Decarcerate Illinois

We call on Illinois lawmakers to take a realistic view of what community safety means and how to achieve it. Our current systems have been failing individuals, families, and communities for generations. The needs of survivors are not being met and the current system disrespects and harms accused and convicted people, making them and their families unsafe. We can no longer condone the harms of our current laws and allow them to continue to separate families and perpetuate harm for generations. Let's act!

From commitment to action! Please support bills that offer a truly progressive step forward in ending our reliance on carceral policies and toward proven policies for community safety for all.

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New Special Report on Prosecuting Children in Adult Courts
Blog
Apr 29, 2015
The Juvenile Justice Initiative (JJI) just released a Special Report on the Automatic Adult Prosecution of Children in Cook County. Get it here! Here is JJI's new Special Report detai...
Free Public Forum on the State of Jail Reform in America
Blog
Oct 29, 2014
Who:  Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the John Howard Association, Illinois Academy of Criminology, and Loyola University's Center for the Advancement of Research, Training and Education (CARTE) What:  American Jails: The Final...
Design and Violence: Thomson Correctional Center
Blog
Aug 29, 2014
Check out this post by Raphael Sperry, president of Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility, on the violence inherent in the design of Thomson Correctional Center See it here: ...
Stop Mass Incarceration Network’s Emergency Call to End Torture in U.S. Prisons
Blog
Apr 29, 2014
http://www.stopmassincarceration.org/emergency-call-join-us-in-stopping-torture-in-us-prisons.html...
No New Mandatory Minimums
Blog
Apr 29, 2014
“Mandatory Minimums” refer to sentences for particular crimes that judges cannot revise regardless of the culpability or circumstances of the offender. Photo credit: Overpass Light Brigade https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoOLB ...
Expungement Summit open to the public on June 7, 2014
Blog
Apr 29, 2014
Advance notice of an expungement summit for both juveniles and adults. The 2014 Adult and Juvenile Full Service Expungement Summit, presented by the Office of Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, will be be held on Saturday, June 7, 2014, at Living Word Christian Center, 76...
National Forum on Police Crimes in Chicago May 16 - 17, 2014
Blog
Apr 13, 2014
From the Chicago Alliance Against Racial and Political Repression: We ask that all our sisters and brothers in the various strands of the people’s movement join together, May 16-17, 2014 in having this historic National Forum on Police Crimes. This forum will build a multi-racial, multi-national, ...
Schweitzer Symposium: Mass Incarceration as a Public Health Issue
Blog
Oct 29, 2013
The Schweitzer Symposium: Mass Incarceration as a Public Health Issue will take place on October 28, 2013, at 6:00pm. A diverse panel of experts will discuss inequities that place various populations at higher risk for incarceration, as well as the health inequities experienced by those within the p...
Project I-11 Campaign Launch Party
Blog
Oct 29, 2013
Support the "Elder Bill" More info & RSVP here From Project I-11: You are cordially invited to the launch party of the campaign for HB 3668. We will also celebrating the ...
Chicago Tribune: Quinn Made Right Call on Closing State Facilities, Rauner’s Wrong
Blog
Jul 29, 2013
Governor Quinn made tough choices about closing facilities -- like prisons From the Chicago Tribune: Editorial: Who is the Compassionate Conservative here?
Case Update: Homeless Man on the Registry Fights His Incarceration
Blog
Jan 01, 2012
Post by Attorney Jean Maclean Snyder When sex offenders are released from prison, they face the intimidating task of complying with the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA). Now a federal trial court judge has issued a decision that offers hope for one of the difficulties with r...