John Howard Association

The John Howard Association of Illinois (the Association) provides independent citizen oversight of the state’s correctional system and educates the public regarding the need for criminal justice reform. This award supports the Association’s efforts to call attention to the nightmarish cruelty of conviction registry laws as part of the Chicago 400 campaign. The campaign, in which the Association participates with several other Illinois advocacy organizations as part of the Chicago 400 Alliance, uses art and narrative to humanize the victims of registries and show the extreme social exclusion to which they are subjected, even after serving their sentences. It seeks to counteract the demonization that has resulted in public indifference to their fate, and build public demand for reforms. The award also strengthens the Safety and Justice Challenge, the Foundation’s national criminal justice reform initiative, by connecting it with local policy and practice and bringing it to ground in local realities.

The John Howard Association of Illinois (the Association) provides independent citizen oversight of the state’s correctional system. Through its objective reporting on facility conditions and programming, its outreach to inmates and their families, its problem-solving collaboration with state agencies, and its research and policy support to the state’s justice leadership, the Association plays a critical role in educating the public and decision makers about the real-world consequences of criminal justice policies. This general operating support award enables the Association to continue to play this role, contributing valuable information and guidance to the movement to reduce incarceration in Illinois. The award also strengthens the Safety and Justice Challenge, the Foundation’s national criminal justice reform initiative, by connecting it with local policy and practice and bringing it to ground in local realities.

The John Howard Association of Illinois (the Association) provides independent citizen oversight of the state’s correctional system. Through its objective reporting on facility conditions and programming, its outreach to inmates and their families, its problem-solving collaboration with state agencies, and its research and policy support to the state’s justice leadership, the Association plays a critical role in educating the public and decision makers about the real-world consequences of criminal justice policies. This award enables the Association to continue to play this role, to expand its oversight to include local jail and detention facilities, and to contribute important and valuable information and guidance to the movement to reduce incarceration in Illinois. The award also strengthens the Safety and Justice Challenge, the Foundation’s national criminal justice reform initiative, by connecting it with local policy and practice and bringing it to ground in local realities.

The John Howard Association of Illinois (the Association) provides independent citizen oversight of the state's juvenile and adult correctional systems. By enabling the Association to continue to monitor and report on conditions and programming in Illinois' juvenile correctional facilities and provide research and policy support to the state's juvenile justice reform leadership, this project contributes to Models for Change efforts to move Illinois' juvenile corrections away from punitive approaches toward a more developmentally appropriate and rehabilitative model.

The John Howard Association of Illinois has provided the only independent citizen oversight of the state’s adult and juvenile correctional facilities for over a century, and plays an indispensable role in educating the public and decision-makers about the real-world consequences of criminal justice policies. The proposed grant will enable the Association to establish an Innovation Fund and to invest in needed enhancements of its communications, public outreach, and volunteer coordination capacities.

The John Howard Association of Illinois provides independent citizen oversight of the state’s juvenile commitment facilities. Through its monitoring, reporting and public advocacy, the Association has contributed to Models for Change efforts to move Illinois towards more effective, youth-focused, rehabilitative approaches that produce better outcomes for youth. It will use this grant to continue to report on conditions and programming in facilities and to provide research and policy support to the state’s reform leadership.

The John Howard Association of Illinois provides independent citizen oversight of the state’s juvenile commitment facilities. Through its monitoring, reporting and public advocacy, the Association has contributed to Models for Change efforts to move Illinois towards more effective, youth-focused, rehabilitative approaches that produce better outcomes for youth. It will use this grant to continue to report on conditions and programming in facilities and to provide research and policy support to the state’s reform leadership.

The John Howard Association, which provides citizen oversight of Illinois’ adult and juvenile correctional facilities, will use this grant to track and monitor the implementation of reforms in the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice as part of Illinois Models for Change and its transformation from a punitive adult correctional model to a rehabilitative agency that adheres to the basic tenets of juvenile justice and child welfare. It also will continue to publish reports on all the Department’s facilities; pilot an ombudsman program to address youth and family grievances; and continue its Juvenile Justice Hotline.

To track and monitor the progress of implementing reforms in the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice as part of Illinois Models for Change.

To track and monitor the progress of implementing reforms in youth corrections under the new Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice as part of the Illinois Models for Change initiative (over two years).

In support of activities to track and monitor the progress of implementing reforms in youth corrections under the new Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice.

To support the Juvenile Justice Reform Initiative in Illinois and to introduce the work to other states (over three years).

To support citizen monitoring of juvenile correction facilities and public education efforts on the need for juvenile justice reform (over two years).

To support the two year Alternative to Incarceration Project.