Legislation pushed by Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart to help stop sexual misconduct by detainees against those working in the jail was signed by Gov. JB Pritzker Friday.
Under the new law, if a defendant is found guilty of administrative infractions of public indecency or sexual misconduct while in a penal institution, a judge must consider it as a factor in aggravation at sentencing on their criminal case.
“Our top priority is safety,” Sheriff Dart said. “This new tool will help us continue to lead the nation in providing a safe correctional setting.”
Senate Bill 416 was proposed by Sheriff Dart and sponsored by state Sen. Bill Cunningham and state Rep. Frances Hurley. It is one of numerous actions Sheriff Dart has taken over the years to prevent sexual misconduct by detainees, including referring hundreds of criminal cases for charges and revoking thousands of days of custody credit.
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