(NEWS3) — Since March, thousands of inmates in the Land of Lincoln have been allowed back onto the streets in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
More than 4,000 inmates in Illinois prisons had their sentence commuted by Gov. J.B. Pritzker or released early by the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) since March 1, according to the IDOC’s website.
The list shows more than a dozen of the inmates released, were sentenced in the NEWS3 viewing area and charged with violent crimes.
The move has drawn criticism and calls for answers from some state leaders and law enforcement officials. The Illinois State Senate Republican Caucus, in which local State Sen. Jil Tracy is part of, sent a letter to Pritzker with concerns and questions about why the offenders were let go.
“No one is disputing that the Governor has the authority to release prisoners; however, we have trouble with the manner in which this has been done,” Tracy said on her Facebook page. “There is little to no regard for the safety of the citizens of Illinois, or the crime victims and witnesses who will be affected when a convicted felon is being released – ahead of schedule – back into the community.”
It is unclear why the inmates have been released or if it is related to COVID-19, but Pritzker said most of the offenders were near the end of their sentences.
“I think some of you may know and understand, because I’ve said it many times from this podium. I want to keep the risk to people across the state as low as possible,” Pritzker said April 21 during his daily briefing. “The risk of COVID-19 and the risk from somebody who has done something wrong in their past.”
The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and Fraternal Order of Police Chicago Lodge #7 have also been critical of the decisions, questioning why more than 60 convicted murderers and violent criminals have been released.
“While many of our state’s businesses have had to keep their doors closed, why are you allowing the doors of our prisons to be open for murderers and violent criminals,” law enforcement officials said in a letter to Pritzker.
Below is a complied list of inmates released who were sentenced from counties in the NEWS3 viewing area:
Warren County
- Daniel Braun – Parole – Criminal trespass to residence
- Taylor Petty – Parole – Meth delivery more than five grams
- Nabeck Cole – Parole – Meth delivery more than five grams
- Jairo Camacho – Parole – Attempted manufacture/delivery narcotics
- Jeremiah Thurman – Parole – Predatory criminal sexual assault
- Miriha Hornke – Parole – Theft more than $300
- Jared Asmus – Parole – Meth delivery more than five grams
- Brandon Greenstreet – Parole – Aggravated robbery/indicate armed with firearm
- Jacob Hunt – Parole – Retail theft/merchandise of less than $300
- Patrick Pence – Parole – Meth delivery more than five grams
Knox County
- Tyler Lytle – Parole – Criminal trespass to residence
- Orlando Hernandez – Parole – Mob action
- Eric Denniston -Parole – Aggravated meth manufacture/protected/400+ grams
- Robert Crouch -Parole – Criminal sexual assault/force
- Muhammed Lawal – Parole – Manufacture/delivery 10-15 grams of heroin
- Honorio Alban – Parole – Aggravated DUI/6+
- George Sutton – Parole – Sex offender failing to report weekly/2nd time
- Brooke Zwicky – Transferred out – Possession of meth manufacture material
- Devante Johnson – Parole – Residential burglary
- Tyler Martindale – Parole – Aggravated domestic battery/strangulation
- Carrington Clelland – Discharged out – Violation of order/prior violation of order
- Anthony Litton – Parole – Unlawful use of weapon by felon/possession/use of weapon/firearm
- Demonta Seymour – Parole – Possession of amount of controlled substance
- Brian Rahn – Discharged out – Child pornography and possession of film/photos
- Trevor McCutcheon – Parole – Possession of meth more than five grams
- Ronald Guerrero – Parole – Possession of amount controlled substance
- Sean Glas – Parole – Child pornography and possession of photos
Hancock County
- Christin Young – Parole – Possession of meth more than five grams
- Joseph Brown – Parole – Possession of meth more than five grams
- Carrie Morris – Parole – Burglary
- Robert Treadwell – Discharged – Possession of meth 15<100 grams
- Kenneth Howell – Parole – Possession of meth more than five grams
- Steven Haskins – Parole – Possession of anhydrous ammonia/intent
- Zachary Thurman – Parole – Burglary
- Joshua Hutcherson – Parole – Possession of meth more than five grams
- Gabriel Camp – Parole – Possession of meth more than five grams
- Richard Moulton – Parole – Driving with a suspended/revoked license four to nine times
- Anthony Beasley – Parole – Forgery and issue/delivery of document
- Joshua Lemmer – Parole – Possession of meth more than five grams
- Kimberly Althide – Parole – Possession of meth more than five grams
- Larry Nelson – Parole – Possession of meth more than five grams
- Stephen Miller – Parole – Possession of meth more than five grams
- Cortez Sturek – Parole – Aggravated battery of a child older than 13 and great bodily harm
- Shelby Kelly – Parole – Possession of meth more than five grams
Fulton County
- Kennard Scranton – Parole – Aggravated battery to an officer
- Victoria Goldring – Parole – Obstruction of justice/destroying evidence
- Thomas Glore – Parole – Meth delivery more than five grams
- Jennifer Bratton – Parole – Abandonment/neglect of elderly/death/caregiver
- Derrick Stephens – Parole – Possession of meth more than five grams
- Jory Peltier – Parole – Unlawful use of weapon/rifle/shotgun
- David Wilson – Parole – Possession of meth more than five grams
Schuyler County
- Andy Lopez-Diaz – Parole – Possession of meth more than five grams
- Aaron Evitch – Parole – Burglary
- Thomas Horne – Parole – Aggravated battery to an officer
McDonough County
- Samuel Boone – Parole – Residential burglary
- Darrell Hanshaw – Parole – Violation of order and prior domestic battery
- Jonathan Staples – Parole – Aggravated battery/pregnant/handicapped
- Dylan Prather – Parole – Possession of meth more than five grams
