Today, the Cook County’s Sheriff’s Office will be asking the Cook County Board for even more money. Despite a massive 45% decrease in the number of people incarcerated in Cook County Jail between 2013 and 2019, the Cook County Sheriff’s jail budget grew 28% over the same time period—reaching a whopping $588 million in 2018. The historic decline in the number of people incarcerated in Cook County Jail should coincide with a similar decrease in the Sheriff’s jail budget.

CCBF will be attending the public budget hearings across Cook County to make sure our voices are heard! We want money for communities, not cages! Check out this new fact sheet we have shared with County Commissioners detailing historic decline in the number of people incarcerated in Cook County Jail and our vision for a more just Cook County.

You can also read our full report from last year “Communities, Not Cages: The Case for Reducing the Cook County Sheriff’s Budget”.