Latest News - Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

Testimony: Justice Advocates Oppose Videoconferenced Criminal Proceedings

Last week, Chicago Appleseed, Chicago Council of Lawyers, and several other criminal justice advocates submitted testimony objecting to an Illinois Supreme Court Proposal 12-01 (P.R. 0196). Proposal 12-01 creates a rule permitting a criminal defendant to appear in many different proceedings via clo...

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...

“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...

Links of Interest, November 12-16, 2012

Immigration Reform The American Constitution Society has released an issue brief on state and local efforts to create and enforcement immigration law. The Southern Poverty Law Center was granted access to immigrant detention records in Louisiana, as it seeks to determine whether state and local...

Chicago Appleseed Featured by Pro Bono Institute

The Pro Bono Institute has featured our latest federal immigration court project involving Chicago Appleseed and Appleseed, along with tremendous pro bono assistance from Latham & Watkins LLP and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. An excerpt from the article: Collaborating across firms, di...