Incarceration Reform

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The United States has far more people in prison and in jail than public safety requires. This damages the lives of those who are incarcerated, their families, and their communities, disproportionately the lives and families and communities of people of color. It also contributes to a cycle of crime and punishment and diverts resources from more constructive uses.

This purpose of this website is to provide information that individuals and organizations need in order to get involved in confronting the moral crisis of mass incarceration in Illinois and elsewhere, by accumulating and organizing the growing body of information about the full range of complex issues that we need to address in order to rethink and change the laws and practices that have resulted in too many men and women—most of them people of color—being imprisoned, and about the many ongoing efforts that one can support for making our response to criminal behavior both fairer and more  effective.

That growing body of information is accessible through the links accumulated both in the summary document on opportunities and resources, which you will find under in the section entitled “Getting Involved” and in the documents that break down that same information by subject matter in the other sections of the website listed above.

Those resources also include video recordings available on this homepage of programs featuring leading experts that were hosted by St. Chrysostom’s Episcopal Church in Chicago in 2018 to promote greater understanding of the criminal legal system and to begin to provide tools for individuals and organizations to get involved in promoting radical change.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the CDLU. 

Please check out the updated attachments for links to new reports and articles and a second season of the Pulitzer Prize Winning podcast Suave:  https://www.futuromediagroup.org/suave-returns/  

Meanwhile now is critical time to take a few minutes to use the very convenient links below to ask your Illinois legislators for their support in getting important justice reform across the finish line, as the both houses of the legislature reconvene to consider bills that have now passed the other chamber. 

Home For Good Legislation

Use the convenient new online form at this link:
https://secure.everyaction.com/24U9Xk0reUmY8UFpKzFLsg2?autoSubmitSuppressed=true 
to modify and send a predrafted letter to your Illinois State Senator and State Representative, asking them to support SB2403 and HB3162, which provide for $103 million of investment that would expand housing access and housing support for people with arrest and conviction records.

Improving Public Defense 

The FAIR Act, HB3363, passed the Illinois House on April 9! 

– It would reform the structure and funding of the Public Defender System in Illinois,  
– Contact your state Senator using this action tool to ask for his or her support of the FAIR Act when HB3363 comes before the Senate for consideration.
– Sign-up for a canvassing shift here to canvass in your community for FAIR Act, to provide citizens with the tools to write to their legislators in support this legislation to create a statewide public defense system  
–  You can access the fact sheet here and the campaign website to learn more about the bill, and here is coverage from the Chicago Reader of “Illinois’s Public Defense Crisis,”  as well as a link to the handouts from the recent Statewide Summit on the Future of Public Defense in Illinois

Restoring State Support for College Programs in Illinois Prisons

Click to sign a letter of support for HB2466, which would renew State support for programs of college education for those incarcerated in Illinois prisons, by removing the ban on the Monetary Award Program (MAP) for incarcerated students in Illinois.  

• You can learn more about the bill at: BackontheMAPIL.org.
• You can also go this link to access resources and fact sheets for information that you can share with your networks about how restoring educational equity through MAP restoration would actually save the State money, and how attending college in prison substantially reduces the likelihood that someone will commit another crime after being released. 

Automating Expungement and Sealing of Criminal Records in Illinois

Contact your state legislators now at this convenient link: https://secure.everyaction.com/4Lu0wbj26U-t56nL87x7ew2#!, if you haven’t already, asking them to support Illinois legislation, following the example of other states, to eliminate the (often prohibitively complicated) extra procedures that are now required for the individual to obtain the expungement and sealing to which he or she is already entitled is entitled under the law.

