LWVUS Position in Brief
- Supports the abolition of the death penalty.
- Believes alternatives to imprisonment should be explored and utilized, taking into consideration the circumstances and nature of the crime.
- Opposes mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses.
- Believes that voting is a fundamental citizen right that must be guaranteed. Those incarcerated and those released from the criminal justice system should not be denied the right to vote.
plans this year
LWV-Wilmette will participate in a Criminal Justice Study in an effort to update the LWV-IL Criminal Justice Position. Our work, and the work of local Leagues all over Illinois, will yield an updated position allowing us to engage more fully in criminal justice advocacy.
The events of early summer illustrate why LWV-IL must update its Criminal Justice Position. A glaring omission in our position is any reference to policing. But in addition, in the years since the position was last updated, criminal justice reform efforts have revealed that our justice system is not only ineffective but unjust in many ways.
By working with the League of Women Voters official process for studies, the local action-foci leaders will form a committee of interested local members to participate in the study. Our committee will review the consensus questions which address the totality of the system through fourteen sections which deal with the following:
The events of early summer illustrate why LWV-IL must update its Criminal Justice Position. A glaring omission in our position is any reference to policing. But in addition, in the years since the position was last updated, criminal justice reform efforts have revealed that our justice system is not only ineffective but unjust in many ways.
By working with the League of Women Voters official process for studies, the local action-foci leaders will form a committee of interested local members to participate in the study. Our committee will review the consensus questions which address the totality of the system through fourteen sections which deal with the following:
- Investing in communities to reduce crime and violence
- Bias in the criminal justice system
- Gender-Responsiveness approach for all offenders
- Data collection and transparency
- Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils
- Policing Pre-Trial Procedures
- Pre-trial procedures
- Restorative justice
- Emerging adults
- Courtroom procedures and access
- Sentencing Laws and procedures
- Illinois Department of Corrections
- Post Incarceration and sentence completion
- Funding
join the criminal justice study team
We are currently seeking members who are interested in joining the Criminal Justice team at the local level in Wilmette to participate in the study. The action foci leaders will work with interested individuals to schedule the meetings in the fall/winter of 2020 and 2021 to turn in our results by January 31, 2021.
To learn more or to participate in the study, please contact Wendy Zun at preslwvw21@gmail.com
To learn more or to participate in the study, please contact Wendy Zun at preslwvw21@gmail.com
news and latest developments
The Leadership Conference, NAACP, LWV-US, and more than 400 other organizations and federal legislators endorsed eight policy priorities for policing legislation. These priorities are in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and speak truth to power about generations of abuse of Black people and communities at the hands of law enforcement. These policy positions create a framework of accountability for law enforcement and law makers and help us all to support comprehensive justice reform.
On June 10, LWV CEO, Virginia Case, issued a statement on the Justice in Policing Act.
On June 10, LWV CEO, Virginia Case, issued a statement on the Justice in Policing Act.