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The Center in the News

Looking Deeper at The First Four Months of Illinois’ Bail Reform

Co-Director's Don Stemen and David Olson delve into the first four months of the PFA.

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With cash bail eliminated in Illinois, the Cook County Jail population shrinks

Co-Director David Olson talks reductions in the Cook County jail population with WBEZ Chicago.

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The crime rate is continually falling. So why do people think it’s rising?

Government numbers show violent crime has been dropping significantly. But people still believe crime is on the rise. We’ll dig into the numbers with one of Illinois’ foremost criminologists and discuss why the numbers don’t always move public opinion.

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David Olson and Don Stemen: Illinois counties have become less reliant on prison. Can we further improve that?

Co-Director's Don Stemen and David Olson discuss incarceration trends in Illinois counties.

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What to expect now that cash bail in Illinois is ending

WBEZ Chicago cites three of our report's and policy briefs in an article discussing the end of cash bail.

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With historic bail reform measures set to take effect, Cook County officials detail court changes

The Center cohosted an event with the Illinois Justice Project to talk about the implementation, evaluation, and potential impact of pretrial release reforms in IL.

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The Fate of Bail Reform in Illinois

The Brennan Center for Justice cites our work on bail reform in Illinois.

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Gun violence dominates the news, but is crime out of control in Chicago?

Co-Director's Professor David Olson and Professor Don Stemen contribute an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune that contextualizes Chicago's ongoing gun violence with its success decreasing overall crime.

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Latinos plead guilty more often than white or Black people in Colorado. Judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys are trying to figure out how to help

Colorado Public Radio explores our work with Colorado prosecutor offices to ameliorate racial and ethnic disparities in the justice system.

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Black men are paying the price for the failed war on gun violence

The Marshall Project cites research by the Center, showing that most people convicted in Illinois for gun charges don’t go on to commit a violent crime. Instead, people who already committed violent crimes are more likely to do so again.

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The politics of crime: what Chicago’s mayoral race reveals about the US

A recent Guardian article on Chicago crime quoted Center Codirector Dave Olson, who pointed out that, while overall crime in the city has been trending down for decades, “the crimes that have increased are the ones that are the most serious and the most visible.

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New research examining plea deals finds multiple problems

NPR National covers research by Professor Don Stemen. This study considers how prosecutors, defense attorneys, and defendants approach and make decisions surrounding the plea negotiation process and examines factors that affect guilty plea outcomes in St. Louis and Milwaukee Counties.

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Illinois set to eliminate cash bail next year

Professor David Olson is interviewed by WBEZ Chicago's Shannon Heffernan on the upcoming end of cash bail in Illinois.

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What to know about the end of cash bail?

Professor David Olson is interviewed by the Capitol News Illinois bureau chief Jerry Nowicki on the potential effects of the Pretrial Fairness Act.

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What’s Really Going On With the Crime Rate?

The Atlantic highlights a Center for American Progress study Professor Don Stemen contributed to debunking the myth that progressive prosecution is associated with increases in homicides, larceny, or robbery.

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There’s No Second Amendment on the South Side of Chicago

Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell, Jr. cites our research on gun possession.

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The data on ending cash bail

An Axios explainer cites our PFA Tracking Project.

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4 things we learned from the first-ever release of data that shows how Colorado DAs prosecute cases

Coverage of 8 data dashboards we worked to release in 8 geographically and politically diverse offices across the state of Colorado.

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Report Finds Bail Reform in Chicago Reduced Pretrial Incarceration Without Hurting Public Safety

Coverage of the Center for Criminal Justice report examining the Impact of General Order 18.8A

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Social media post misleads about pretrial detention under Illinois Safe-T Act

Professor David Olson Speaks to Politifact on Illinois Safe-T Act Misinformation.

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Cash Bail Reform Is Not a Threat to Public Safety

The Center for American Progress cites our Dollar's and Sense report.

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