In this piece, I examine Illinois' public conviction registry and its lasting impact on marginalized communities. The article highlights advocates who argue it perpetuates punishment without improving public safety.

Thousands of Chicagoans have their names, addresses and criminal history listed on the Illinois Murder Registry-- many without knowing the public database exists. A growing chorus of local organizers say the records do more harm than good despite being advertised as a way to keep communities safe.

“I served my time. I don’t deserve to suffer any more than I already have,” said 49-year-old Naji Ublies, a manager at the Chicago Torture Justice Center in Woodlawn. Ublies was released from prison in 2018 after serving a 25-year sentence for a murder he committed when he was 17.

Ublies, like thousands of others in Illinois, is on a public conviction registry. A state law created in 2012, requires residents convicted of murder and other violent crimes to register annually for 10 years after completing parole. According to data obtained by WBEZ, 5,000 people have been arrested for failure to register since 2017, and 98% are people of color. “The state’s complex maze of registry laws and restrictions are poorly communicated, difficult to navigate and burdened by clerical mistakes. Failure to comply can result in a felony conviction,” said Laurie Jo Reynolds, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago who has challenged conviction registries throughout her career. That is why Ublies hosts “Know your Rights” training sessions to teach returning citizens basic life skills, but also how to toe the line and stay in compliance. His mentorship supplements what he sees as a “lack of guidance and clarity” from state police.

Ublies experienced the consequences of these administrative errors firsthand. In 2020, he said he totaled his car after colliding with an 18-wheeler on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Instead of being taken to the hospital, Ublies was nearly taken away in handcuffs. The state troopers who responded to the scene of the crash ran his plates and threatened to arrest him for non-compliance with the registry.

“He told me, ‘I’m going to have to take you in.’ I said for what? Let me show you my registration papers. They wouldn’t let me get them out of my wallet,” Ublies said. He said they only let him go once they realized the antiquated website had not been updated in a month, misrepresenting his status.

Even in compliance, formerly incarcerated people say the registry locks them in a cycle of perpetual punishment and state surveillance, prolonging a prison-like reality long after they are released. In 2023, CTJC organizer Rebecca Bretz orchestrated its Illinois Murder Registry Impact Report by synthesizing decades of research surrounding public conviction registries, calling for the repeal of all state conviction registries. Her report argues it re-stigmatizes formerly incarcerated people -- especially Black men -- by increasing reentry barriers to employment and housing that ultimately destabilizes their lives.

Bretz says lawmakers use the registry as a band-aid solution to a systemic issue, instead of addressing the root causes of crime.

“It’s a bullsh*t response. They’re pretending to solve a complex problem of inter-communal violence which distracts people from creating safety within their communities,” Bretz said.

The Chicago Police Department did not respond to a request for comment regarding conviction registries and their effect.

People on the registry say they expect police harassment but say the fear of retaliation from their community is far worse. “I know guys that use surnames to disguise their real names so whoever is looking for them-- whether that’s people from the streets or opps from prison-- can’t find them,” Ublies said. “I know people who were killed because somebody found their address on the registry.”

Registries have grown nationwide over the last decade, but most data suggest they are not making communities safer. According to research conducted by Cornell University professor Amanda Agan, public conviction registries fabricate an illusion of safety and minimize public anxiety, but do not reduce crime rates or recidivism.

The Chicago 400 Campaign is spearheading the effort to chip away at Illinois’ conviction registries in the state-house. A senate bill proposes decreasing non-compliance penalties from felonies to misdemeanors and cutting the murder registration period in half.

Reynolds said the bill garnered several co-sponsors and will be introduced next session.

In the meantime, Bretz, Ublies and other advocates will continue to inform the public in hopes of generating grassroots activism that necessitates legislative action. “There has to be a massive effort to get people to understand the reality of this registry which is that it does nothing for public safety and deeply harms the people on it,” Bretz said.