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 Frontier for Correctional Reform
- Featuring Michael Jacobson, Director of the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance, former Director and President of the Vera Institute of Justice, NYC Probation and correction commissioner, and author of Downsizing Prisons: How to Reduce Crime and End Mass Incarceration.
When: Friday May 2nd, 2pm – 4:30pm
Where: Loyola University Chicago
Philip H. Corboy Law Center
Power Rogers & Smith Ceremonial Courtroom, 10th Floor
25 East Pearson St
Chicago, IL
RSVP: RSVP by contacting JHA’s Office Manager Dan Hoffman at dhoffman@thejha.org or 
312-503-6300
WHY: From the JHA:
Over the past two decades, increased attention has been paid to sentencing reform and the incorporation of evidence-based practices in the fields of criminal law and procedures as well as in institutional and community corrections. From revisions in sentencing structures to treatment-focused specialty courts, efforts have been undertaken by states, the federal government, and a wide range of advocacy groups to reduce reliance on prisons and to enhance the quality and effectiveness of community corrections.However, less attention has been paid to the roughly 3,000 U.S. jails, where more than 13 million people cycle in and out of detention annually.
American Jails will feature national and local experts on correctional reform, including Michael Jacobson, David Olson of Loyola University Chicago and John Maki of the John Howard Association. They will provide an overview of reform efforts that have been attempted across the country to reduce the reliance on jails and a discussion of the challenges and issues facing the Cook County Jail, the largest single-site detention facility in the United States.