There were 9,009 offenders released on parole during 2018 that live in Cook County, according to Illinois Department of Corrections data obtained by West Cook News.
The data shows that 8,479 men and 530 women were released in Cook County. Of the parolees, 76 were veterans, and the median age was 36. The youngest parolee was a 19-year-old man convicted of a property crime in 2016, and the oldest was a 80-year-old man convicted of a public safety violation in 2018.
The offender who had been incarcerated the longest was Charles Smith. He was convicted of homicide in 1972 when he was 25 years old. He is now 73.
Under state law, paroled offenders are still in legal custody of the IDOC, meaning they can be taken back to a correctional center at any time if the state has probable cause or a warrant.
The table below gives a breakdown of how many offenders were paroled in 2018 in each Cook County municipality.
| Municipality | Total 2018 Parolees | % convicted for sex crimes | % convicted for homicide | % convicted for drug-related crimes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alsip | 23 | 4.3% | 4.3% | 17.4% |
| Arlington Heights | 19 | 0% | 0% | 10.5% |
| Barrington | 3 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Bellwood | 72 | 0% | 8.3% | 23.6% |
| Berkeley | 7 | 14.3% | 0% | 14.3% |
| Berwyn | 76 | 0% | 7.9% | 19.7% |
| Blue Island | 94 | 0% | 1.1% | 28.7% |
| Bridgeview | 10 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Broadview | 105 | 16.2% | 2.9% | 18.1% |
| Brookfield | 9 | 0% | 0% | 11.1% |
| Burbank | 22 | 0% | 0% | 40.9% |
| Calumet City | 108 | 0.9% | 0.9% | 17.6% |
| Chicago | 6,734 | 0.4% | 2.7% | 30.3% |
| Chicago Heights | 155 | 1.3% | 5.8% | 21.9% |
| Chicago Ridge | 11 | 9.1% | 0% | 36.4% |
| Cicero | 76 | 1.3% | 0% | 15.8% |
| Country Club Hills | 35 | 2.9% | 0% | 8.6% |
| Des Plaines | 43 | 0% | 2.3% | 14% |
| Dolton | 97 | 2.1% | 5.2% | 14.4% |
| Elgin | 69 | 0% | 2.9% | 30.4% |
| Elk Grove Village | 8 | 0% | 0% | 25% |
| Elmwood Park | 22 | 4.5% | 0% | 18.2% |
| Evanston | 30 | 0% | 0% | 26.7% |
| Evergreen Park | 24 | 0% | 4.2% | 12.5% |
| Flossmoor | 2 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Forest Park | 20 | 0% | 0% | 35% |
| Franklin Park | 11 | 9.1% | 0% | 27.3% |
| Glenview | 5 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Glenwood | 13 | 0% | 0% | 15.4% |
| Harvey | 154 | 1.3% | 5.2% | 19.5% |
| Harwood Heights | 5 | 0% | 20% | 0% |
| Hazel Crest | 43 | 0% | 4.7% | 20.9% |
| Hickory Hills | 5 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Hillside | 9 | 0% | 22.2% | 22.2% |
| Hines | 2 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Hoffman Estates | 10 | 0% | 0% | 30% |
| Hometown | 3 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Homewood | 15 | 13.3% | 0% | 6.7% |
| Justice | 15 | 0% | 6.7% | 33.3% |
| La Grange | 11 | 0% | 9.1% | 54.5% |
| La Grange Park | 2 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Lansing | 45 | 0% | 8.9% | 6.7% |
| Lemont | 3 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Lincolnwood | 2 | 0% | 0% | 50% |
| Lyons | 11 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Markham | 35 | 2.9% | 2.9% | 14.3% |
| Matteson | 38 | 2.6% | 2.6% | 7.9% |
| Maywood | 93 | 1.1% | 3.2% | 33.3% |
| Melrose Park | 41 | 0% | 0% | 22% |
| Midlothian | 21 | 0% | 4.8% | 14.3% |
| Morton Grove | 1 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Mount Prospect | 11 | 0% | 0% | 18.2% |
| Niles | 6 | 0% | 0% | 16.7% |
| Oak Forest | 12 | 0% | 0% | 50% |
| Oak Lawn | 35 | 0% | 5.7% | 11.4% |
| Oak Park | 20 | 0% | 5% | 30% |
| Olympia Fields | 2 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Orland Park | 14 | 7.1% | 0% | 42.9% |
| Palatine | 22 | 0% | 0% | 27.3% |
| Palos Heights | 2 | 0% | 0% | 50% |
| Palos Hills | 7 | 0% | 0% | 57.1% |
| Palos Park | 1 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Park Forest | 42 | 0% | 7.1% | 14.3% |
| Park Ridge | 3 | 0% | 0% | 33.3% |
| Posen | 8 | 0% | 0% | 12.5% |
| Prospect Heights | 3 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Richton Park | 17 | 0% | 5.9% | 17.6% |
| River Forest | 2 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| River Grove | 10 | 0% | 0% | 30% |
| Riverdale | 95 | 2.1% | 0% | 14.7% |
| Riverside | 7 | 0% | 0% | 42.9% |
| Robbins | 11 | 0% | 0% | 18.2% |
| Rolling Meadows | 5 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Schaumburg | 19 | 0% | 0% | 10.5% |
| Schiller Park | 7 | 0% | 14.3% | 14.3% |
| Skokie | 16 | 6.2% | 0% | 12.5% |
| South Holland | 37 | 0% | 2.7% | 24.3% |
| Steger | 20 | 0% | 0% | 15% |
| Stone Park | 4 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Streamwood | 21 | 0% | 0% | 19% |
| Summit Argo | 8 | 0% | 0% | 12.5% |
| Thornton | 2 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Tinley Park | 26 | 0% | 0% | 15.4% |
| Westchester | 10 | 0% | 0% | 40% |
| Wheeling | 20 | 0% | 0% | 20% |
| Willow Springs | 3 | 0% | 0% | 33.3% |
| Wilmette | 1 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Worth | 13 | 0% | 0% | 23.1% |
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