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The John Howard Association of Illinois’ Mission:
The John Howard Association of Illinois provides critical public oversight of the state’s prisons, jails, and juvenile correctional facilities. As it has for more than a century, the Association promotes fair, humane, and effective sentencing and correctional policies, addresses inmate concerns, and provides Illinois citizens and decision-makers with information needed to improve criminal and juvenile justice.
What We do to Fulfill our Mission:
John Howard Association of Illinois staff and volunteers visit and inspect jails, prisons and juvenile facilities several times a month. Citizen volunteers are the eyes and the ears of the public inside Illinois’ correctional institutions.
We have recently been engaged in the overhaul of the troubled Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, and while we noted improvements at top levels, we remain deeply concerned about the safety of children at the Detention Center. We will continue to monitor progress there. We have recently completed visits to all eight of the state’s children’s prisons (Youth Centers) as the first step toward measuring progress in the new Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, a project undertaken as part of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change Initiative.
Volunteers also join with Director of Prisons and Jails Program Charles Fasano as he monitors conditions and crowding at the Cook County Jail for the Federal Court.
Visiting teams have recently inspected Pontiac, Stateville, Stateville Reception and Classification, Dixon, Sheridan and Dwight (the women’s) prisons.
For more information on joining a John Howard Association visit, go to our “Volunteer” page. See our reports of visits on our “Publications” page.
Under the direction of Shaena Fazal, the Long Term Prisoner Policy Project leads efforts on behalf of long term and “C-#” inmates who, due to quirks in the evolution of Illinois sentencing laws, are confined in prison longer than was anticipated when they were originally sentenced. The Long Term Prisoner Policy Project was instrumental in having the state establish a commission to study long -term prisoners (the “HJR80 Commission”); helped start Stateville Speaks, a newsletter for inmates; and, is working to establish training and rehabilitative programs for long-term prisoners in maximum security prisons that have been forgotten by most people. .
Through our Prisoner Assistance, Information and Referral (PAIR) project, Program Coordinator James Sayles and volunteer Dick Helms ’ read, track, document respond to the complaints and allegations of the hundreds of Illinois prisoners and jail inmates who contact the Association or law firms who have arranged to refer inmate requests for assistance to us. The information documented by PAIR helps us identify problems before we visit a prison, guides our discussions with the Illinois Department of Corrections, and to encourage pro bono or free legal help for prisoners when there is no other relief available to them. Click on this link to find out more about the PAIR project.
The John Howard Association of Illinois promotes reforms in sentencing and corrections policy. Currently our efforts focus on seeing the age of majority increased from 17 to 18, which is where it is in 32 other states, on successful reforms in juvenile corrections through Illinois’ new Department of Juvenile Justice, on the reestablishment of rehabilitating programs and education for prisoners, and on a thorough, fact-based review of the situation for Illinois’ long term prisoners (mentioned above.) The John Howard Association of Illinois has taken a number of well-thought out positions on sentencing and corrections policies. Past and current policy statements are found on our publications page along with reports bearing recommendations for reforms.
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