Criminal Justice Reform: Where Are We Now? Webinar Mar 9

LWVCC March Timely Topic.  A video of this presentation (about 1 hour) is available on LWVCC's YouTube site. 

​In February 2021, Illinois passed the Pretrial Fairness Act, a sweeping set of reforms intended to curb the overuse of jails and end the use of money bond. When the law goes into effect in 2023, poverty will no longer be a reason to keep people in jail.
 
On Wednesday, March 9 from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm  Sarah Staudt, Senior Policy Analyst at the Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts, a key advocate for the legislation, explained the changes, why they were made, how they will make our courts more fair and our communities more safe, and what steps local communities must take to make sure that the new law is implemented fairly and effectively. 

​Sarah Staudt, a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, is the Senior Policy Analyst and Staff Attorney for Criminal Justice matters at Appleseed. Before joining Appleseed in 2018, she was a criminal defense attorney with the Lawndale Christian Legal Center, representing juveniles and young adults in the Cook County criminal courts. At Appleseed, she has focused on pretrial court reform issues and was instrumental in the drafting and advocating for the Pretrial Fairness Act which passed in 2021.

​The Appleseed Center describes itself as a “volunteer-led, collaborative nonprofit organization that advocates for a legal system in Illinois that is equitable, accessible, and fair to all people; efficient so justice is not delayed; and effective in seeking solutions to social injustices. We improve lives by improving the courts."