UIC Law Professor s Work Critical to Passage of Criminal Justice Reform Bill
March 03, 2021 12:24 ET | Source: UIC John Marshall Law School UIC John Marshall Law School Chicago, Illinois, UNITED STATES
Chicago, Illinois, March 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) On January 13, a bill focusing on comprehensive criminal justice reform passed the Illinois House and Senate. This comes months after the Illinois Senate Criminal Law and Special Committee on Public Safety held its first joint hearing on police use of force. During that hearing, Samuel V. Jones, a professor of law and associate dean at UIC John Marshall Law School, testified in support of criminal justice reform.
Monday, Feb 1, 2021 Last month, the Naperville City Council rejected a resolution calling on the governor to veto the criminal justice bill. Then the DuPage County Board voted to indefinitely postpone debate on a similar resolution. But, goshdarnit, the Naperville Park District Board is demanding to be heard…
The Naperville Park Board wants Gov. J.B. Pritzker to veto statewide criminal justice reforms approved by the previous Illinois General Assembly because of the effect they will have on the park district’s police officers and others across the state.
Board members unanimously approved a resolution that says the proposed legislative changes pose a “substantial danger” to the 23 part-time and two full-time park officers employed by the park district. […]
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
For too long, our criminal justice system has criminalized poverty, often detaining low-level, nonviolent offenders simply because they cannot afford bail.
This is the reality recognized by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices, of which I am the chairperson.
The Illinois General Assembly is commended for addressing this difficult issue in its recent pretrial reform legislation. The date for the legislation to become effective is delayed, which will be critical in establishing these reforms effectively and ensuring that individuals who pose a threat to public safety are detained pretrial.
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A letter to the editor: The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices recognizes that for too long our criminal justice system has criminalized poverty, often detaining low-level, non-violent offenders simply because they cannot afford bail.