Ending Lifelong Financial Punishment by Abolishing All Fees for All Public Conviction Registries

Please go to this link, if you haven’t already, to connect directly with your state senator and state representative to support SB2197 / HB3469, which would end lifelong registration fees for those convicted of crime, and where you will also find this SB2197 / HB3469 fact sheet with more information about the importance of this legislation

Increase of lower age of detention for juveniles

• SB 1784 would raise the age of detention for juveniles from 10 to 13
• SB 2156 would create a Juvenile Detention Utilization Task Force  to shift fiscal incentives away from detention to community alternatives
• Write to your member of the Illinois House of Representative to urge her or him to support SB1784 and SB2156
• you can contact your representative using this link: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/maps/
• and go to this link for a: Fact sheet on SB 1784

The new year brings renewed focus on justice reform in Illinois.

• In the revised documents at the tab on Getting Involved and the tab on Upcoming Programs and Events, you will find links to details of upcoming events focused on justice reform that will occur in person and online.

• There are links to other new resources in the documents at the tabs on Books, Reports and Articles and on Online Resources. 

• As always, the document at the tab on Getting Involved contains links to a wealth of ways to get involved in efforts to reform the criminal legal system in Illinois and to mitigate the ongoing punishment and discrimination faced by those who have been released from prison.  Among the links for Illinois voters to use in supporting priority legislation to be considered in the new session of the General Assembly are:

• this link https://secure.everyaction.com/4Lu0wbj26U-t56nL87x7ew2# to use in contacting your legislators to ask them to support legislation automating the expungement and sealing of criminal records when an individual has a right to expungement and sealing under the law, and

• this link: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-legislators-to-increase-access-to-public-defense-by-passing-the-fair-act to use to connect with your legislators to ask for their support of the FAIR Act for reforming the structure and funding of the Public Defender System in Illinois. 

Under the tab Organizations to Support and Follow, you will find an updated list with links that you can use to learn more about organizations that are making a difference, and to get involved in supporting their work.

We approach the end of the year with many reasons to appreciate the dedication of individuals and organizations whose efforts continue to shine a light on the failures of our criminal legal system, to develop and implement changes that will bring justice and overcome racial bias, and to serve those harmed by the cycle of trauma and violence caused by the punitive approach that we take to criminal justice.  They are worthy of our support.

Under the tab Organizations to Support and Follow, you will find an updated list with links that you can use to learn more organizations that are making a difference and to contribute to supporting their work. Please find some that inspire you and support them now and in the future.

The revised document at the tab Getting Involved also contains links to additional resources, including new reports, upcoming events, and this new link:https://secure.everyaction.com/4Lu0wbj26U-t56nL87x7ew2#! to use in contacting your Illinois Legislators to ask them to support legislation automating the expungement and sealing of criminal records when an individual has a right to expungement and sealing under the law.

Note also the online panel presentation on Thursday December 12 on Coalition Building to Advance Decarceral Legislation being presented by the Smart Decarceration Project – go here: bit.ly/496G7iS for more information and to register without charge.

Finally by clicking here you can make a tax deductible contribution to CDLU.org, the nonprofit organization that created this website.

Best wishes for a safe and satisfying holiday season,

John

As always, the updated website contains links to new resources for learning about the impact of the criminal legal system and working to change it, links to archives of such resources from the past several years, and links to information about organizations that are working to change the criminal legal system and about the periodic reports and newsletters that they publish

New reports, articles and books.  The resources at the tabs Getting Involved and Books, Reports and Articles include a new report at this link: https://mailchi.mp/chicagoappleseed.org/punishing-fear on the devastating impacts of the war on gun possession in Chicago, reports on the first year without cash bail in Illinois, reports and articles on the reforming the prosecutorial function and on demonstrable harms of incarceration, and other online resources for understanding how our criminal legal system systematically results in mass incarceration.

Advocacy.  We will soon be in another legislative session in Illinois, and a major legislative priority will be passage of the FAIR ACT to reform the structure and funding of the antiquated and deeply unjust public defender system in Illinois.  Access the fact sheet here, and use this action tool to send letters to your legislators to tell them to increase access to public defense by passing the FAIR ACT.   In the section of the website on Getting Involved, you will also find a link to use to oppose plans of the Illinois Department of Corrections to stop delivery of physical mail to those incarcerated in its facilities.

