Cook County Jail

Instead of jail, we need to identify the root cause whether it is drug abuse or mental illness to combat overcrowding and recidivism. One way to find these root issues is to implement specialty courts to address specific issues related to drug abuse, mental health and veterans' affairs. These courts have had dramatic success in reducing recidivism, whereby reducing cost and overcrowding at the jail. I have been working with the Appleseed Foundation and my colleague, Commissioner Earleen Collins, to create a diversion division within the Criminal Courts to reform the bond court process and permanently expand the existing diversion courts.

Risk Management at the Jail
Within the 2011 budget, I created and funded a Risk Manager position for the Cook County Jail. The responsibility of the Risk Manager will be to identify patterns at the jail before they become litigious and to create processes to ensure reaching and maintaining substantial compliance with the requirements set forth by the Department of Justice. Since 2000, the County has spent over $84 million on settlement claims, including $55 million that the County is now paying for civil rights violations stemming from illegal strip searches conducted at the jail. The County has also begun paying settlements for shackling pregnant women during delivery. Los Angeles County developed a risk management department which has decrease their litigation costs by $12 million annually.