $1.3 billion. Chipping away at the recidivism rate by just 1% will result in a high return on investment by increasing economic participation and cutting state criminal legal system costs at the same time.
Violence is similarly costly. Gun violence deaths in Illinois cost over $12 billion in medical, police, and community resources each year. However, research shows that investing in community violence prevention programs can save up to $916,000 per participant, and reduce participants’ likelihood of an arrest for a violent crime by 70%.
Home for Good’s investment of $47 million in housing vouchers and services will annually serve approximately 3,700 people with records. By providing rental housing, housing navigation, and wraparound services to meet people’s needs, Home for Good will reduce recidivism from about 36.7% to 14%, saving $190 million over 3 years. Numerous pilot studies have shown that people who have safe places to live and get workforce training can find and keep jobs. The income from those jobs will contribute at least $283 million to the Illinois economy. These savings and the economic influx far outweigh the cost of the program. Research shows similar results when providing housing and services to people involved in community violence intervention programs. Bolstering violence interventions could save the state up to $3.3 billion dollars through decreased violence.
Home for Good invests another $51 million to build and rehab transitional and permanent housing units designated for people with records. Over time, these new units would house an estimated 4,400 people. That construction cost will be offset by the long-term property value and new construction jobs, which will generate a combined $90 million over three years. One of Home for Good’s notable benefits is that it is designed to create new jobs for people leaving prisons, who currently face a 45% unemployment rate, which is twice the Depression-era rate and leads many people to require state support for healthcare or food stamps.
That is the cost benefit analysis of a $103 million investment in Home for Good. For every $1 spent on Home for Good, taxpayers save $6. And that $103 million is just 1% of the $9.1 billion currently spent on corrections and policing. In addition, fewer families will lose loved ones to murder or incarceration. Communities will be safer and the money the state saves can be directed to education, job creation, reduced taxes or the environment.
This is a tight budget year. Lawmakers are being rightfully cautious about spending. Investing $103 million now in Home for Good can save lives, create jobs, reduce violence, and help to repair the damage that violence has caused in so many of our lives. While other states are reluctant to act, Illinois can be national model. Invest now and reap the benefits for all Illinoisans.
People return from prison to every single county in Illinois. A stable reintegration is essential for them and for the Illinois communities they call home for good.
Ahmadou Dramé is the director of the Illinois Justice Project.