Retail Theft. Note also the June article on “The Truth about Retail Theft” from the Vera Institute of Justice, whose conclusions are contrary to the narrative that won the day in this year’s Democratic primary for Cook County State’s Attorney, and which you can read here: https://www.vera.org/news/the-truth-about-retail-theft

Please take a look and consider both how you can get involved and whom else you know who might be interested in the website.

Here are some upcoming events that will be of interest to those who want to support justice reform in Illinois:

• A You Matter Summit on the impacts of mass incarceration, on Wednesday April 24, 2024 from9:00 to 3:00 at the Kennedy King College U Building, 740 West 60Th Street, being presented by the Easterling Center for Restorative Practices in partnership with llinois Humanities and The Field Foundation and hosted by Justice 2020.
  • Learn more and register without charge at: https://bit.ly/3Vu1pCo.
    
    
• Out of the Shadows, a forum on court transparency on Thursday April 25, 2024, 11:30 to 1:30 at 5100 West Harrison, presented by Common Cause Illinois, the Better Government Association, and BUILD’s Peace and Justice Center.
  • Learn more and register without charge at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/out-of-the-shadows-why-court-transparency-matters-tickets-859039057947

• Galvanizing Action for Justice, an annual event of Impact for Equity on Wednesday May 8, 2024- 5:30 cocktails, 6:30 program and dinner at Venue West, 25 N. Paulina.
  • Learn more and buy tickets at https://aesbid.com/ELP/IMPACT24/

• Annual Toast to Justice, an annual event of the John Howard Association, on Tuesday June 13,2024 from 5:30 to 8:00 at Tree House Chicago, 149 West Kinzie.
  • Get more information and buy tickets at https://www.thejha.org/events/ttj2024

Other Resources

Other resources highlighted in the revised attachment at Tab headed Getting Involved  include information on prison conditions in Illinois, on the impact of ending cash bail in Illinois, and on Governor Pritzker’s plans to demolish and replace some Illinois prisons.

Work continues on many fronts. Thank you for all that you are doing.

Please consider participating in the upcoming events in Chicago, discussed below, to promote the cause of justice reform in Illinois, and please take a look at the new resources on justice reform and on improving the lives of returning citizens that you can find linked at various section of the website including Books, Reports and Articles, Getting Involved, Organizations to Support and Follow, and Advocacy in Illinois.

Advocacy

Illinois General Assembly. The spring session of the Illinois General Assembly is well underway, requiring advocacy with legislators on justice reform legislation.  Watch for short notice requests for filing witness slips as proponents of proposed bills prior to the consideration those bills by committees of the legislature, in order to get them to the floor of the House and the Senate for consideration.

Chicago City Council. Thanks to everyone in Chicago who contacted members of the Chicago City Council in January in the successful effort to get the Council to reaffirm its decision in its December meeting to override the decision of an arbitrator that police officers can escape accountability for serious misconduct by removing disciplinary proceedings to secret arbitration, which has a history of exonerating police officers that CPD has charged with serious offenses.  Subject to further judicial appeals, this action has helped to preservice police accountability in Chicago.

Grants for Individuals and Organizations Working to End Mass Incarceration

Envisioning Justice Grants of the Illinois Humanities Council – See details and deadlines for application at:

Individuals: https://ilhumanities.org/grants/envisioning-justice-grants-individuals
Organizations: https://ilhumanities.org/grants/envisioning-justice-grants-organizations

