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What We Read, July 4-8, 2011

Criminal Justice Court Reform:

• Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has been emphasizing her push to reform the  criminal justice system in Cook County. The Daily Herald reports that Chief Judge Evans believes reform can come from within the courts themselves. Sheriff Tom Dart advocates controlled reductions in the prison population to control costs. Here at Chicago Appleseed, we continue to work with stakeholders to promote a diversion court program which respects judicial autonomy, serves public safety needs, and helps the criminal justice allocate its resources effectively.

• The ACLU takes the 40^th Anniversary of President Richard Nixon’s declaration of a “war on drugs” to ask “What’s Wrong with the War on Drugs?”

• Portugal has seen a dramatic reduction in drug use through innovative treatment-intensive drug policy. We advocate for treatment alternatives to incarceration through programs such as a Diversion Division.

• This week’s Chicago Reader examines the disproportionate enforcement of drug laws against blacks versus whites. Chicago Appleseed wrote about this issue after the release of the Disproportionate Justice Impact Study, for which it was an advisor.

Judicial Elections and Election Reform:

• Lt. Governor Sheila Simon supports a push for financial disclosure by politicians.

• Meanwhile, Governor Quinn signed an election reform law. US Election News runs down the provisions. The law does not address campaign finance or financial disclosure rules for judges or politicians.

Immigration Court Reform

• A lengthy article at the Phoenix New Times explores the experiences of immigrants contesting deportation.

• America’s Voice has been blogging about the e-verify debate, surrounding the Legal Workforce Act (.pf) introduced by Congressman Lamar Smith. The National Immigration Law Center has summarized (.pdf) the Act’s provisions. Both the lawprofessors blog and the ACLU blog discuss it.