Criminal Justice Interest Group
Topics of Focus
Activities
Meetings are held monthly to discuss the information that has been gathered by interviewing the stakeholders within the system.
Letter to Editor sent to Tribune on April 1, 2016Dear Editor,
Thank you for your recent front page stories, “De-Escalation Holds Promise for Chicago” 3/27/16) and “Chicago Off to Deadliest Start in Nearly 2 Decades” (3/31/16). The first one was a much needed in-depth look at what police officers need to consider before using force. The second one details just how much Chicago’s crime rate is rising and how police are making fewer stops due to the extensive public scrutiny of their actions. The League of Women Voters of Cook County has studied the problems within the criminal justice system of our county. In our recently released report entitled “Pre-Trial Systems”, we strongly advocated more training for police officers in order to de-escalate potentially explosive situations at the scene. In addition to training in the use of force, Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training emphasizes how best to deal with mentally ill arrestees, a component that is strongly needed. CIT has been used for several years and has only been curtailed recently due to budget cuts in Illinois. We strongly urge its restoration and expansion throughout Illinois. The Cook County Board recently announced the building of a triage center on the South Side. This will provide police officers with a place other than jail to take mentally ill arrestees. That in turn will certainly help reduce the extent to which Cook County Jail is the county’s de facto mental hospital. Your articles and our report highlight the need for reforms in the criminal justice system in Cook County. Thank you for addressing this important issue twice in the same week on your front page. Sincerely, Diane Edmundson 290 Boardwalk Place Park Ridge, Illinois 60068 610-216-4328 and Karin Hribar 906 E. Crabtree Drive Arlington Heights, Illinois 60040 847-902-7700 Co-Presidents Of the League of Women Voters of Cook County |
League Recommendations to Improve Pretrial Services in Cook County
Fast Facts
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Publications & Additional Resources
PRETRIAL SYSTEMS: REPORT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE INTEREST GROUP, December 16, 2015.
The League thanks all who were interviewed for this study for their time and input.
- The result of 18 months of study including 20 interviews with stakeholders and visits to Cook County Jail, Central Bond Court, and 4 suburban bond courts
- Presents ways to reduce the jail population without diminishing public safety
- Recommendations intend to decrease the county's costs while increasing fairness in the system
The League thanks all who were interviewed for this study for their time and input.
President Preckwinkle Outlines Criminal Justice Legislative Agenda on March 8
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Please contact Jan Goldberg