December 3rd is #GivingTuesday!

Donate to JHA this holiday season to help us push for improved prison conditions and treatment

Want to learn what we heard from people inside IDOC when they responded to our “Measuring the Quality of Prison Life” surveys?

2022-2023 MQPL SURVEY RESULTS

MQPL survey dashboard

Scroll down to find our most recent reports and statements

View our IDOC Deaths in Custody Data Visualization here. These charts compare IDOC’s total population to those that have died while in IDOC custody.

Thank you to all who attended our 2024 Annual Event!
Did you miss our event? Watch the recording here!

EVENT PHOTOS AND VIDEO

Mission & Vision

Our Mission: JHA monitors prisons and advances independent oversight of carceral systems to promote humane treatment and increased transparency.

Our Vision: As long as there are prisons, we aspire to have a system that is equitable, reduces harm, and respects people’s humanity.

our guiding principles

Defying Injustice. Defending Humanity.

MORE

Illinois has one of the most overcrowded, understaffed and underfunded prison systems in the U.S. We believe that people who are incarcerated should be treated humanely and with dignity and respect.

Impact

For more than 120 years, the John Howard Association has served as Illinois' only independent citizen correctional oversight organization. We uncover problems large and small in our correctional facilities and advocate for reforms that lead to meaningful change for prisoners and their families. System-wide reform leads to more successful correctional outcomes for our communities, and better use of limited resources and taxpayer funds.

JHA’s work leads to changes inside our prisons and throughout our system that impact thousands of lives for the better.

Featured

Advocacy

Statements

Legislative Impact

In the Media

Recent Publications

2024 Menard Monitoring Report

Summary
- JHA receives some of the most concerning reports regarding treatment of incarcerated people in Illinois about Menard Correctional Center, such as fear for safety; reports of abuse by staff; excessive use of disciplinary restrictions; and reports of inability to meet basic needs and access rights such as healthcare, the grievance system, and outside communications. Additionally, Menard had some of the comparatively most negative scores in JHA’s IDOC-wide 2022-23 Measuring the Quality of Prison Life survey responses. These are detailed in our newest report on Menard.
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Read Full Report Here

Lockdowns, Overtime, and Unmet Needs: Why we must solve the current prison staffing crisis

Summary
- Ensuring the safe and secure operation of Illinois’ prisons is a critical state function, yet the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is facing a chronic staffing shortage that jeopardizes the health, safety, and well-being of staff and incarcerated people. The purpose of this report is to document the nature and scope of staffing shortages in Illinois’ prisons, detail the harms to incarcerated people and staff, and make recommendations for urgent and vital action to address the identified challenges. (Oct 2024)
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Read Report Here

JHA Measuring Quality of Prison Life Survey Data Dashboard created in partnership with the Loyola Center on Criminal Justice

Summary
- In 2022-2023, JHA conducted our second system-wide survey in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) using an adapted Measuring the Quality of Prison Life (MQPL) survey. The MQPL is a detailed survey that gathers prison residents’ views on the quality of life in the facilities where they are held. Today we are excited to share our MQPL Survey Dashboard built by our partners at the Loyola Chicago Center for Criminal Justice. (August 8, 2024)
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Read Full Statement Here

Monitoring Visit to IYC St. Charles / PEACE Center: Emergency Transfer of IYC Warrenville youth

Summary
- In August 2024, JHA visited youth from IYC-Warrenville who were housed at IYC-St. Charles after a July fire at Warrenville forced IDJJ to relocate youth and staff. These 35 youth were being housed and programmed apart from other youth at St. Charles who participate in its post-high school PEACE Center program. As of October, Warrenville’s facility was not expected to reopen for at least another year and a half.
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Read Report Here

Donate

Every donation matters. We rely on the generosity of individual, corporate and foundation donors committed to criminal justice system reform. With your support, we will continue to promote prison reform, seeking a fair, effective and humane criminal justice system in Illinois. Thank you!

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John Howard Association in the News

News

Oct 23, 2024

Understaffing at Illinois Prisons Increases Lockdowns, Impacts Mental Health: Watchdog Report

Oct 23, 2024

Prisons in Illinois are currently facing a staffing crisis, according to a new report from the prison watchdog group the John Howard Association. It found understaffing greatly increases the amount of lockdowns and staff overtime and impacts the overall health, safety and well-being of staff and incarcerated people. (WTTW)