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

• 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

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
• 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