07/15/2026
It was a great day for the today in , as Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law a measure that will modernize the state's law on financial compensation and bring it closer in line with standards that many other states have set. IIP clients and leaders have been part of the effort to get House Bill 3663 to the governor's desk, sharing stories of personal hardship and testifying as part of committee hearings.
Lead sponsors on the legislation were Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. and State Representative Justin Slaughter. At least 27 jurisdictions nationally compensate at a rate at or above $50,000 per year. Research compiled by IIP for this process showed that the average rate per year for the nearly 600 Illinois residents exonerated since 1989 has been just $11,190 per year. The new law will provide compensation of up to $50,000 per year of wrongful imprisonment and $25,000 per year wrongfully spent on probation, parole or the s*x offender registry.
Said IIP Director Stephanie Kamel of today's signing, “After years of advocacy, HB 3663 marks a monumental shift in how the state compensates exonerees – innocent women and men who have been wrongfully convicted and imprisoned in IL prisons and received their Certificate of Innocence. By removing the current cap and enabling the court to award up to $50,000 for each year spent wrongfully imprisoned, the state more fully acknowledges the injustice suffered by exonerees and the state’s moral obligation to provide greater restitution as they work to rebuild their lives."
Shown in the photo here are, from left, IIP client and exoneree Brian Beals; exoneree James Kluppelberg; IIP Director Stephanie Kamel; Illinois State Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr., IIP volunteer Randy Witter; and exoneree Johnnie Savory.
More details can be found at: https://www.illinoissenatedemocrats.com/caucus-news/42-senator-elgie-r-sims-jr-news/7042-illinois-raises-compensation-for-wrongfully-incarcerated-under-landmark-sims-law
