THE PROBLEM AND OUR SOLUTION
A justice system that is transparent and evidence-based leads to better outcomes for all. We’re striving to force transparency in the City of Chicago and Cook County in order to create safer and better-informed communities.
We empower
Chicagoans to create
safer communities
through government
transparency.
The Problem: The Chicago & Cook County justice system is the 2nd largest in the United States, spanning across both city and county government with budgets totaling in the billions of dollars each year. Tens of thousands of city and county residents come into contact with the system every year. Despite the vital position this system holds in our lives, the ability of stakeholders, policymakers, and communities to understand and validate the practices of our justice agencies is limited by restrictive policies on the access to data these agencies create.
Our Solution: The Chicago Justice Project focuses exclusively on opening big data from across the Chicago & Cook County justice system using our systemic approach to transparency. We believe that connecting data across agency and political boundaries will greatly increase what we can learn about how our justice system operates, and in turn heighten our ability to use the data to educate and empower stakeholders, communities, and policymakers to engage the justice system. We believe a justice system that implements best practices from around the country and evidence-based decision making will serve their communities the best.
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The Latest News


Trying to Erase History is Purposeful
On today’s show, we discuss the connection between racialized policing in the US and the efforts by the right-wing to erase slavery from America’s history. We discuss this with Joseph Flynn, the Executive Director for Equity and Inclusion in the Division of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and an associate


ACLU on CPD Traffic Stop Lawsuit
On today’s episode, we feature an interview with Alexandra Block from the ACLU of Illinois about their lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department’s highly questionable traffic stop practices. The ACLU alleges that the CPD pulls people over exclusively to search them and their care for drugs and guns. According to


IDOC Forces CJP to Sue
The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) has refused to produce the public records and data that has been requested by CJP. In failing to provide the requested records and data, IDOC is in violation of its obligation as required by the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which requires affairs


Chicago Justice Podcast
This is our Chicago Justice Podcast that covers crime, violence, and justice issues in Chicago. We will feature deep dives in to justice system data, interview with researchers and justice system reform advocates, as well as evaluations of justice system practices.