Electronic Monitoring and Pretrial Injustice in the Media
This month, the Chicago Reader and TRiiBE published two investigative pieces highlighting the experiences of Shannon Ross, Jeremy “Mohawk” Johnson, and [...]
Guilty Until Proven Innocent: Shannon’s Experience with Pretrial Jailing and Electronic Monitoring in Cook County
Growing up on Chicago’s Southside, Shannon always had dreams of being a recording artist. While working a day job as a forklift driver, Shannon spent his free time writing music and performing at [...]
Cook County Runs Out of Electronic Monitors, Leaving People Incarcerated in the Jail During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, the number of people placed on house arrest with sheriff’s electronic monitoring (EM) has exploded. There are currently more than 3,150 people [...]
Defend Bail Reform in Cook County
On Wednesday, March 31, 2020, we’re going to back to court to support Thedford Garber Law in their lawsuit against Sheriff Tom Dart’s inexcusable refusal to release people from jail [...]
People should be released from Cook County Jail to Support Public Health During Coronavirus Outbreak
Across the world, fears of a coronavirus outbreak have increased with each passing day. The highly contagious respiratory illness has been deadly for many, including the elderly and people with [...]
“No More Shackles: Arguing Against Pretrial Electronic Monitoring” Video Release!
We are proud to unveil “No More Shackles: Arguing Against Pretrial Electronic Monitoring,” a new video created in partnership with MediaJustice, a companion piece to their [...]
Tony’s Story
In December 2018, CCBF paid $5,000 for Tony* to be released from Cook County Jail and onto house arrest with electronic monitoring (“EM”). CCBF paid Tony’s bond to bring him home to his five year [...]
CCBF Responds to Sheriff Dart’s Fiction with Facts
Over the weekend, Sheriff Tom Dart spoke to WBBM’s Craig Dellimore and claimed that bond reform in Cook County has gone too far. His remarks come after Chief Judge Timothy Evans reported earlier [...]
Lawsuit Challenging Cook County Sheriff’s Practice of Not Releasing People Pretrial Survives Motion to Dismiss
In February 2018, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart publicly announced a new policy of reviewing bond decisions and refusing to release some people from Cook County Jail—even after their bond [...]
Faith’s Story
Having grown up on the South Side and around Robert Taylor Homes, Faith* has always been aware of the Chicago Police Department. After months of being harassed by the police in the summer [...]