CHICAGO, Ill. — Governor JB Pritzker has announced the resignation of Prisoner Review Board (PRB) chair Donald Shelton. Shelton had served on the PRB since September of 2012, joining the board after a lengthy career with the Champaign Police Department.
“Donald Shelton served the state of Illinois in his role with the PRB for over a decade, providing a model of dedication to public service,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “During his time with the Champaign Police Department and with the PRB he worked diligently to keep Illinoisans safe and uphold our justice system, and I thank him for his service.”
This is the second resignation from the Prisoner Review Board since the controversial decision of the board to recommend freeing Crosetti Brand.
LeAnn Miller, a member of the board, resigned earlier in the wake of the tragedy that followed Brand’s release from custody.
One day after being set free, Brand stabbed his ex-girlfriend and killed her 11-year-old son.
According to published reports Brand forced his way into his ex-girlfriend’s Edgewater apartment on March 13 as she was preparing to take her 11-year-old son, Jayden Perkins, and his 6-year-old brother to school.
The media reports indicate Brand repeatedly stabbed the ex-girlfriend, with whom he had a relationship with about 15 years ago, authorities stated. Then, when Jayden tried to intervene and protect his mother, Brand stabbed him, police said.
In announcing Miller’s resignation, Gov. Pritzker said. “The Prisoner Review Board must be able to operate independently as they review enormously difficult cases, but I believe LeAnn Miller has made the correct decision in stepping down from her role.” said Governor JB Pritzker. “It is clear that evidence in this case was not given the careful consideration that victims of domestic violence deserve and I am committed to ensuring additional safeguards and training are in place to prevent tragedies like this from happening again. My thoughts are with Laterria Smith as she recovers and with the entire family of Jayden Perkins as we mourn this tragic loss—may his memory be a blessing.”
Governor Pritzker has asked the PRB to engage experts and advocates to design and implement expanded training for PRB members related to handling domestic violence cases. The Governor has also directed the PRB and Illinois Department of Corrections to review the current rules and procedures for receiving information related to cases involving domestic violence to determine whether changes are necessary. As the administration continues to review the facts in this case, it may pursue any broader statutory or policy changes needed to strengthen PRB’s review of similar cases moving forward.
The PRB is an independent, bipartisan body comprised of members appointed by the Governor. The Governor will be working closely with the General Assembly to address vacancies on the PRB and will be conducting a thorough search for qualified candidates over the coming weeks.