DUI question-banned for life?

A friend of mine got his 4th DUI in 2008 in the state of Illinois. He is currently on probation for it. His hearing officer told him that the judge handed down convictions on his prior 3 DUIs which were originally adjudicated as supervisions. He is now being told by someone in the traffic court building that he is now banned for life from driving in the state of Illinois and the country. Is it normal for someone to be banned from driving for life for this? And how could the judge hand down convictions on prior cases that had been already adjudicated as supervisions? Any help is much appreciated.