Upcoming In-Person Events

• Re-Acclimation Fair for Returning Citizens, hosted by Restore Justice, 11:30 to 1:30 on Saturday March 26 at 306 West Erie Street, 6^th floor.
  To learn more and register contact NaJei Webster at [email protected].
• John Howard Association Spring Event: Communication and Connection in Prisons: Improving Systems and Relationships, featuring Marcus Bullock, 5:30 to 7:30 on Wednesday April 3, at Mayer Brown LLP, 71 South Wacker Drive
  Purchase tickets (or buy a ticket for a system impacted person at:  https://www.thejha.org/events/bullock
• Maximizing the Moment – What Are the Next Steps for Reentry, hosted by the Illinois Justice Project, 9:00 to 3:30 on Monday April 8 at the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank, 230 South LaSalle Street, a convening of experts and advocates, including people who are formerly incarcerated, on how to build a stronger reentry system in Illinois. 
  Learn more and register without charge via Eventbrite;
• Annual Gala: Changing Rules, Changing Lives of the Shriver Center for Poverty Law, starting at6:00 on Thursday April 11 at the Bridgeport Art Center at 1200 West 35^th Street (festive cocktail  attire) RSVP by Friday, March 29 at povertylaw.org/gala-2024
• Storycatchers Annual Spring Luncheon and Benefit: Creating Pathways and Nourishing Potential, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm on Sunday April 14 at Loft Lucia, 7 North Carpenter Street
  Learn more and purchase tickets at 
  https://www.storycatcherstheatre.org/event/creating-pathways-2024-benefit/
• Transforming Rights Justice Through Faith, the inaugural summit of The Love, Human Rights, and Restorative/Transformative Justice Initiative, 9:00 to 3:00 pm on Saturday April 20 contact Michelle Day at [email protected] or 312.852.8520 for details or to volunteer

Upcoming Online Program

• 1:00 PM on Tuesday April 2 – Monthly meeting of the Illinois Coalition to End Permanent Punishments https://endpermanentpunishments.org/   
  (first Tuesday of every month at 1:00 pm
  Click here for the Zoom link for the monthly meeting

We start the new year with information and links throughout the website to upcoming programs and new resources that advance the increasingly robust focus we are seeing on improving the experience and opportunities of those released from prison in Illinois.

Calling Your Alderman Now To Preserve Police Accountability for Serious Offenses

But the immediate need is for each of us in Chicago is to call our aldermen, and a few others on the Chicago City Council who may be wavering, to vote to reaffirm the Council’s decision at its December meeting to override the decision of an arbitrator that police officers can escape accountability for serious misconduct by removing disciplinary proceedings to secret arbitration, which has a history of exonerating police officers that CPD has charged with serious offences.  Failure to override the arbitrator’s decision with this final vote would gut police accountability in Chicago through arbitration overrides of police disciplinary proceedings.

1. Find your Ward, your Alder and the Alder’s Phone number here, by entering your Street Address, and call her or him on Monday if possible
   
2. Call each of the following alders, who may be wavering on the issue:

• call Bennett Lawson (44^th Ward) at 773- 525-6034 and Ruth Cruz (30^th Ward) at 773-628-7874  
     – to thank them for voting to override the arbitrator’s decision and 
     – to ask them to vote again on Wednesday to override that decision, to preserve public safety
• call Nicole Lee (11^th Ward) at 773-254-6677, who voted against the override in December
     – to emphasize the threat that the arbitrator’s decision poses to public safety and 
     – to ask her to vote to override the arbitrator’s decision on Wednesday. 

   Here is a link to a Fact Sheet about this issue, and what the City Council needs to do about.

Thanks to those who made a difference by making calls in December.  Calls are needed again now because every vote is needed to confirm the City Council’s decision in December in the interest of promoting justice and protect public safety in our city.  

Illinois General Assembly

Legislative committee meetings will begin soon, requiring quick responses with witness slips, but the need now is to get a couple of important bills that have passed one house of the General Assembly to be called for consideration by other house in the upcoming shortened legislative session.

So please:

1. Call Senator. Elgie Sims – (773) 933-7715 to urge that he post HB 2347 in committee asap.  That bill has already passed the House. It would raise the Minimum Age for Pretrial Detention of Juveniles in Illinois gradually from 10 to 13, and it represents a compromise after a decade of negotiations on how to raise the age of detention to avoid harming children.  You can access a fact sheet on the bill here.
   
