Policy Brief: Use of Data in Criminal Court Performance Measurement

Our latest policy brief, "Use of Data in Criminal Court Performance Measurement" is now available. This brief explores the benefits of measuring criminal court performance, shares two case studies of where doing so has been successful, and then offers one potential application to Cook County: t...
December 3, 2012

“Services Not Jail”

In a recent column, Rev. Alexander Sharp, who is Executive Director Emeritus for Protestants for the Common Good, calls for a "New Paradigm" for drug policy. The paradigm prioritizes treating the underlying cause of crime--e.g., poverty, homelessness, addiction, or abuse--over jailing the individual...
November 27, 2012

New York Times Joins Advocates in Opposing Costly Jail Telephone Calls

The New York Times lent its voice to a growing advocacy effort combating exorbitant telephone call fees from jail, from which many municipalities, including Cook County, generate considerable revenue. Spurred in part by the Prison Policy Initiative's latest report, "The Price to Call Home: State-Sa...
September 24, 2012

Links of Interest: August 27-31, 2012

Elections and Judicial Performance Election Law Blog analyzes the decision holding that Texas' Voter ID law violates the Voting Rights Act. Gavel To Gavel provides a comprehensive overview of Florida's proposed merit selection amendment. Criminal Justice Sentencing Law and Policy drew our a...
August 31, 2012

Policy Brief: Early Criminal Case Assessment in Urban Jurisdictions

Chicago Appleseed is pleased to release a policy brief discussing the use of early prosecutorial review of drug cases in Philadelphia, PA and Brooklyn, NY--and implications for Cook County. You can find this brief and all of our latest criminal justice policy research at our Criminal Justice page....
August 28, 2012