Insights & Information

Illinois State Senators John O. Jones (R-54th District) and Shane Cultra (R-53rd District) released information last week about the problematic ratios of prison guards to inmates; the ratios vary greatly and in almost all cases are too high. These policy makers note that they believe the state legislature would pass a "properly crafted" early release program designed to reduce the state's prison population, and that the state should change its handling of non-violent drug offenders, who currently make up a sizeable portion of the inmate population. To read more, click here.

Anthony Gay, a prisoner at Tamms Correctional Center in Tamms, Illinois, has appealed to an Illinois appellate court in what could be the first attempt to apply a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling prohibiting life sentences without parole for people 18 and younger. Currently, he will not be eligible for parole until he is 120. Gay, 36, was sent to prison in 1994 on a seven-year sentence for assault, but he's now serving 99 years at Tamms, Illinois' only state-operated supermax prison. His prison term was increased because of mandatory consecutive sentences for throwing urine and feces at guards. To read the entire article by George Pawlaczyk and Beth Hundsdorfer in the Belleville News Democrat online, click here.

Join State Representative La Shawn Ford (D-8th District) for a public discussion on the important issue of conceal and carry of handguns.

Town Hall Meeting on Conceal and Carry of Handguns
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
4630 W. Augusta
Chicago, Illinois
For more info, click here.
To RSVP, call (773) 378-5902

The Sentencing Project has released a new briefing paper that documents the growing trend of states to close prisons. Authors note that this trend will likely result in a reduction of more than 13,000 prison beds by year end. The report, On the Chopping Block: State Prison Closings, finds that at least 13 states have closed or are considering closing correctional facilities this year, reversing a 40-year trend of prison expansion. Leading the nation in prison closings are New York State, which is considering a reduction of 3,800 beds, and Texas, with plans for a decline of 2,139 beds. Other states that are closing prisons are Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Michigan, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin.  To read the full report, click here.

(From ICJIA's CJ DISPATCH, 8 August, 2011). In 2009, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) embarked upon a strategic planning process ("Smarter Solutions for Crime Reduction: Strategic Planning Initiative"), bringing together policymakers and practitioners at the state and local levels to craft a long-range plan to guide criminal justice policy, funding, and research over the coming years. While the final strategic plan will be released in September 2011, ICJIA has published a progress report on activities and achievements through June 2011. Click here to access the progress report.

The Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force presents the First Annual Human Trafficking two-day conference. Topics include building strong cases for prosecution, labor trafficking, sex trafficking, immigration, forensic interviewing, street outreach, and more.

August 23 and 24, 2011
8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Loyola University of Chicago
Downtown Campus

To register for the conference, click here. (Registration closes on August 15.)

The Cook County Sheriff's Reentry Council has released a research bulletin describing the characteristics of the inmates of Cook County Jail. The bulletin provides a detailed description of the volume and characteristics of those admitted to and discharged from the jail during 2010 and illustrates a number of challenges facing the facility. For the full bulletin, click here.

Summits of Hope bring together service providers to educate the re-entry population about services of potential interest. These include health care services, education opportunities, mock job interviews, community services, and many more. Summits are held throughout the year at various locations across Illinois. Please see below for specific information regarding upcoming summits:
 
Metropolis
September 6, 2011
8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Parks and Recreation Community Center
900 W 10th Street

Kankakee
September 13, 2011
8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location TBD

Cairo
October 4, 2011
Time TBD
Delta Center Activity Center
421 30th Street

Mt. Vernon  
November 01, 2011
Time TBD
Rooland W. Lewis Community Building

For more information, click here.

(From ICJIA's CJ DISPATCH, 27 July, 2011). In response to the growth of Illinois' correctional populations, and to ensure that sentencing policy is effective and efficient, the state created the Sentencing Policy Advisory Council (SPAC) and passed The Crime Reduction Act of 2009. Through its enabling legislation, SPAC is mandated to conduct research and analysis regarding sentencing policy and practices in Illinois, and to examine how these impact correctional populations in the state. SPAC's report provides an overview of the Illinois' sentenced populations and the forces that influence the population's size and type of sentencing. It also discusses how criminal justice practices have changed in Illinois over the past 20 years, with a specific emphasis on changes in sentencing practices. To read the full research brief, click here.

The most extensive study of drug courts -- a five-year examination of 23 courts and six comparison jurisdictions in eight states -- found that these court programs can significantly decrease drug use and criminal behavior, with positive outcomes ramping upward as participants sensed their judge treated them more fairly, showed greater respect and interest in them, and gave them more chances to talk during courtroom proceedings. To find out more about the study, click here.