Zach's Strange Corner of Thought
You Made A Wrong Turn Awhile Back!
This letter originally appeared in The Pantagraph on October 22, 2022.
Scott Preston is running for the state legislature to represent the 91st District. Preston repeatedly stated he supports the cash bail scheme for people arrested and held pre-trial.
Even though its abolition is impending, the cash bail system is still wrecking havoc on our communities thanks to mass incarcerationists like States Attorney Don Knapp.
I have a friend, we’ll call him Lenny. In the past three months, Lenny got two DUIs and was arrested. Both times, Lenny bonded out and is awaiting trial.
[FULL DISCLOSURE: The editor of Agitation Rising News is a founding member of CIRC.]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE!
January 22, 2022
The Central Illinois Research Collective (CIRC) supports the new criminal justice reform law, HB 3653, signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker in 2021. Our organization strongly supports the principles of this law like police transparency, accountability, and alternatives to policing.
We are releasing this guidance to assist local municipalities in properly interpreting & implementing HB 3653. We believe it is important for public officials to know that our membership supports this legislation. We encourage public officials to embrace these reforms & implement them to the best of their abilities. Furthermore, our organization is looking to hold public officials accountable when it comes to this responsibility.
Here is the digital link to the guidance:
HB 3653 Guidance.pdf
Our organization is co-hosting a Virtual Town Hall on Saturday, February 5th, 2022 at 1:00 PM with the AfroSocialists and Socialists of Color of Bloomington-Normal to explain the guidance in greater detail. This law has left much controversy and questions around how it will be implemented throughout Illinois. This law is much more than just the Pretrial Fairness Act. This event hopes to bring clarity to the important nuances of the law. Our Town Hall will also address follow-up laws adjusting HB 3653.
McLean County Jail News
Published: 12/29/2020
As of December 21st, 2020:
Population: 230
Black: 52.6% (121)
People of Color: 56.96 (131)
People of No Color: 43% (99)
Pre-trial: 93%
Charged with Felony: 87.8%
Charged with Felony against Property: 21.7%
Charged with Felony against Person: 19.1%
Charged with Misdemeanor: 3.9%
Charged with drug offense: 34.3%
COVID-19:
Inmates: 7 have tested positive in total
Staff: 8 have tested positive in total.
Current positive cases: unknown 01
COVID-19 numbers silently rise in McLean County Jail
It seems COVID-19 infection numbers in the McLean County Jail have risen since I last wrote about the Law & (In)justice Center. Since August, COVID-19 numbers remained flat at 5 inmates & 2 staff. Yet, on November 25th, at least two inmates tested positive bringing the total number to 7. Recent information requests indicate staff numbers have skyrocketed with 6 additional cases making a total of 8. I’m still inquiring on when exactly the staff members tested positive and whether there are any active cases in the jail.
On July 7th, during a meeting of the McLean County Justice Committee, Sheriff Jon Sandage took his time to complain about the release of 13 people from the jail on Juneteenth by Black Lives Matter BloNo and the Chicago Community Bond Fund. BLM BloNo spent over $8,000 to release three individuals, and with the help of the Chicago Community Bond Fund, spent over $80,000 releasing ten people who were arrested for allegedly looting in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. Only a government official would complain about being paid close to $90,000 to do their job.
6/11/2020
[FULL DISCLOSURE: The author participated in this protest.]
On May Day, May 1st, Black Lives Matter Bloomington-Normal organized a car caravan action around the McLean County Jail calling for decarceration and to waive the costs of video visits/phone calls during COVID19 for inmates. BLM BloNo also released a contract between McLean County and the telecommunications system, IC Solutions, that shows they are profiting off of these video visits/phone calls, which of course happen more often now that in-person visits are shut down due to COVID19.
ACTION ITEM: Join BLM BloNo and Tell McLean Co: Stop Profiting From Jail Visits During Covid-19!
Check out: Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/BLMBlono/ E-mail — blacklivesmatterblono@gmail.com Contact your County Board representative and tell them they shouldn’t be making money just so people can stay in touch with their loved ones during the Coronavirus.
The Justice Committee of the McLean County Board met Tuesday, the second time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. As usual, Sheriff Jon Sandage gave his report on the County Jail. “We’re averaging about 140 in-house,” Sandage said. Sandage’s entire report was only this one sentence, and a yes to Committee Chairperson’s George Gordon’s question if things within the jail remained the same as last month.
As of April 24th, the current jail population is 164 (with in-house population being 139). 54% of the inmates are black, and 40.2% are white. At least 14 inmates are over the age of 50. Convicted inmates serving their sentences make up only 17% of the population. The majority (81%) are there pre-trial, meaning they haven’t been convicted of a crime yet. (view more)
