John Howard Association of Illinois

The John Howard Association (JHA) is the most reliable source for independent information about Illinois' adult and juvenile prison system.

For media inquiries, please contact JHA's executive director, John Maki, jmaki(at)thejha.org, 312-503-6305.

Media clippings

2012

• Judge Delays Quinn’s Push To Close Prisons, CBS-Chicago, 10/11/12
• Illinois lawmaker demanding proof on prison health care, WBEZ, 10/9/12
• Illinois signed $1.4 billion prison contract without doing homework, 10/3/12
• Illinois inmate says he lost 60 pounds when broken jaw was untreated for 8 weeks, WBEZ, 10/2/12
• Forum: Safely reduce prison population, save taxpayers money, Peoria Journal Star, 9/22/12
• Do Elderly Inmates Belong in Illinois’ Prisons? Huffington-Post, 9/22/12
• As Prison Population Goes Up, Facility Closure Plan Stalls, Progress Illinois, 9/19/12
• Illinois Corrections' numbers show record prison population, Peoria Journal, 9/17/12
• Analysis: State prison population at all-time high, Daily Herald, 9/17/12
• Our Opinion: Next to be reformed: Illinois prisons, State Journal Register, 9/16/12
• State agrees to improve youth prisons, State Journal Register, 9/12/12
• Illinois' Overcrowded Prisons: A Ticking Time Bomb, Progress Illinois, 9/2/12
• Prison watchdog says governor's reason for keeping reporters out of prisons is worrisome, WBEZ, 8/13/12
• Quinn: Reporters visiting prisons a security risk, State Journal Register, 8/11/12
• Inmates housed in flooded basements, and Gov. Quinn keeping reporters out, WBEZ, 8/9/12
• Privatized prison health care scrutinized, Washington Post, 7/21/12
• AFSCME: Prison Closures Pose Danger To Corrections System, Progress Illinois, 7/19/12
• Downstate Lawmakers, Union Work To Undo Prison Closures, Progress Illinois, 7/10/12
• State prison workers, unions say violence is up, Daily Herald, 7/9/12
• Closer look: State, union debate prison incidents, State Journal Register, 7/9/12
• Overcrowded, understaffed prison facilities raising concerns, Peoria Journal Star, 7/9/12
• Controversial Tamms Closure A Triumph For Prison Reformer, Progress Illinois, 6/26/12
• Lone Wolf Stymies Conversion Of Thomson Correctional Center To Federal Prison, Progress Illinois, 6/13/12
• State Budget Keeps Facilities Open, Progress Illinois, 6/01/12
• Quinn's Proposed State Facility Closures In Jeopardy, Progress Illinois, 5/30/12
• Revamped early prison release plan moves to Illinois House, Peoria Journal Star, 5/28/12
• House panel OKs early prisoner release plan, Quad-City Times, 5/28/12
• Revamped early prison release plan moves to Illinois House, Associated Press, 5/28/12
• Should Tamms be saved for the jobs? Chicago Reader, 5/25/12
• It's Time for Illinois to Close Tamms Supermax , Huffington Post, 5/23/12
• Watchdog group supports Tamms' closing, Herald Review, 5/22/12
• Tamms prison employees getting pink slips, Chicago Reader, 5/22/12
• Report Recommends Closing Southern Illinois Supermax Prison, WKMS, 5/22/12
• Prison watchdog: Quinn cutting in wrong places, WJBC, 3/12/12
• Quinn plan would cut drug treatment in prisons, Pantagraph, 3/12/12
• Lessons To Be Learned By The Potential Closing Of Tamms Supermax Prison, Progress Illinois 3/6/12
• Sheila Simon concerned about Tamms prison closure, Capitol Fax.com, 3/2/12
• Illinois' rendezvous with prison overcrowding, Chicago Sun-Times, 3/1/12
• Illinois Juvenile Detention Center Closings: Plan Praised By Advocates, Criticized By Union, Huffington Post, 2/27/12
• Advocates applaud Quinn's plan to close Illinois juvenile centers, Associated Press, 2/25/12
• The polarized debate over Illinois' youth prison closures, WBEZ, 2/24/2012
• Quinn's Prison Closure Plan Must Be Supported by Comprehensive Prison Reform, Huffington Post, 2/24/2012
• Quinn's prison plan causes stir, Chicago Tribune, 2/23/12
• Transition center manager, ex-inmates upset by possible closure, Peoria-Journal Star, 2/23/12
• Quinn's bad news budget: 'Our rendezvous with reality has arrived,' Chicago Tribune, 2/22/12
• Quinn cuts include Decatur Transitional Center, Herald Review, 2/22/12
• Editorial: Quinn’s day to act on newfound toughness, Chicago Sun-Times, 2/21/12
• Gov. Pat Quinn: Close super-max downstate Tamms prison, Chicago Sun-Times, 2/21/12
• Illinois' Injustice System: Budget cuts are hard on ex-cons trying to make good, In These Times, 1/31/12
• Illinois trying to add more female prison guards, Chicago Tribune, 1/29/12
• State Seeks Ways To Recruit More Female Prison Guards, WBBM-CBS Radio, 1/29/12
• Report cites need for more Illinois female prison guards, Pantagraph, 1/28/12
• Lawmakers Look To Reduce All-Time High Prison Population, WJBD Radio, 1/25/12
• Legislature To Tackle Prison Overcrowding, WSIL-TV, 1/23/12
• AP: Exclusive: Lawmakers seek prison crowding fix, AP, 1/20/12
• Gov. Quinn takes a pass on early prison release plan, Illinois Issues, 1/2012

