Insights & Information

The New York Times recently published an opinion by Michelle Alexander, a civil rights lawyer and author of "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness." According to Alexander, approximately 90 percent of criminal cases in the U.S. are never tried before a jury. The reason for this is the majority of individuals charged will plead guilty and come to an agreement with the prosecutor on time to be served. Alexander brings attention to the question: What would happen if, as a country, we decided to halt any such deals with prosecutors? And would such an effort in effect "crash the system," given the lack of resources available to try such a large volume of cases? To read the full report, click here.

Fees incurred by innocent defendants through the purchase of bail bonds are being absorbed back into Cook County as a processing fee, according to a recent story published by Chicago Public Media. This processing fee is typically 10 percent of the total bond payment, which can add up to hundreds of dollars per individual. According to Dorothy Brown, Cook County Clerk of Court, "the problem is that they [the defendants] had to be processed and someone, the same costs are involved whether the person is found innocent or guilty. It's an unfortunate circumstance, it's the system we have right now, but someone has to pay that cost and I wouldn't want to raise taxes on the taxpayers to pay that cost for individuals that are found innocent." The Office of the Cook County Clerk reports that approximately six to seven million dollars are brought in annually through these fees. To read the full story by Rob Wildeboer, click here.

The Pew Forum on Religion and Life recently released a report from the perspective of chaplains serving prisons throughout the country. According to the report, more than seven in ten chaplains believe there are efforts within the prisons by individuals serving sentences to convert or proselytize others. Additionally, about three-quarters of the chaplains maintain that religious switching or conversion to an alternate religion is common, especially among members of the Muslim and Protestant Christian populations. Overall, the chaplains promote religious counseling in the prison as an important aspect of rehabilitation, although the majority feel that the system in which they are employed is not doing enough to promote reintergration and re-entry into communities. To read the full report, click here.

With the release of his budget recommendations for FY13, Governor Quinn announced the closure of two Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice facilities (Murphysboro and Joliet). The John Howard Association (JHA) has issued a statement in support of the closures, stating that this is the right deciison for Illinois. Currently, DJJ spends a large portion of its $140 million annual budget maintaining facilities such as these. Both facilities scheduled to close are not filled to capacity and still require high maintenance expenditures. Closing these facilities will save Illinois taxpayers almost $20 million a year. Additionally, with this move, the Governor will help the state in establishing a justice system focused on rehabilitation rather than incarceration for troubled youth. To read the full JHA report, click here.

The Correctional Education Association is holding a conference in Effingham, Illinois consisting a series of education workshops spread over a two day period.

April 23, 24, 2012
Keller Convention Center - Hilton Garden Inn
1202 N. Keller Dr.
Effingham, IL

For more information about the schedule of events and registration, click here.

Left to right: Illinois State Senator Kwame Raoul; IACJ Chair Diane Williams; Clarisol Duque on behalf of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin; Congressman Danny Davis; Illinois State Senator Mattie Hunter; IACJ Vice-Chair Pamela Rodriguez (Photo Credit: David Ormsby)

The Illinois Association for Criminal Justice presented awards Sunday to U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Congressman Danny K. Davis and Illinois State Senators Mattie Hunter and Kwame Raoul for legislative leadership in criminal justice policy.

The association’s inaugural event, held at the Safer Foundation in Chicago, featured a room filled to capacity with appreciative community members and service providers. Legislators were lauded for their commitment and sponsorship of key legislation to advance fairness in the justice system.

The association recognized Senator Durbin for authoring the Fair Sentencing Act, which was signed into law in 2010 and reduces the sentencing disparity in the mandatory penalties for possession of crack versus powder cocaine.

IACJ awarded Congressman Davis for sponsoring the Second Chance Act, which provides federal seed grants for programs that assist individuals released from prison to successfully reenter society

Senators Hunter and Raoul also received the group’s recognition for state legislative drug crime reform efforts in Springfield. Hunter successfully sponsored the Illinois Disproportionate Justice Impact Study Commission law that addresses racial disparities in justice system’s response to drug crimes.

Raoul won approval for Illinois Crime Reduction Act, a measure that invests in community-based solutions to non-violent, drug-related crime.

“At the heart of our mission, our goals are to advance criminal justice reforms that guarantee equality for all under the law, create safer communities, and reduce the financial burden of expensive and unnecessary incarceration on taxpayers,” said Diane Williams, IACJ President and CEO of Safer Foundation. “Congressman Davis and Senators Durbin, Hunter and Raoul embody those goals.”

“Our mission is to ensure that services and public policies are in place that will reduce crime and restore individuals to stability and productivity in their communities,” said Pamela Rodriguez, president of TASC (Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities), a founding organizational member of IACJ. “We’re here today because it’s vital to recognize legislative leaders when they take courageous stands in matters of fiscal responsibility and social justice. We care about these issues, we understand the impact of public policy in our communities, and we’re paying attention to what happens in Springfield and Washington.”

Left to right: IACJ Chair Diane Williams; Illinois State Senator Mattie Hunter; IACJ Vice-Chair Pamela Rodriguez (Photo Credit: David Ormsby)

Illinois State Senator Kwame Raoul (Photo Credit: David Ormsby)

IACJ Chair Diane Williams (Photo Credit: David Ormsby)

Left to right: IACJ Chair Diane Williams; Clarisol Duque on behalf of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin; IACJ Vice-Chair Pamela Rodriguez (Photo Credit: David Ormsby)

Congressman Danny Davis (Photo Credit: David Ormsby)

IACJ Vice-Chair Pamela Rodriguez (Photo Credit: David Ormsby)

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See more coverage of this event:

State Journal Register
The Pantagraph
WJBC
WREX
Marion Star
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Daily Herald
Examiner.com
Illinois Senate Democrats
 

According to a report recently published by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency with support from the Jane Addams Juvenile Court Foundation, black youth in Cook County are detained at forty-six times the rate of white youth. In response to these alarming rates, the Counsil recommends the county shut down a temporary detention center and to increase awareness and facilitate discussion on youth justice.

Click here to read the full report.

The John Howard Association (JHA) is hosting an event aiming to educate the public on the Illinois prison system. Individuals who were previously incarcerated, along with reformers and community-based service providers, will serve as keynote speakers. $20 at the door will provide a donation in support of JHA and pay for beer and wine.

April 12, 2012
7:00 PM
Mystic Celt
3433 North Southport Avenue
Chicago, IL

On the heels of its twenty-fifth anniversary, The Sentencing Project has released a publication entitled "To Build a Better Criminal Justice System: 25 Experts Envision the Next 25 Years." It includes an address by Jeremy Travis, president of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, as well as a range of essays that propose policy change and education initiatives on topics including racial justice strategies, linking public health and criminal justice reform, challenging the war on drugs, and the viability of fiscal pressures as a focus for reform. To read the full publication, click here.

SAMHSA's GAINS Center for Behavior Health and Justice Transformation works toward improving the lives of individuals with behavioral health needs who are involved in the criminal justice system. The Center is looking for communities and individuals interested in participating in several initiatives designed to better serve this population through two solicitations. The first is seeking applications from communities interested in its "How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses" trainings, and the second is seeking applications from communities interested in its "Sequential Intercept Mapping" workshops. The target audiences for these trainings are community-based justice system professionals, including police, community corrections (probation, parole, and pre-trial services officers), court personnel, and other human service providers. To read more, click here and here.