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 [...]
Judge Defies General Order 18.8A & State Law By Setting $300,000 Bond
Nearly two and a half years after General Order 18.8A went into effect in September 2017, judges continue to discriminate against people living in poverty by setting unaffordable bonds. The [...]
October Death at Cook County Jail
In October, an unidentified 30-year-old man from the Lawndale neighborhood became the fourth person known to have died in the custody of the Cook County Sheriff in 2019. He was incarcerated in a [...]
CCBF Releases New Fact Sheet Ahead of Sheriff’s Budget Hearing
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 [...]
John Kass Fundamentally Misunderstands the Bond System
John Kass’ latest column about a robbery in Lincoln Park and the $100 money bond paid by the accused young person is the latest media piece to fundamentally misunderstand the bond system. A bond [...]
Advocates, Community Organizations, and Impacted People Host Their Own “Accountability Monday” Press Conference to Set the Record Straight about Bond Reform and Gun Violence
Last month, the Chicago Police Department and Mayor Lori Lightfoot began a disinformation campaign regarding the impact of bond reform in Cook County. The distortions of fact put forward are [...]
Mayor Lightfoot Continues Attacks on Bond Reform, Further Backtracking on Criminal Justice Reform Campaign Promises
For the last several months, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has claimed she is taking action to hold Chicago Police “accountable” with her “Accountability Monday” press conferences. During the press [...]
Bond reform at Cook County Jail succeeding; now it’s Illinois’ turn
By Sharlyn Grace and Matt Piers Reprinted from the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin (July 25, 2019) Last winter, the number of people in Cook County Jail dropped to around 5,500 during a regular day, [...]
Superintendent Johnson is Using Fear to Defend Pretrial Incarceration
Last week, Laura Washington wrote about Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson’s appearance at her political salon at Yoshi’s Cafe. The article focused on Johnson’s response to a [...]
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 [...]