2011

• Ten Things to Know about Illinois' Prisons in 2011, Huffington Post. 1/27/10
• The Illinois Department of Corrections ineptly named, Herald Review, 12/11/11
• Voice of The Southern: Do the right thing, governor, Southern, 11/27/11
• Report: State should rethink youth prisons, Pantagraph, 11/17/11
• Progress and failure in Illinois youth prisons, WBEZ, 11/16/11
• Did Indian Head Park murder suspect fall through the cracks?, ABC-WLS,11/10/11
• Jailing Fewer Would Trim County Costs, Official Says, The New York Times, 10/29/2011
• Supporters of Tamms inmate: Solitary should not be dumping ground for mentally ill, Belleville News Democract, 10/23/2011
• Late payments complicate Illinois prison operations, Belleville News Democrat, 10/20/11
• Residents Cry To Keep IYC Open, WSILTV, 10/12/11
• Youth center could be targeted for other uses, Pantagraph, 10/10/2011
• Groups: Escape shows danger of overcrowding, Pantragraph, 10/7/2011
• Report finds “alarming” conditions at state prison, Capital Fax, 10/05/2011
• Group: Overcrowding led to Menard troubles, Pantragraph, 10/5/2011
• Conditons at prisons could lead to lawsuits, Illinois Issues, 10/5/2011
• Erickson: Underwear controversy all washed up, Pantagraph, 10/02/2011
• Illinois prisons at bursting point if Logan closes, Illinois Statehouse News, 9/29/2011
• Report: Planned prison closure could spur crowding, Bloomberg Buisnessweek, 9/28/2011
• One fewer prison, more inmate crowding possible for state, Illinois Statehouse News, 9/6/2011
• Quinn offers no details on layoffs, ABC-WLS, 9/6/2011
• Paroled Sex Offender Can't Go Home
  Father says state's one-size-fits-all sexual predator laws should be changed, NBC-Chicago, 8/29/2011
• Illinois prisons overcrowded, ABC-WSIL TV, 8/25/2011
• Illinois could face California-style prison meltdown, experts say, Quad-City Times, 8/24/2011
• Group outlines harsh conditions at Illinois prison, Quad-City Times, 8/24/2011
• Editors Roundtable: Prison needs fewer inmates, more staff, The Register-Mail, 7/31/2011
• Life Behind Bars Just Gets Harder: The fiscal crisis in the states is taking its toll on prison systems nationwide, National Journal, 7/26/2011
• Hill called overcrowded and understaffed, The Register-Mail, 7/26/2011
• More safety for troubled teens, now, Daily Herald, 7/15/2011
• New report details challenges facing Illinois youth prison, WBEZ: 848, 7/13/2011
• Report: Youths on suicide watch don't have safe beds, Daily Herald, 7/9/2011
• No suicide-proof beds for kids in suicide cells, WBEZ 7/8/2011
• Overcrowded Illinois prisons could be next, Illinois Times, 6/30/2011
• Underwear shortage hits Illinois prisons, Pantagraph, 6/30/2011
• Examining the impact registries have on the formerly incarcerated, 848, WBEZ, 6/07/2011
• Illinois prison oversight group, pointing at California, warns state about overcrowding, Daily Journal, 5/24/2011
• Call made for sentencing standards reform in Ill., Chicago Tribune, 5/24/2011
• Waiting lists for treatment grow at crowded Illinois prisons, group says, Quad-City Times, 5/18/2011
• Director Tony Godinez and the Challenges Facing the Illinois Department of Corrections, Huffington Post, 5/5/11
• Reform group sees problems at Illinois juvenile detention facility, The Pantagraph, 4/21/2011
• Illinois seeks solution to ballooning prison costs, The Pantagraph, 3/27/2011
• Ill. Wants Prisoner to Pay for Time Behind Bars with $11,000 Savings, Afro.com, 3/18/2011
• Man Asked To Pay For Incarceration With Wages Earned From Jail Job, Newsone.com, 3/17/2011
• Kensley Hawkins, Illinois Prisoner, Asked To Pay State For His Incarceration After Saving $11,000 From Jail Job, Huffington Post, 3/16/2011
• Death penalty changes alter Ramsey's sentence, Journal-Pilot, 3/16/2011
• Illinois seeks to repossess prisoner's saved wages, Chicago Tribune, 3/15/2011
• Ex-inmates say move off death row rocky, Northwest Herald, 3/11/2011
• Prisons await word on how to use former death row space, what to do with inmates, Herald-Review, 3/11/2011
• Death penalty abolition means changes at Pontiac prison, Quad-City Times, 3/9/2011
• Prison education, Illinois Issues, 2/2011

