Sarah Staudt -Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts |

About Sarah Staudt

Since 2018, Sarah Staudt (she/her) has led our criminal legal system reform efforts and now oversees the entire legislative and policy portfolio as our Director of Policy. Sarah primarily focuses on pretrial issues, leading our involvement in the Coalition to End Money Bond, and was instrumental in advocating for the groundbreaking Pretrial Fairness Act, which passed in 2021. Additionally, Sarah leads our program work focused on electronic detention, abolishing overly punitive sentencing systems, and promoting court system efficiency, fairness, and accountability. View all posts by Sarah Staudt →

Analysis of Eleven Jurisdictions Confirms: Bail Reform Does Not Cause Increased Crime Rates

As the Illinois Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the constitutionality of the Pretrial Fairness Act, it is vital to remember that abolition of money bail - and the decreased jail populations that will follow it - is a safe, just, and effective public policy. A new research report from the Gugge...

Chicago City Council passes Ordinance (02023-904)—the latest of several policies aimed at creating hefty municipal penalties.

Today, an ordinance (02023-904) to create enhanced penalties for “aggravated assault” on emergency workers, firefighters, and police officers – introduced by Alderman Matt O’Shea – passed Chicago City Council. This ordinance is the latest in a series of ordinances aimed at creating hefty municipal p...

REPORT: Cages Without Bars – Pretrial Electronic Monitoring Across the United States

The Shriver Center for Poverty Law, Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts, and MediaJustice have released our report Cages Without Bars: Pretrial Electronic Monitoring Across the United States. This report, which was created with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as p...

Federal Monitor Report: Lack of Care, Outright Neglect of Health and Safety of People Imprisoned by IDOC Violates Human Rights

On August 5, 2022, a federal court held the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) in civil contempt of court for failing to comply with the requirements of a consent decree aimed at improving the unacceptable level of medical care provided to people in IDOC custody. The lawsuit, originally filed...

UChicago Crime Lab Report: Blaming Electronic Monitoring for Violence is Not Supported by the Data

Electronic monitoring (EM) is a form of incarceration in which a person is ordered to wear an ankle shackle that records their location. In Cook County, the Sheriff runs a pretrial electronic monitoring program that combines location monitoring with house arrest. Individuals charged with crimes—who...

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