Illinois Governor Now Taking Orders From MADD

Our Chicago DUI Attorneys have learned that Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is now apparently taking orders from MADD. Quinn, who initially ordered about 1,000 low-level, nonviolent offenders to be placed on home detention under a new program aiming to save taxpayers $5 million a year reversed his course on 18 inmates in custody for felony drunk driving charges. Why? MADD told him too. Who’s running Illinois anyways?

Early release sends some DUI offenders back to prison -18 sent back to prison to serve out terms

BY FRANK MAIN AND CHRIS FUSCO Staff Reporters

Anti-drunken driving advocates reacted angrily earlier this week when the Chicago Sun-Times revealed that Gov. Quinn’s administration had released 18 felony drunken drivers from prison early to serve the rest of their prison time on home confinement.

On Thursday, those same anti-DUI advocates were cheering after the governor ordered all 18 back behind bars to serve the remainder of their prison time. Each will be paroled between mid-January and mid-October under the terms of their original sentences.

“That is a delightful Christmas story,” said David Malham, a victim-services specialist with Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Chicago. “MADD is absolutely delighted that the governor reacted to this serious issue in such a way.”

The Sun-Times revealed Tuesday that the 18 felony DUI drivers and 40 burglars were among 204 inmates released early from prison under a new program aiming to save taxpayers $5 million a year by putting certain “low-level, nonviolent offenders” on home detention. Eventually, 1,000 inmates are supposed to be released early.

Oh, great. So MADD doesn’t mind that the people that ransack your home or hold you up at gunpoint are released early, as long none of those exemplary citizens do not have a DUI conviction.

MADD officials said repeat DUI offenders should have been considered violent. After reviewing the program, the state Corrections Department agreed.

Why should they be considered violent? Because MADD says so? And what exactly did the Department of corrections “review” that made it change it’s mind? Hmmm. Could it be that in an election year the Governor is more concerned about losing MADD’s $upport than actually running the State?

The 18 DUI offenders were rounded up during the past two days. No more DUI drivers will be eligible for early release.

“A decision was made to eliminate any and all DUI offenders from the electronic-detention program,” Corrections Department spokeswoman Januari Smith said.

“Any and all DUI offenders”? Again, where is the logic behind that? If they are on home monitoring, where are they going to drive to? Shame on you, Governor Quinn. What’s next? An announcement that Illinois is banning all alcohol sales? Hope the campaign contribution was worth the sell-out.