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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING DR. WILLIE WILSON FOR THE CREATION OF A JOINT PUBLIC-PRIVATE INITIATIVE TO PAY THE BOND FOR NON-VIOLENT OFFENDERS AND SUPPORT THEIR REINTEGRATION INTO THE COMMUNITY
WHEREAS, Dr. Willie Wilson grew up in Louisiana and moved to Chicago in 1965, where he went to work for McDonald's Corporation and ultimately began to build a multi-million dollar business; and,
WHEREAS, Dr. Wilson is an outstanding mentor for Cook County citizens, as he has for years been among the top philanthropists in Chicago and lifted himself out of poverty to build his business; and,
WHEREAS, Dr. Wilson bailed out six non-violent detainees from the Cook County Jail in September of 2016; and,
WHEREAS, those six individuals were being held for minor offenses and could not make bail, meaning they would have remained in the Cook County Jail until their trial ended; and,
WHEREAS, in November of 2016, Dr. Wilson plans to use $50,000 of his own money to bail out non-violent offenders so they will be able to spend this Thanksgiving with their families; and,
WHEREAS, this is the latest in a long line of philanthropic efforts Dr. Wilson has made to improve life for Chicagoans and residents of Cook County; and,
WHEREAS, Cook County Corrections facilities currently hold about 300 inmates who are only incarcerated because they cannot afford to pay their bond; and,
WHEREAS, the bond amount for the aforementioned individuals is $1,000.00 or less; and,
WHEREAS, approximately 55 percent of these individuals are currently being held on misdemeanor charges that carry a maximum imprisonment penalty of 364 days in a County Detention Facility; and,
WHEREAS, Dr. Wilson's selfless act in September of 2016 has saved taxpayers thousands of dollars, and his similarly planned initiative for Thanksgiving will save much more; and,
WHEREAS, the Cook County Board of Commissioners applauds Dr. Wilson's efforts, and his actions have sparked a real debate about reforming ...
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