2010

• Top ten things to know about Illinois' prisons, Huffington Post, 12/13/2010
• Report: Tamms "Need Not Be This Harsh", Progress Illinois, 11/19/2010
• Food service training may keep inmates from coming back to jail for seconds, Chicago Tribune, 11/10/2010
• Prison overcrowding: a far greater threat to public safety than early release, Huffington Post, 8/11/2010
• Group: Illinois budget woes could boost crime. Quad-City Times, 6/2/2010
• Watchdog applauds decision to close 2 county jail buildings, WBEZ91.5, 3/5/2010
• Quinn reversal on early release leaves unanswered questions, The State Journal-Register, 1/3/2010

2009

• Early Release Prisoners Getting In Trouble Again, WJBD Radio, 12/12/2009
• Tamms prison tries to shake bad reputation, Chicago Defender, 12/3/2009
• Illinois inmates lining up to get H1N1 vaccines, Chicago Tribune, 11/22/2009
• Teens living in unsafe conditions at St. Charles juvenile detention center, report says, Chicago Tribune, 10/19/2009
• Illinois: Reform plan unveiled for Tamms, Telegraph Herald, 10/18/2009
• IDOC unveiling reform plan for Tamms prison, The Southern, 10/17/2009
• Man accused in bombing plot known for strong stance on Islam, Pjstar.com, 9/24/2009
• Parole agents will be stretched, Pjstar.com, 9/23/2009
• Tamms prison conditions to be overhauled, Chicago Tribune, 9/18/2009
• Many states considering early release of prisoners, The Register-Mail, 7/12/2009
• Cook County: Board OKs smaller borrowing plan than President Todd Stroger sought, Chicago Tribune, 4/3/2009

2008

• Prison board's parole rate criticized, Pjstar.com, 9/15/2008
• Parole Board too Hard on Inmates?, WBEZ91.5, 9/15/2008
• Report Shows Jail Population Going Down, WBEZ91.5, 8/15/2008
• Program to Help Overcrowding at Jail Scaled Back, WBEZ91.5, 7/21/2008
• Feds to Cook County: Clean up the Jail, WBEZ91.5, 7/18/2008
• Justice Dept. rips conditions at Cook Co. Jail, ABC 7 News, 7/18/2008
• Stateville to stay open; Pontiac prison to close, ABC 7 News, 5/1/2008
• Activists question plan to relieve Cook jail crowding, Chicago Tribune, 4/8/2008
• Illinois Weighs Second Chances, The Washington Post, 3/3/2008
• Group proposes abolishing life sentences for juveniles, Chicago Tribune, 2/14/2008