New Report Uses Court-Watching to Evaluate the Implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act

Court Watching, Criminal Courts, Pretrial Fairness , , , ,

The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice (INPJ) has released “Changing Landscapes: Community Court-Watchers’ Observations of the Second Year of Pretrial Fairness Act Implementation,” a new report detailing community efforts to monitor implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act in its second year. More than 50 community members observed and documented detention hearings at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse for a one-month period.

As a member organization of the INPJ, Chicago Appleseed is proud to have contributed our expertise in court-watching, data analysis, and report drafting to this project. Our Research Director Austin Segal and prior Co-Executive Director Naomi Johnson led training sessions, oversaw court-watching volunteers, analyzed the data, and co-authored the first draft of the report. Through our participation in this research, Chicago Appleseed continues our advocacy and commitment to protecting the Pretrial Fairness Act, ensuring that the potential of this historic legislation is not diminished. 

Recommendations for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, and the Illinois General Assembly include: 

  • Grant more discretion to prosecutors to decide whether to file felony charges and whether to seek detention
  • Reinstate the policy of disclosing police officers who have a history of misconduct
  • Call on judges to engage in more holistic decision-making
  • Protect the detention eligibility net

Read the full report here to learn more about the findings and recommendations. 

For further discussion, join us online on July 30th at 12pm for a presentation on the report’s key findings and a discussion of the implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act in our state’s largest court system with Cook County Public Defender Sharone R. Mitchell Jr., State Senator Robert Peters, and State Representative Lisa Davis. Register at this link to attend!