Community Autonomy – Page 10 – Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

Chicago Police Superintendent Wrongfully Blames Gun Violence on Bond Reform

On July 6, 2020, new Chicago Police Department Superintendent David Brown held a press conference about the Fourth of July weekend’s gun violence. Between 6 PM on Thursday, July 2, and 5 AM on Monday, July 6, 87 people were shot in the city, and 17 of those people died. Tragically, the victims shot...

Cook County State’s Attorney Has Not Agreed to Release in Approximately 80% of Cases during COVID-19 Pandemic

UPDATE: On July 1, 2020, at the request of the States Attorney's Office, this post was updated to include the results of their analysis of a selection of court call transcripts from March 19-April 8. Please see addendum at the end of this post for more information. Since the first case o...

We Can Do More to Protect Individuals, Workers, and Communities In and Around Illinois Prisons

Illinois must ensure that the rights and wellbeing of individuals living and working in prisons and the surrounding communities are protected. While Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) have taken some essential steps toward decarceration and transparency in detention...

Victory in Federal Court: Sheriff Tom Dart Ordered to Improve COVID-19 Protections in Cook County Jail

This morning, Federal Judge Matthew Kennelly issued a court order that extends federal court oversight of the Cook County Jail, requiring Sheriff Tom Dart to make desperately needed changes to the conditions inside and decrease the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus. Chicago Appleseed has provided...

Cook County Jail’s First COVID-19 Death Could (and Should) Have Been Prevented

Jeffrey Pendleton is the first person known to have died after contracting COVID-19 in the Cook County Jail. His infection and eventual death were avoidable and preventable. Each and every government actor who objected to his release—or contributed to his incarceration in the first place—played a ro...

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