Peters: Mental health crises should be treated by mental health professionals

SPRINGFIELD – An effort to improve mental health emergency responses by diverting emergency calls for mental health crises to mental health professionals was approved by a Senate committee Tuesday.

“Mental health crises should be treated by mental health professionals,” said State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago), the legislation’s sponsor. “Receiving treatment from someone who is a trained professional in mental health support is the best and safest way to address a mental health crisis. When police or firefighters show up, it sometimes creates a more dangerous situation for everyone.”

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Peters measure increases transparency in CPS school discipline

SPRINGFIELD – A measure sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) aimed at increasing transparency in misconduct and discipline in Chicago Public Schools was approved by a Senate committee Tuesday.

House Bill 15 requires CPS to provide written notification to parents or guardians of students who commit misconduct and of students who are victims of the act of misconduct, which is defined as an incident involving offensive touching, a physical altercation, or the use of violence.

“Parents and guardians deserve to know what is going on in the schools their children are attending,” Peters said. “Informing the parents and guardians when misconduct occurs allows parents of the victims to ensure their children are properly taken care of. This will provide the creation of a written record that benefits the students, the parents and the schools.”

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Peters advances legislation that would decriminalize HIV transmission

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) is continuing an effort to decriminalize the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus.

“Having HIV is a health care concern, not a crime,” Peters said. “People living with HIV don’t need to worry about facing criminal charges for simply living.”

A portion of the Criminal Code – referred to as the Criminal Transmission of HIV – provides that individuals living with HIV can be criminally prosecuted, charged with a Class 2 Felony, and jailed for having consensual sex, sharing needles, or donating organs or bodily tissues or fluids. Despite the reference “transmission” in the criminal code, actual transmission is not required. Peters’ proposal repeals this portion of the criminal code.

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Peters tackles deceptive interrogation of children

SPRINGFIELD – After being one of the strongest advocates in favor of the landmark criminal justice pillar of the Black Caucus agenda that passed in January, State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) is continuing his fight to win real safety and justice for all Illinois residents with a proposal to stop the use of deceptive interrogation practices on children.

“Kids are taught to trust adults in positions of power, and it is unconscionable to allow law enforcement to exploit that trust in order to coerce information,” Peters said. “These kids are scared and may not fully understand their rights or of how the legal process works, so it’s a lot more likely that they’ll give false information if deception is added to the mix.”

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