The Illinois Prisoner Review Board is facing severe backlash after granting parole to a man who went on to fatally stab his ex-girlfriend’s 11-year-old son less than 24 hours after his release. In the wake of this tragic incident, board chair Donald Shelter and board member LeAnn Miller have resigned from their positions.
On March 13, Jayden Perkins was allegedly ambushed and stabbed in the chest by Crosetti Brand, his mother’s ex-boyfriend, at their residence in Edgewater. Brand had been granted parole from the Stateville Correctional Center just a day prior. Laterria Smith, Jayden’s mother, was also attacked and stabbed in the neck but survived.
The parole approval for Brand was reportedly given by Miller, who had written a report approving his release on March 12. This decision came despite Smith’s recent plea for an order of protection against Brand. The order was scheduled for a hearing on March 13, with both parties expected to attend. Shockingly, the attack occurred just hours before the hearing was supposed to take place.
The Illinois Department of Corrections and the Illinois Prisoner Review Board initially claimed they were unaware of the protection order hearing. However, emails obtained by CBS 2 indicated that the Department of Corrections had knowledge of the hearing as early as February 22. Following the revelation, Governor JB Pritzker announced the resignations of Shelter and Miller.
Pritzker expressed his belief that the evidence in this case was not given the careful consideration that victims of domestic violence deserve. He vowed to implement additional safeguards and training to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
Brand had previously been paroled in October but was briefly re-incarcerated in February after allegedly threatening a female via text. He now faces a murder charge, along with several other violations, including the violation of a protection order, in connection with Jayden Perkins’ death.
The failure surrounding Brand’s parole has raised concerns about the communication and coordination between agencies involved in handling orders of protection. The Cook County Circuit Court Clerk’s office acknowledged the potential impact on others seeking protective orders against soon-to-be-released inmates and emphasized the need for immediate rectification.
Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez criticized the lack of transparency in the court system, highlighting the hindrance it poses to community providers and domestic violence advocates seeking resources to address gender-based violence.
