Stop unproven, regressive and unfair #BadBillsUpdate: 5/21/14 An amendment in the House has been filed for SB2339, the only thing taken out was presumptive detention for minors charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle (PSMV). The rest of the bill is intact which means more young people will still be charged with a felony and can be convicted to years in prison with no evidence for a crime that used to be a misdemeanor. Also the bill still impacts passengers and ANY presumptive detention especially for minors is arguably a violation of young people's constitutional rights. Don't let Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Supt Johnson sacrifice the future, well-being and safety of young people just to appear tough on crime for the next election cycle. Original Text: #BadBills drafted and pushed with Mayor Emanuel's clout like SB2339 SFA#2 are created so that politicians can appear tough-on-crime for the next election cycle. This bill is horrible public policy and the damage can be measured in extremely negative outcomes for young people and our communities. The two major issues w/ SB2339 SFA#2:
SB2339 is designed specifically to put more young people in detention for longer -- juvenile detention and incarceration are already an unproven, regressive and unfair non-solution to crime. Detention no matter the length of time is very disruptive and harmful especially to young people. According to one study juvenile incarceration lowers high school graduation rates by 13 percentage points and increases adult incarceration by 23 percentage points (source). Detention is not a solution, roughly 70 percent of previously detained youth are rearrested within two years (source). Also, prior incarceration was a greater predictor of recidivism than carrying a weapon, gang membership, or poor parental relationship (source). #BadBills like SB2339 will make detention a prerequisite to access services or treatment for young people. The policy focus should be on properly investing in evidence-based solutions like community-based interventions that focus on positive youth development (source). Let your representatives in the State House know that now is not the time to backslide on the tremendous progress that Illinois has made with respect to juvenile justice reforms. Want to read more about this issue?
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Action Alert
Call the following House Representatives today and tell them to still #DumpSB2339 despite the amendment
Example of our demands:
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Take Action Today
Write to your RepClick here to write to your IL Rep today to ask that they oppose SB2339 - the form loads your representative's information to make things as easy as possible!
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Call these RepsArt Turner, Jr - (217) 782-8116
Marcus Evans, Jr - (217) 782-8272 Melissa Conyears-Ervin - (217) 782-8077 Jaime Andrade - (217) 782-8117 David Harris - (217) 782-3739 Got more time? Litesa Wallace - (217) 782-3167 Jehan Gordon-Booth - (217) 782-3186 Carol Ammons - (217) 558-1009 Mary E. Flowers - (217) 782-4207 Sonya Harper - (217) 782-5971 Carmille Lilly - (217) 782-6400 Feeling even bolder? Call Speaker of the House Mike Madigan and tell him no more penalty enhancement bills #DumpSB2339! (217) 782-5350 |