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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
COB #321867
EXAMING THE CROWDING AT THE COOK COUNTY JAIL AND THE USE OF ELECTRONIC MONITORING
Submitting a Proposed Resolution sponsored by Toni Preckwinkle, President, Jerry Butler, Earlean Collins, John P. Daley. John A Fritchey, Bridget Gainer, Jesus G. Garcia, Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman, Gregg Goslin, Joan Patricia Murphy, Edwin Reyes, Peter N. Silvestri, Deborah Sims, Robert B. Steele, Larry Suffredin and Jeffrey R. Tobolski, Cook County Commissioners
WHEREAS, the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners, in recommending and approving the annual appropriation bill, has invested in many programs to protect the general public and reduce the jail population at the Cook County Jail ("Jail"); and
WHEREAS, one of the programs the President and Cook County Board of Commissioners has invested in is an aggressive Electronic Monitoring program which provides for a lower-cost alternative to housing detainees at the Jail, provides a mechanism to reduce overcrowding at the Jail and allows certain detainees to be monitored in a non-correctional setting; and
WHEREAS, the Jail continues to see an increase in the jail population and the Jail had an increase in the average daily detainee population in 2012 from the average in 2011; and
WHEREAS, the cost per day of holding one individual in the Jail is significant and there should be an enhanced emphasis in placing applicable detainees in an Electronic Monitoring program; and
WHEREAS, placing detainees on Electronic Monitoring in a qualifying residence is a cost-effective alternative to incarceration in the Jail; and
WHEREAS, Electronic Monitoring allows qualifying participants to continue to work, go to school, attend religious services, and maintain family or community ties; and
WHEREAS, the Cook County Sheriff's Office operates an electronic monitoring program that can cost-effectively and safely monitor over fifteen hundred participants at any given time; and
WHEREAS, Illinois statutes expressly permits the use of Electronic Monitoring initiated by Judges or the Sheriff under certain specific circumstances; and
WHEREAS, since November 2012, the number of individuals using Electronic Monitoring has declined; and
WHEREAS, the average daily number of participants on the Electronic Monitoring has decreased by over four hundred since November 2012; and
WHEREAS, failure to use Electronic Monitoring programs to its greatest extent leads to additional costs for the County, increases the jail population and prevents qualifying participants from maintaining family and community ties; and
WHEREAS, the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners through the Justice Advisory Council should work with the new General Assembly, the Chief Judge, the State's Attorney, the Public Defender and the Sheriff to review existing Electronic Monitoring laws and propose amendments to current legislation that will continue to protect the public but also allow for a broader use of Electronic Monitoring as a viable and safe alternative to incarceration in the Jail; and
WHEREAS, recommendations to modify and amend the existing Illinois laws to clarify and expand the use of Electronic Monitoring as a viable and safe alternative to incarceration should be reviewed by the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners; and
WHEREAS, expanded use of Electronic Monitoring will reduce the Jail population, reduce the daily expenditures of the Jail and will allow the President, Cook County Board of Commissioners, the County and the Cook County Sheriff to reach substantial compliance under the Department of Justice Agreed Order.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners encourages the use of electronic monitoring in Cook County as a tool to address crowding at the Cook County Jail and to allow qualifying participants to be monitored in an approved residential setting; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the President and Cook County Board of Commissioners encourages the Justice Advisory Council and the County public safety officials to come together to explore how to enhance the use of electronic monitoring and other effective means of reducing the population of the jail; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a committee comprised of representatives from the Justice Advisory Council, Chief Judges Office, Sheriff's Office, State's Attorney's Office, Public Defender's Office and other appropriate agencies and departments meet to develop and implement these programs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the committee report back to the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners at the first board meeting in May of 2013 and September of 2013 on its progress, initiatives and activities to account for an enhanced use of Electronic Monitoring.
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