2. Call Senate President Don Harmon at (217) 782-8176 to ask that he schedule a vote on House Bill 1496, which has already passed the Senate.  It would help with the proper implementation of the Illinois ban on prison gerrymandering. 

Please also take a look at the new resources on justice reform and on improving the lives of returning citizens that you can find linked at various section of the website.

The updated sections of the website now include links to a wealth of new Books, Reports and Articles and other Online Resources from 2023, in addition to a call for urgent advocacy with the Chicago City Council and a partial catalogue of justice reform legislation enacted in Illinoi in 2023 with the help of citizens who filed witness slips in advance of House and Senate committee hearings. In addition to being included in the various sections of the website, references to new resources are shown in bold at the tab Getting Involved.

There is also an updated list of Organizations to Support and Follow as 2023 comes to an end.

Resources of particular interest for getting involved in justice reform include the tools highlighted at the tab on Advocacy in Illinois and the following resources:

• A Reality Check on Illinois Prisons, recording of the November 27, 2023 edition of The 21^st Show, from Illinois Public Media, featuring Jennie Volen-Katz, David Olson, Harold Hirshman and Alan Mills
  https://will.illinois.edu/21stshow/story/a-reality-check-on-illinois-prisons

• the Final Report of the bipartisan Illinois Resentencing Task Force, issued in January 2023
  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H3P5obfMWHbO8_0szbS91K3U04evAajQ/view

Executive Summary: https://spac.icjia-api.cloud/uploads/RESENTENCING%20TASK%20FORCE%20FINAL%20REPORT_Exec%20Summary-20230124T16172377.pdf

• the Illinois Reentry Council Strategic Plan, issued in December 2022:
  https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59653faf099c014ab2324724/t/6397cc998fd6494b9bc00376/1670892697983/Illinois+Reentry+Council+Strategic+Plan.pdf

• a  new WTTW Firsthand series for 2023 on “Life After Prison”, which launched on February 13, 2023: https://video.wttw.com/video/firsthand-life-after-prison-trailer-33aofv
  https://chicagodefender.com/firsthand-life-after-prison-launches-monday-february-13-2023/

• Not and Alternative – The Myths, Harms and Expansion of Pretrial Electronic Monitoring, an October 2023 report of the Prison Policy Initiative
  https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2023/10/30/electronic_monitoring

• several resource guides and hubs for returning citizens, including:
  https://www.intelligent.com/education-and-career-guide-after-incarceration
  https://www.justice.gov/archive/fbci/progmenu_reentry.html

As always, please take a look and consider both how you can get involved and whom else you know who might be interested in the website.

This month I have updated the attachment to highlight a number of new action items and resources, which you can find at the tab Getting Involved, including:

• links to some actions that you can take now to support some of the justice reform legislative that is being introduced in the new sessions of the Illinois General Assembly,

• the Final Report of the bipartisan Illinois Resentencing Task Force, issued in January: Click here to view.

View the Executive Summary

• the lllinois Reentry Council Strategic Plan, issued in December: Click here to view.   

• a  new WTTW Firsthand series for 2023 on “Life After Prison”, which launches on February 13:
  https://video.wttw.com/video/firsthand-life-after-prison-trailer-33aofv
  https://chicagodefender.com/firsthand-life-after-prison-launches-monday-february-13-2023/

• several resource guides and hubs for returning citizens, including:

https://www.intelligent.com/education-and-career-guide-after-incarceration/ 

https://reentryillinois.web.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Mapping-Your-Future-2022-Interactive.pdf

https://www.justice.gov/archive/fbci/progmenu_reentry.html

• and a new bundle of resources, templates and opportunities to connect, which you can use to get involved in helping to address the mental health issues and trauma that arise from incarceration: Click here to view.

Please take a look and consider both how you can get involved and whom else you know who might be interested in the website.

As always, please feel free to let others who may be interested know of these resources.