Want to learn what we’re hearing from people inside IDOC when they respond to our “Measuring the Quality of Prison Life” surveys?
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JHA Increases Protection for all Youth in Custody: Public Act 103-0397, which was passed and signed into law in 2023, expands the remit of the OIJO to cover not only youth housed in Illinois’ five state juvenile prisons but also its 16 county-run juvenile detention centers.
Our Mission: JHA monitors prisons and advances independent oversight of carceral systems to promote humane treatment and increased transparency.
Our Vision: As long as there are prisons, we aspire to have a system that is equitable, reduces harm, and respects people’s humanity.
Illinois has one of the most overcrowded, understaffed and underfunded prison systems in the U.S. We believe that people who are incarcerated should be treated humanely and with dignity and respect.
For more than 120 years, the John Howard Association has served as Illinois' only independent citizen correctional oversight organization. We uncover problems large and small in our correctional facilities and advocate for reforms that lead to meaningful change for prisoners and their families. System-wide reform leads to more successful correctional outcomes for our communities, and better use of limited resources and taxpayer funds.
Summary
Today’s announcement by Governor Pritzker to shutter Logan and Stateville Correctional Centers in order to rebuild them recognizes that these prisons are decrepit, unsafe, and inhumane. However, this announcement does not address the fact that the Illinois prisons are currently well under capacity, with close to 12,000 excess prison beds throughout the system; we can and should also permanently close some of our worst prisons. (March 15, 2024)
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Summary
Throughout 2023 JHA received reports from people incarcerated in IDOC about lack of out-of-cell time and excessive lockdowns, which they in part attribute to low staffing levels. The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) reports they continue to struggle with high levels of staff vacancies; in July, they reported nearly a third of correctional officer positions were vacant. These numbers have real consequences that make living and working inside of prisons more difficult and less safe for everyone.
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Summary
Regular communication with the outside world is vital to people in custody. Methods of communication such as phones, mail, video visits, and email via tablets allow incarcerated people to stay in touch with loved ones, access information related to their legal rights, and prepare for their lives after prison. Therefore, it is crucial that prisons provide reliable methods of communication to those in custody.
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Summary
What does it mean to have impact as an oversight organization, and how do we effect change as prison monitors? In 2023, we did this by doing what we have done for 122 years – witnessing firsthand and sharing out the realities of our prisons, and pushing for changes that improve lives, increase system effectiveness, and better use of limited resources.
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Every donation matters. We rely on the generosity of individual, corporate and foundation donors committed to criminal justice system reform. With your support, we will continue to promote prison reform, seeking a fair, effective and humane criminal justice system in Illinois. Thank you!
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Advocates praising a fresh plan to demolish then rebuild a pair of aging Illinois prisons are nonetheless raising questions about its long-term sense. In a plan unveiled Friday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposed spending $900 million over the next five years to knock down Stateville Correctional Center, a maximum-security men’s facility just outside of Joliet, and the women’s Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln, located 30 miles north of Springfield. (WTTW)
Mike Stephen explores the quality of life in Illinois prisons with Jennifer Vollen-Katz, the executive director of the John Howard Association, talks with Illinois Humanities executive director Gabrielle Lyon about the new initiative called The Big Read, and chats with local musician Jared Rabin about his new music. (WGN Radio)
