By Chief Tom Weitzel (Ret.)

Fellow of Law Enforcement – Awake Illinois

February 27^th, 2026

There is a quiet provision in Illinois law that most citizens never hear about until someone they love becomes a victim. It rarely becomes the focus of political debate or campaign slogans, yet it shapes sentencing outcomes in courtrooms across this state every day. It is called concurrent sentencing, and it is a fraud on public safety.

Under Illinois statute 730 ILCS 5/5-8-4, judges may, in most cases, order multiple felony sentences to run concurrently unless specific statutory triggers require otherwise. In practice, that means a defendant convicted of multiple violent felonies can serve those sentences concurrently rather than consecutively. In plain language: commit four violent crimes and serve time for one. That is not accountability. That is consolidation.

Concurrent sentencing does not just flatten punishment on paper — it does so in practice in ways that shock the conscience. Consider this case reported by CWB Chicago: in December 2022, a crew of four men, Marcus Carter, Dashun McGraw, Marquise Green, and Marchello Hicks — carried out at least seven separate armed robberies, boxing in victims in parked cars, pointing guns at them, and taking phones, wallets, and other possessions. Each was a separate violent crime involving distinct victims. Yet, despite seven counts of armed robbery for each defendant, the judge imposed ten-year terms on all counts to be served concurrently — meaning seven distinct acts of violence resulted in a single effective sentence. All four men will receive credit for time served and a 50% reduction for good behavior, further reducing their effective time. You can read the reporting here: CWB Chicago: “2 more members of prolific armed robbery crew get 10-year prison sentences” (CWB Chicago).

If someone commits four-armed robberies, there are four separate victims, four separate moments of terror, and four separate violations of the law. Yet under concurrent sentencing, punishment often does not increase in proportion to the number of crimes committed. The second victim effectively disappears at sentencing. The third disappears. The fourth disappears. The convictions may appear on paper, but the imposed time often reflects only one controlling sentence.

“Concurrent sentencing is state-sanctioned leniency for violent criminals — and it puts innocent Illinois families at risk.”
— Chief Tom Weitzel (Ret.)

Justice must scale with harm. When sentencing fails to reflect the number of victims, it sends the wrong signal to offenders and the public. Anyone who has worked in law enforcement knows a simple reality: criminal behavior responds to incentives. When consequences escalate, behavior adjusts. When consequences flatten, escalation becomes less risky. Concurrent sentencing flattens consequences.

It sends a message — whether intended or not — to repeat violent offenders that stacking charges may not significantly increase their time in prison. Illinois already struggles with repeat violent crime. Instead of strengthening deterrence, we have built a system that compresses punishment. Prosecutors bring multiple counts. Courts impose concurrent terms. Release calculations center on a single effective sentence. Multiple acts of violence collapse into one block of incarceration.

Supporters of the current framework argue that judges need discretion. Judicial discretion is important, and courts must consider individual circumstances. Sentencing should not be robotic. But discretion should never become a routine mechanism that diminishes accountability for repeated violence. When multiple serious felonies are served concurrently, the law stops escalating punishment and instead absorbs risk. Innocent communities bear that risk.

If a person commits one violent felony, the law punishes it. That is the baseline. If the same individual commits three additional violent felonies, separate acts, separate victims, the punishment should increase proportionally. Anything less weakens deterrence and undermines confidence in the justice system. The public sees multiple convictions announced and assumes proportional punishment follows. Too often, that assumption is incorrect.

Concurrent sentencing also obscures transparency. Court records may list multiple guilty findings and press releases may describe several serious charges. Yet few citizens understand that those sentences often merge into a single controlling term. The result is an illusion of severity rather than true accountability. Justice is not about optics. It is about consequences that reflect reality.

This debate is not about minor nonviolent offenses or technical violations. It is about armed robbery, aggravated vehicular hijacking, home invasion, aggravated battery with a firearm, repeat weapons offenses, and other violent Class X felonies involving force. These crimes create real victims and trauma lasts. When there are multiple victims, sentences should stack automatically.

When a violent crime is committed while an offender is on pretrial release, probation, parole, or mandatory supervised release, sentences should stack automatically, not optionally or selectively. Escalation must mean something. Illinois should amend 730 ILCS 5/5-8-4 to require consecutive sentences for violent felonies involving force or the threat of force. The presumption of concurrency in these cases should be eliminated.

Critics will argue that requiring consecutive sentences will increase prison populations and strain state budgets. Perhaps it will. But public safety is not free. The cost of failing to deter repeat violent offenders is measured not only in correctional dollars but also in trauma, shattered families, emergency room visits, and lost lives. There is always a cost. The question is who pays for it.

Under the current system, too often law-abiding families bear that burden. They believe multiple convictions mean meaningful accountability, only to find the law compressing their pain into a single sentence. Concurrent sentencing is not a minor procedural detail buried in the legal code. It is a structural weakness in Illinois criminal law that undermines deterrence, diminishes proportionality, clouds transparency, and erodes public trust.

The justice system must send a clear, unmistakable message that every violent act has consequences. Not a discounted consequence. Not a consolidated consequence. Its own consequence. Illinois must abolish concurrent sentencing for violent felonies. Every victim deserves recognition in sentencing, and every repeat offender should face escalating penalties rather than discounted ones. Concurrent sentencing is a fraud against public safety.

It must end.

Tom Weitzel is a retired Chief of Police in Riverside, Illinois, with 37 years in law enforcement. He now serves as a national advocate for officer safety, responsible media, and principled leadership. He publishes “The Memo” on Substack, a column dedicated to restoring balance to policing narratives and promoting ethical reform. He is a Fellow of Law Enforcement for Awake Illinois.

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Disclaimer –

The views expressed in this article are solely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other organization, employer, or company I have worked for. My current advocacy and commentary are independent and reflect my personal experiences and beliefs.

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About Tom Weitzel-

Tom Weitzel is a retired Chief of Police from Riverside, Illinois, concluding a distinguished 37-year career in law enforcement. He now serves as a national advocate for officer safety, responsible media practices, and principled leadership in policing. Weitzel is a Fellow of Law Enforcement at Awake Illinois, contributing his expertise to statewide public‑safety initiatives and policy development. He publishes “The Memo” on Substack and “Chief Weitzel’s Dispatch” for Awake Illinois, both focused on restoring balance in policing narratives and advancing ethical, evidence-based reform. He can be reached at tqweitzel@outlook.com -you can follow him on X at @chiefweitzel, TikTok at tiktok.com/discover/chief-tom-weitzel-ret and Substack at chieftomweitzelret.substack.com -and Awake Illinois at awakeil.com/fellowtomweitzel