Delegation of Faith and Community Activists Will Deliver a Freedom of Information Act Request to the Home of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez

The delegation is seeking race, income and gender statistics and success rates for the State’s Attorney Office Deferred Prosecution Program.

Leaders from Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation (SOUL) and Organizing Catholics for Justice (OCJ) will deliver a poster size FOIA request to the home of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez followed by a brief press conference and program.

They will deliver the FOIA Monday, November 10^th, 9:00 A.M., at 1138 Park Ave., River Forest Illinois.

“We want to know if the State’s Attorney Office is fully committed to reducing the inmate population in Cook County Jail,” said Rev. Michael Russell, President of Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation (SOUL)  “Although Anita Alvarez claims the Deferred Prosecution program is an effective tool in reducing mass incarceration in the Cook County Criminal Justice system, we have serious doubts about it’s effectiveness, especially with regards to successful completion rates for low income people of color”

The Deferred Prosecution program was established in 2011 as an alternative to prosecution for individuals charged with non-violent felonies and as a way to reduce overcrowding in the Cook County Jail.  Four years after the creation of the deferred prosecution program, the Cook County Jail remains overcrowded with first time non-violent offenders who are unable to afford bail.

“If the Deferred Prosecution program were working, why haven’t we seen any meaningful reduction of the jail population and why is the program limited to only individuals charged with non-violent felonies.  The jail is packed with first time non-violent offenders who can’t afford bail.  What is Alvarez’s office doing about that?” said Catherine McMillian,  Organizing Catholics for Justice

Community and faith leaders are delivering a Freedom of Information Act to the home of Anita Alvarez and calling upon her to commit to a complete review of the Deferred Prosecution program’s effectiveness.  Monday’s event is a part of a larger effort by other community and faith groups who will be protesting in front of Anita Alvarez’s office on Monday November 10^th in the afternoon.

For more information, contact:

Byron Hobbs

Executive Director

SOUL (Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation)

office:  773.363.0199

mobile:  773.320.3218

email: byron@soulinchicago.org