Media Advisory: Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Contact: Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4624 or kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org
Activist Urge Cook County Commissioners to Defund the Cook County Jail, Hold Car Caravan and Rally at 27th and California
What: Car caravan and physically distant rally calling on the Cook County Board of Commissioners to divest from Cook County Jail and to invest in strengthening social services the county provides, including housing, health care and mental health services, and restorative justice. This will coincide with the introduction of a resolution by Commissioner Brandon Johnson at the Cook County Board meeting that will begin at 10:00 am.
When and Where: Thursday, June 18 — Car caravan starts at 9:45 am. Physically distant rally with speakers starts at 10:30 am in the grassy median at 2700 S. California.
Who: This action is being organized by SOUL – Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, The People’s Lobby, National Nurses United, and Chicago Community Bond Fund with the endorsement of Black Lives Matter Chicago, Circles & Ciphers, Chicago Torture Justice Center, Community Renewal Society, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, GoodKids MadCity, A Just Harvest, the #LetUsBreathe Collective, Free Write Sound & Vision, Love & Protect, Black Eutopia, Osiris Khepera, Community Cave, The Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine, & AirGo.
Why: Each year, Cook County spends more than $600 million each year supporting a racist system of policing and incarceration through the Cook County Sheriff’s budget, which includes sheriff’s police, the Cook County Jail, and more. Although the jail population had gone down by more than 50% since 2013, the budget for the jail has actually increased by 26%. If the jail budget had gone down proportionally to the number of people locked up, we would have $117 million more for other public services in Cook County.
Social Media Details: Find the event on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/868768570268254/ and search #DefundCCJ on Twitter to follow along.
###
For Immediate Release: Thursday, June 18, 2020
Contact: Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4624 or kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org
Communities Urge Cook County Commissioners to Defund the Cook County Jail,
Hold Car Caravan and Rally at 27th and California
Chicago, IL — Building on the momentum of the movement to defund police and invest money in Black and Brown communities, activists will hold a car caravan on Thursday, June 18 at 9:45 am and a foot rally at 10:30 am at 2700 S. California urging Cook County Commissioners to take money out of the Cook County Jail and invest in housing, mental health services and other things that actually make communities safer.
“Every year, thousands of people are incarcerated in Cook County Jail only because they can’t afford to pay a money bond. Wealth-based pretrial incarceration is unacceptable in Cook County. We must continue to reduce the number of people in Cook County Jail and reduce the Cook County Jail’s budget accordingly. It is time for Cook County to divest from the jail and invest in our communities,” said Malik Alim, Campaign Coordinator for Chicago Community Bond Fund.
This rally coincides with the introduction of the “Justice for Black Lives” resolution by Commissioner Brandon Johnson, broadly supporting organizers’ demands. “There is no correlation between the money spent on the criminal justice system and the safety of our residents. In fact, as spending on police and incarceration has gone up over the last decade, Black and Brown people actually feel less safe,” Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson said. “It’s past time to redirect the hundreds of millions of dollars we spend on the failed, racist system of policing and criminalization into services and programs that will actually promote and protect the health and welfare of our communities.”
Each year, Cook County spends more than $600 million supporting a racist system of policing and incarceration through the Cook County Sheriff’s budget, which includes sheriff’s police, the Cook County Jail, and more. Although the jail population had gone down by more than 50% since 2013, the budget for the jail has actually increased by 26%. If the jail budget had gone down proportionally to the number of people locked up, we would have $117 million more for other public services in Cook County.
“Most crime and violence happens because people don’t have good paying jobs and other resources that allow them to support their families,” says Pastor Erik Christensen, a leader with The People’s Lobby. “Racist economic policies like refusing to lend money to Black homebuyers and business owners and putting jobs in white communities has left Black and Brown communities struggling to survive. Jail is not the solution. Investment in Black and Brown communities is what we need.”
A just future is one in which we spend our resources on the things that actually create community health and safety. Instead of pouring more and more money each year into violent and racist policing and incarceration, we must invest it in housing, health care, mental health services, living wage jobs, public transportation, and restorative justice.
This action is being organized by SOUL – Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, The People’s Lobby, National Nurses United, and Chicago Community Bond Fund with the endorsement of Black Lives Matter Chicago, Circles & Ciphers, Chicago Torture Justice Center, Community Renewal Society, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, GoodKids MadCity, A Just Harvest, the #LetUsBreathe Collective, Free Write Sound & Vision, Love & Protect, Black Eutopia, Osiris Khepera, Community Cave, The Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine, & AirGo.
Find the event on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/868768570268254/ and search #DefundCCJ on Twitter to follow along.