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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING AND RECOGNIZING CHICAGO BOOKS TO WOMEN IN PRISON
WHEREAS, Chicago Books to Women in Prison is a Chicago-based non-profit that collects and distributes donated paperback books free of charge to women, trans- and nonbinary people behind bars nationwide, including women detained at the Cook County Jail; and
WHEREAS, Chicago Books to Women in Prison was founded in 2002 by Nicole Bussard, Jack Slowriver, Arline Welty and Jodi Ziesemer; and
WHEREAS, Chicago Books to Women in Prison has been integral in providing an opportunity for women, trans- and nonbinary people behind bars to continue their education, explore their interests, get healthier, understand their rights, and plan for and achieve successful reentry into their communities; and
WHEREAS, books are often a lifeline: an escape into fictional worlds, creative activity and entertainment; a guide to learning a new hobby or a new language or studying for the GED; and a chance to exercise the mind by solving puzzles such as crosswords, word-searches and sudoku or writing poems or stories; and
WHEREAS, in 2018, Chicago Books to Women in Prison provided nearly 13,500 books and composition books to women, trans- and nonbinary people in prisons and jails, including the Cook County Jail; and
WHEREAS, Chicago Books to Women in Prison collaborated with the Sex Workers Outreach Project Behind Bars in presenting at the 2018 International Human Trafficking and Social Justice Conference; and
WHEREAS, Chicago Books to Women in Prison served on the statewide Women’s Justice Task Force, charged with providing guidance on implementation of the groundbreaking Women’s Correctional Services Act; and
WHEREAS, one of the most important accomplishments of Chicago Books to Women in Prison is the trust they've earned year after year by the women, trans- and nonbinary people they serve; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the residents of Cook County, hereby honor and recognize Chicago Books to Women in Prison for all they contribute to women, trans- and nonbinary people behind bars in Cook County and across the nation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be tendered to Chicago Books to Women in Prison as a means of communicating our appreciation.
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