aliabid -Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

The Coming Fees Crisis: Poverty Capitalism in the Courts

This past week, two important pieces have appeared on NPR and the New York Times bringing attention to the increased practice of levying exploitive fines and fees on indigent people passing through the criminal and civil justice system. The first piece from NPR, based on a report of a S...

Chief Judge Evans Commits to Reform Bond Court and Create Adult Restorative Justice Programs at Reclaim Campaign Public Action

Last Thursday, July 24, the Community Renewal Society held a large public action with 500 congregants and Chief Judge Timothy Evans to call on the Chief Judge to institute specific reforms creating an Adult Restorative Justice diversion program and moving the County away from monetary bonds. ...

CC license attribution by Eric Allix Rogers

Taskforce, Including Preckwinkle, Evans, and Alvarez, Visits Washington D.C. to Review Pretrial System; and a Warning About the Expanded Use of Electronic Monitoring

Stakeholder Trip and Continuing Meetings on Bond Court Reform Last week, the Illinois Supreme Court issued a release describing the recent two-day trip, arranged by the Illinois Supreme Court, for the heads of the relevant Cook County agencies to review and glean the benefits of Washington D.C.’s a...

Illinois State Capitol, Photo by Daniel Schwen

Chicago Appleseed/Reclaim Campaign Bill HB 2897 (field testing bill) has just passed in the Illinois Senate

HB 2897, which establishes a pilot drug field-testing program for Cook County in order to shorten the length of time drug defendants are held in jail before their preliminary hearings, has just passed the Illinois Senate unanimously, 55-0, and is heading to the House for concurrence. The...

Supreme Court Commission Offers Chance For Real and Substantial Reform

Co-written with Malcolm Rich, Executive Director, Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice Two major events will affect the future of criminal justice in Cook County: One is the Illinois Supreme Court’s second meeting bringing together the heads of critical departments to discuss improvements in informat...

1 2 3 4 5 6 … 8