Rep. Ford Honors Muhammad Ali with Memorial Street Naming

CHICAGO – Commemorating the life of one of the world’s most renowned and revered sports legends, civil rights activists and cultural icons, state Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, passed a measure through the Illinois House that names a segment of Roosevelt Road in Chicago after the world champion boxer, Muhammad Ali.

 

“In an atmosphere that has not been the most encouraging for growth and improvement in our communities, it is important that we honor and bring to light the work of the legendary Muhammad Ali,” said Ford. “He was a special man who used his stardom to fight injustices that continue to plague us. Throughout his time, he was a shining beacon in an environment that wanted him and his message to be marginalized and shrouded in darkness.”

 

Ford Expands ID Availability for Ex-Convicts

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – With recidivism rates for Illinois convicts over 45 percent, State Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, sponsored a measure that would allow inmates released from an Illinois Department of Corrections or Department of Juvenile Justice detention center to receive a state ID card, free of charge.

“Currently, there is a temporary 30 day ID issued to returning citizens, but the issue remains that most employers do not accept the temporary IDOC ID as a legitimate form of ID for hiring,” said Ford. “The lack of government issued ID can be a huge determining factor in the potential for an ex-offender to recidivate. It is especially important in the first month back in society where many people are in search of stable jobs.”

Lilly Passes Measure Allowing for Social-Emotional Screenings for Children

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – With wide bipartisan support, state Representative Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, passed legislation last week that creates the option of a social-emotional screening as part of a standard school physical.

“Our educational system is supposed to prepare students for the real world the best it can, teaching them about the world and themselves,” said Lilly. “A social or emotional delay can drastically hinder the progress of a student. If we are able to help these children as soon as possible, it gives them every opportunity of living a fulfilling life.”

Illinois Coalition Joins National Effort to Improve Pretrial Justice

LOMBARD, Ill. — Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Rita B. Garman, State Representative Carol Ammons, Administrative Office of Illinois Courts Director Mike Tardy and Cherise Fanno Burdeen, CEO of the Pretrial Justice Institute (PJI), today announced that Illinois is joining 3DaysCount™, a national campaign to make pretrial justice safer, fairer, and more effective. The campaign will focus on examining pretrial justice laws and court rules—the crucial structures that support good criminal justice policies from the point of arrest to when cases are resolved. Illinois is the second jurisdiction to announce its participation in 3DaysCount, which will support state-level partnerships aimed at improved public safety and better outcomes.

“It’s time we implement a smart on crime mindset,” says Rep. Ammons. “Illinois simply cannot afford to continue indiscriminately locking people up and we have a moral obligation to treat our fellow community members with humanity and fairness—especially when doing so makes us all safer. The current money bail system fails in all of these areas.”