Jail

There are several contentious issues involving Champaign County and jails, from criminal justice reform proposals to reentry programs. There are numerous local organizations involved in criminal justice issues at every step of the way, from activist groups like Build Programs Not Jails to collaboration efforts like the Champaign County Reentry Council.

Probably one of the most contentious involves jail expansion and concerns that more jail cells have a tendency of getting filled in a system of mass incarceration. Local activists prefer to promote reforms and services that avoid more incarceration, ideally. Some candidates and organizations have been working on services and access inside the jail and upon reentry.

There are also issues with safety and disability regulations that current facilities are falling short of.

Resources: 

Latest Jail Posts: https://cheatsheetcc.blogspot.com/search/label/Jail

Most recent proposed Jail Consolidation Plans (with video presentations of updated 2019 plan and 2015 plans): https://cheatsheetcc.blogspot.com/2019/10/jail-consolidation-updates.html

Most recent Reentry Council annual report: https://www.scribd.com/document/383741648/Crc-2018-Final-Report

Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program Report: http://cheatsheetcc.blogspot.com/2017/12/justice-and-mental-health-collaboration.html

Build Programs Not Jails (BPNJ): Website: https://programsnotjails.com/
Direct link to their Resources Page (SUPER handy): https://programsnotjails.com/resources-and-links/

About (from their website):
Since early 2012, Champaign County law enforcement has been arguing for expanding the satellite jail. Champaign-Urbana Citizens for Peace and Justice (CUCPJ) spearheaded opposition to this plan and advocated for community-based alternatives through its “No More Jails” campaign. In December 2013, the Champaign County Board voted against funding the proposed expansion and allocated a small sum of money to a re-entry program. 
In February 2015, however, a new master plan was presented to the county board for the construction of a more extensive addition to the satellite jail. This plan will cost the county residents $32 million. Expanding the work of No More Jails, Build Programs Not Jails (BPNJ) has been working in opposition to this project. The group members have instead been advocating for our county to devote our resources to decrease incarceration. 
We have been campaigning against this new building proposal by speaking at county board meetings, holding public forums, lobbying county board members, conducing door-to-door surveys, forming petitions, and reaching people through social media.

Court Diversion Services/Youth Assessment Center
Youth Assessment Center

The Youth Assessment Center staff screen at-risk juveniles and link them and their families with the community’s support and restorative services. Law enforcement personnel typically make referrals to the Youth Assessment Center as an alternative to prosecution and to prevent further delinquent activities. Case managers consider station-adjustment charges, police officer or school official recommendations, family input, and restorative justice methods. These include court diversion services to restore the relationship between the juvenile offender, their victim(s), and the community, mediation, and peer court. Restorative justice is a theory of justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused by criminal behavior. It is best accomplished through cooperative processes that include all stakeholders. This can lead to transformation of people, relationships, and communities.


The Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) Court Diversion Services (additional description only, YAC link above is official link)

The CCRPC Court Diversion Services focuses on diverting juvenile offenders or high risk youth from involvement in juvenile courts. We do this by taking referrals of youth involved in delinquent activity and providing an alternative to prosecution through case management. Case Managers screen juvenile offenders referred to our program to identify issues that may have influenced the offense. Youth are then linked to services to best address presenting needs. These services incorporate a restorative justice model and include:

Mediation: the offender and victim meet along with a trained volunteer mediator to discuss the offense and come to an agreement on how justice can be restored.

Peer Court: the offender has the opportunity to give an explanation of the crime before a jury of peers and an adult judge who can ask questions about the offender and the crime to determine how justice can be restored.

Youth No Limit: working with a mentor high school age youth plan educational, family, and career goals.


Contact Information: https://ccrpc.org/contact/

Court Diversion Services/Youth Assessment Center
402 N Randolph St
Champaign, IL 61820

Newspapers and other media resources:


The Champaign County Reentry Council discussed current jail issues and clarifying the expansion of services available at the jail as opposed to expanding jail populations. Cheat Sheet write-up here: Reentry Council May Meeting. Build Programs Not Jails was understandably skeptical, especially given their preference for more ideal solutions where services are available long before people end up in the criminal justice system. More on their reaction here.

The News-Gazette laid out the issues facing the downtown and satellite jails, proposals for expansion, budget problems and the work of Build Programs Not Jails in support of reforms and programs that would rely on less jailing. Full text here. Excerpt:
CU-CitizenAccess: DOJ's deadline looms over Champaign County Jail

URBANA — With a U.S. Department of Justice-imposed deadline approaching, Champaign County officials are under increasing pressure to either renovate or close the 37-year-old jail in downtown Urbana.

The county has already stopped using much of the downtown jail — it has a daily population hovering around 45 people, even though its capacity is 113. It has instead relied more on the satellite jail in east Urbana, which has a capacity of 182.

An agreement between the county and the DOJ states that the county must renovate the downtown jail to adhere to Americans with Disabilities Act standards by March. These renovations are expected to cost about $175,000.

In November, the DOJ said it would consider granting the county an extension to come into compliance by Dec. 31, 2018, and would extend the deadline even longer if the county decided to fund a new jail.

With the required renovations pending, county officials have discussed either closing the downtown jail and replacing it with a new facility next to the satellite jail or renovating the downtown jail to make it more suitable for housing inmates, said Chief Deputy Allen Jones.

Standing in the way: funding issues and the efforts of local activist groups who oppose any new facility.


Numbers from the News-Gazette: A lot of recent numbers in the full article, but confusing. Will be updating this page with more clear numbers, but this is a good starting point for numbers behind building a new jail:
Champaign County authorities renew call for new jail 
URBANA — Champaign County officials are again looking at closing the nearly 40-year-old downtown Urbana jail and building an addition to the satellite jail in east Urbana. 
The renewed effort comes after county voters, by a 70 percent to 30 percent margin, last November rejected a local sales tax increase to pay for county facilities, including a renovated satellite jail. 
The new effort is prompted in part by the need to spend at least $175,000 to make Americans with Disabilities Act improvements at the downtown jail. The county is asking the federal Department of Justice to extend its deadline for presenting a compliance plan for the downtown jail until March 2018.
 ...more.

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