Latest News - Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

Cook County’s Inadequate Response to the COVID-19 Crisis at Cook County Jail Continues to Put Lives at Risk

Joint Statement from Chicago Appleseed and the Chicago Community Bond Fund For the last two weeks, over 100 advocacy, community, legal organizations, and unions have called on Cook County to release people from the jail to protect public health. In that time, Cook County courts have released...

Open Letter to the Illinois Supreme Court: Immediate Action Needed to Ensure Public Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dear Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court: A key role of the Illinois Supreme Court is to issue orders and promulgate rules that make the local courts fairer, more effective, and efficient. At this time of public health emergency, it is incumbent upon the Illinois Supreme Court to protect litig...

Statement from Advocates to Chief Judge Evans: Need For Immediate Additional Action by Cook County Courts to Ensure Public Safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dear Chief Judge Evans, The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented threat to public safety. The criminal courts, in particular, have a critically important responsibility in permitting people under their jurisdiction to follow CDC recommendations to stay home when feeling ill to properly c...

Advocates Issue Open Letter regarding COVID-19: Cook County must Decarcerate to Protect Public Health

Open Letter from 70+ Local Advocates to Cook County regarding COVID-19 and Cook County Jail: Protect Public Health through Decarceration Across the world, the impact of the coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic has increased with each passing day. The highly contagious respiratory illness has been de...

Issues with Interpretation, Video-Teleconferencing, and more in Chicago’s Immigration Bond Court

In recent years, advocacy groups, including Chicago Appleseed and the Chicago Council of Lawyers (Council), have turned their attention towards criminal money bond reforms with much success. Now, Chicago Appleseed and the Council have also begun to focus on reform efforts in the immigration bond pro...