How do I check the status of my Petition for Executive Clemency? Contact the Illinois Prisoner Review Board.
I often receive phone calls from pro se petitioners (individuals who have previously filed their own Petitions for Executive Clemency), as well as other attorneys, inquiring about how to check the status of their own/their client’s petition. Even though petitions are addressed directly to our state governor, they are initially sent to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board in Springfield, Illinois. The Board is comprised of individuals who are present at the public hearings available to all petitioners, and the Board makes confidential recommendations to the Governor on whether a petition should be granted or denied. Moreover, the Prisoner Review Board is the entity who keeps track of the status of an individual’s petition.
Inquiries about the status of a Petition for Executive Clemency should be directed to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, 319 East Madison Street, Suite A, Springfield, Illinois 62701. Their contact telephone number is (217) 782-7273 and their website is located at http://www2.illinois.gov/prb/Pages/default.aspx. Please keep in mind that the Board gets frequent phone calls to inquire about status of these petitions and they have a limited staff; please be patient with the Board while waiting for a response to your inquiry.