Insights & Information

With the release of budget recommendations for State fiscal year 2013, Governor Quinn announced budget cuts for the Illinois Department of Corrections. The budget proposal includes the closing of six adult transitional centers, including Safer Foundation's Crossroads Adult Transitional Centers. There facilities provide re-entry support for individuals with criminal records. The Safer Foundation encourages anyone in support of saving Crossroads to send letters, contact lawmakers, and to sign their online petition. For more information, click here.

A recent study conducted by the Urban Institute investigated public housing transformation initiatives in Chicago and Atlanta in high-crime areas. The transformation entailed relocating families and households from the existing developments to new neighborhoods throughout the city while the new structure was developed. Many residents opted for vouchers to move to private-market housing rather than return to the newly developed mixed-income communities. There was also substantial positive impact on crime with the relocated households. To read the full report, click here.

A recent editorial by Karen Drucker in Sense and Sustainability notes that approximately one in ten individuals in prisons are serving life sentences, resulting in an increase in the elderly population. Policies such as "three strikes" and mandatory minimum sentencing have caused this "stacking" to increase. In California, the estimated average cost to incarcerate a prisoner has increased by $19,200 since 2000, primarily becasue of increased health care costs and treatments for chronic diseases. Incarcerating older populations costs three to nine times more than younger ones. The author calls for an increase in compassionate release programs for those with terminal or severe chronic illness as well as a reduction in the duration of sentences. To read the full piece, click here.

According to an editorial appearing in The New York Times, the Supreme Court recently heard arguments on the differing treatment in sentencing of crack and powder cocaine possession. Crack and powder cocaine are different forms of the same drug, however until only recently sentencing was almost 100 times more severe for possession of crack as opposed to powder forms. The matter discussed this week is whether the new equal treatment law can be applied to individuals whose crimes were committed before the law became effective but were sentenced afterwards. "There will probably be thousands of crack defendants who will be sentenced under the old mandatory minimums that Congress repealed because they were perceived as being racially disparate and unfair," said Michael R. Dreeben, a lawyer for the federal government, "I think everyone in Congress understood that these guidelines had undermined the credibility of the criminal justice system for years." To read the full article, click here.

According to an article published by the National Institute of Justice, the female prison population increased by 25 percent between 1999 and 2009. Women are often overlooked when it comes to re-entry programs, and face difficulties in finding housing, employment, and even family support. A recent evaluation conducted by the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI) indicated that women have a higher need for reentry programs and services than men. "The bottom line of the evaluation is that women returning to the community after prison need so much," said Christy A. Visher, professor at the University of Delaware and former principal research associate with the Justice Policy Center at the Urban Institute. "The SVORI study showed that women are receiving so few services, compared to what they need, that it's no wonder they don't do better when they re-enter society." To read the full article, click here.

The Illinois Racial and Ethnic Impact (REI) Research Task Force is holding two public hearings on the collection and analysis of data on the racial/ethnic identity of people involved in the criminal justice system. In an effort to build capacity to better understand and analyze how and where racial/ethnic disproportionality occurs, and to work toward a more coordinated, standardized, and just system, the Task Force is charged to develop a framework for data collection at decision points along the criminal justice system continuum and standardized information management. Co-Chairs State Senator Mattie Hunter and State Representative La Shawn Ford invite testimony from all perspectives on this important subject. Click here for more information, and RSVP to Laura Brookes (lbrookes@tasc-il.org or 312-573-8241).

The REI Research Task Force was born out of a recommendation made by The Illinois Disproportionate Justice Impact Study (DJIS) Commission in its 2010 final report, which presented findings from its independent data analysis that examined data on the arrest, prosecution, and sentencing of different racial/ethnic groups for drug law violations. The Commission found that people of color, particularly African Americans, are disproportionately prosecuted and sent to prison for drug crimes in Illinois. It also made recommendations to eliminate disproportionality and reduce the harms associated with it. 

Chicago, Illinois
April 30, 2012 (Monday)
10:00AM -12:00PM
James R. Thompson Center
Room 16-503

Springfield, Illinois
May 7, 2012 (Monday)
2:00PM - 4:00PM
Illinois State Capitol Building
Room 212

According to a recent poll conducted by The Washington Post, African Americans and whites have drastically different views on racial disparities in the criminal justice system. This poll was conducted following the recent shooting of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, a story which as gained national attention. Seventeen-year-old Martin was fatally shot by a neighborhool watch volunteer in Sanford, Florida. The shooter was not charged by police officials due to the  "Stand Your Ground" law, which permits individuals to use deadly force if they feel their life is being threatened. The same poll also demonstrates a racial divide in the public perception of the Martin case, in which eight in ten African Americans believe Martin's killing was not justified, compared with 38 percent of whites. "Criminal justice has really become the flash point for discussions about race and social justice in America," said Marc Mauer, head of the Sentencing Project, "Regardless of where one comes out, the depth of the response and the emotion is clearly an indication that these issues touch very deeply." To read the full editorial in The Washington Post, click here.

Adult and Juvenile Expungement Summit
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Apostolic Church of God
6320 S. Dorchester Ave.
Chicago, IL
Registration begins at 8:30AM, Doors Close at 6:00PM

For additional information, call (312) 603-5200 or visit www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org

Recent efforts to coalesce support for Second Change Act Funding have been successful, and members of Congress from throughout the U.S. have received a strong message about the importance of the Act. Fifty-nine Representatives and twenty-three Senators have signed letters in support of funding for the Second Chance Act in Fiscal Year 2013. To build on this success, an organizational support letter is currently being circulated. if your organization is interested in signing on or has any questions about the letter, please contact Jeff Burdette at the Council of State Governments Justice Center. [jburdette@csg.org]   

According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), women aged eighteen to forty-nine on probation or parole are almost twice as likely to develop mental illness and two to three times more likely to develop serious mental illness. The report demonstrates the need for improved behavioral health services for women leaving the criminal justice system. According to SAMHSA's Adminstrator, Pamela S. Hyde, "Providing these services not only meets a vital public health need, but is a very sound investment since it can prevent many at-risk women from returning to the criminal justice system." To read the full report, click here.