Latest News - Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

The Coming Fees Crisis: Poverty Capitalism in the Courts

This past week, two important pieces have appeared on NPR and the New York Times bringing attention to the increased practice of levying exploitive fines and fees on indigent people passing through the criminal and civil justice system. The first piece from NPR, based on a report of a S...

Guest Blog: Review of ‘The Interrupters’

by Jonathan Leithold-Patt, film critic There is too much violence in Chicago. It is a fact impossible to ignore. Turning on the nightly news or opening up the newspaper is a guaranteed reminder of the senseless deaths that could have, and should have, been prevented. Although there are less homicid...

Save the Date!

Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice and Chicago Council of Lawyers invite you to their Annual Fundraising Luncheon. October 1, 2014 KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Juliana Stratton -Executive Director of the Cook County Justice Advisory Council and restorative justice expert. HONOREE: Daniel E. Reidy - Recipien...

Chief Judge Evans Commits to Reform Bond Court and Create Adult Restorative Justice Programs at Reclaim Campaign Public Action

Last Thursday, July 24, the Community Renewal Society held a large public action with 500 congregants and Chief Judge Timothy Evans to call on the Chief Judge to institute specific reforms creating an Adult Restorative Justice diversion program and moving the County away from monetary bonds. ...

CC license attribution by Eric Allix Rogers

Taskforce, Including Preckwinkle, Evans, and Alvarez, Visits Washington D.C. to Review Pretrial System; and a Warning About the Expanded Use of Electronic Monitoring

Stakeholder Trip and Continuing Meetings on Bond Court Reform Last week, the Illinois Supreme Court issued a release describing the recent two-day trip, arranged by the Illinois Supreme Court, for the heads of the relevant Cook County agencies to review and glean the benefits of Washington D.C.’s a...