Links of Interest
What We Read, June 20-24, 2011
Immigration Reform:
- The US has modified its Immigration policy by raising the immigration threshold and shifting its deportation focus to immigrants who are charged with serious crimes. This switch is consistent with Chicago Appleseed and Appleseed’s recommendations in their Assembly Line Injustice report.
- Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Jose Vargas tells his compelling story of being an undocumented immigrant. Chicago Appleseed has long advocated for more straightforward and expeditious procedures for becoming gaining permanent resident status in the United States–which would benefit individuals like Mr. Vargas.
- Mother Jones weighs in on the likelihood that Mr. Vargas will face deportation.
Criminal Justice Reform:
- Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle declared the “war on drugs” “dismally failed,” at a rally in the Chicago Loop last week. Chicago Appleseed blogged about her public display of support for diversion and treatment alternatives for nonviolent offenders.
- The Huffington Post has released a 3-part (part 1, part 2, part 3) series on “Myths of the Criminal Justice System,” many of which raise issues integral to Chicago Appleseed’s work.
- The TASC blog reports that 83% of men arrested in Cook County tested positive for illegal drugs–the highest rate among 10 cities studied.
- The Supreme Court ruled (.pdf) in Tapia v. U.S. that a court may not lengthen or enhance a sentence in an attempt to foster defendant’s rehabilitation through a drug treatment program.
- The LA Times reacts to the Tapia decision by calling on Congress to reform the approach to incarceration in the judicial system.
- The Economist examines the private prison industry in the U.S., pointing to the Justice Policy Institute’s new report (.pdf) on the industry.
Community Justice:
- The Supreme Court ruled that the state must “assure a fundamentally fair determination of the critical incarceration question,” when it comes to jailing noncustodial parents who have failed to make meet their child support obligation. The Court also ruled that noncustodial parents are not entitled to public counsel, even when they are facing jail. Chicago Appleseed is one of the only organizations that examines the fairness and effectiveness of Illinois’ child support system.