Links of Interest
What We Read, July 25-39, 2011
Criminal Justice Court Reform:
- Prison Law Blog links to a working paper by a Fordham University Law Professor, which concludes that “growth in prison populations has been driven almost entirely by increases in felony filings per arrest”.
- Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has called upon the Chicago Police to stop making arrests for minor marijuana offenses, focusing on the waste generated by arrests made for charges which are routinely dismissed. Another indication that reforms which focus on reducing criminal justice costs are sorely needed.
- Colorlines posted a brief history of organized prison revolts, following the end of a hunger strike in the high-security Pelican Bay State Prison in California.
Judicial Elections and Judiciary Reform:
- For What It’s Worth has started collecting the campaign websites of judicial candidates as they become available. The judicial elections are just over a year away, but there is already controversy. On July 4, 2011, Governor Quinn signed legislation which he called “election reform to empower citizens with more access to the democratic process.” Among other things, the bill radically alters the process of getting on the ballot in judicial elections, which has gone unreported in coverage of the bill.
Community Justice:
- Illinois Republicans have sued the state Board of Elections over the redistricting map drawn last month by Illinois Democrats. WBEZ covered the story, as did the Chicago Law Bulletin.