Written by an external evaluator, this document examines JHA's Legal Literacy Clinics and their impact.
Read MoreIf you were incarcerated, have a criminal record, or are in pre-trial detention, you still have the right to vote!
Read MoreThe John Howard Association of Illinois had the opportunity to visit the Kane County Juvenile Justice Center (Kane JJC) in June of 2017. Kane JJC, located in St. Charles, Illinois, was built in 1997.
Read MoreJHA's three-part series of reports focus on increasing independent oversight of Illinois’ juvenile detention facilities and juvenile courts, and ensuring youths’ rights to meaningful access to the courts and counsel are met.
Read MoreThe last year was marked by tremendous progress, worrisome stagnation, and regressive divisiveness. In 2016, there was significant movement on the national and local levels around criminal justice system policy and practices impacting prison reform efforts in Illinois.
Read MoreFrom the National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women and the Women's Justice Initiative, this report was authored by Executive Director of CORE Associates, Alyssa Benedict, and the Women’s Justice Initiative Founder & Project Director, Deanne Benos.
Read MoreThis memo distills the complexities of the 32-page Rasho settlement agreement (the Agreement) into more understandable terms and clarifies the timelines for implementing certain changes so that the public has the information needed to understand IDOC’s responsibilities under the Agreement’s terms.
Read MoreThis report follows JHA's visit to the Depke Juvenile Complex (Depke) in Lake County, which houses both the Hulse Juvenile Detention Center and a residential treatment facility for youth
Read MoreYouth, or individuals under the age of 18, may still be tried as adults in Illinois. Youth with adult sentences can be housed in Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) custody once they turn 17, including both youth entering from county custody on new adult sentences or those transferred from Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) facilities.
Read MoreAfter decades of using incarceration as the country’s primary response to crime, leading Republicans and Democrats are embracing safe, fair, and cost-effective prison reform.
Read MoreWhile there is a growing consensus that the country needs to re-examine the criminal justice system’s prosecution of serious young inmates, there is little documentation of how this population experiences and perceives the laws, policies, and practices that are intended to hold them accountable.
Read MoreA blueprint for the implementation of risk asset needs assessment and system change in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Read MoreThis report offers ten findings and recommendations based on JHA's monitoring of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice in 2012-13.
Read MoreThis report offers 15 findings and recommendations on how Illinois can improve its prison healthcare system based on JHA’s analysis of healthcare in 12 diverse correctional facilities, which together embody the state of healthcare in the Illinois prison system.
Read MoreIn 2010-11, through the generous support of the MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change initiative, JHA assessed the state of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), reforms achieved, problem areas in need of change, and obstacles to those changes.
Read MoreChildhood exposure to traumatic events can cause developmental issues and is associated with a variety of behavioral symptoms. The plasticity of the brain, meaning the ability to change and adapt based on exposure to different stimuli, is a crucial aspect of brain development.
Read MoreThe political campaign season is the worst time to make good policy. Now that Illinois’ elections are over, Governor Quinn and legislators need to fix a growing problem in the state’s prison system.
Read MoreOn October 26, 2010, John Howard Association staff and volunteers conducted a monitoring visit of the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (CCJTDC).
Read MoreThe Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is testing video visiting to make it easier for inmates to remain in touch with family and friends, a critical factor in an ex- inmates’s return to society.
Read MoreFor much of the past decade, Illinois has allowed its prison vocational and academic programs to wither away. While the prison population has grown, the opportunity for inmates to learn a skill or earn postsecondary academic certificates has shrunk.
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