John Howard Association

A prison watchdog group in Illinois is calling on the state to take a bigger role in scrutinizing Illinois’ 16 pre-trial juvenile detention centers. Gov.…

Advocates have ideas being hashed out by a state task force.Attorney Alexis Mansfield said her clients have told her troubling stories of what happens…

Illinois lawmakers want to eliminate medical co-pays for prisoners.They’re currently charged $5 to see a doctor or dentist. But advocates say that can be…

Some women incarcerated in Illinois have not been receiving all the same benefits as their male counterparts.Men in work-release facilities are often…

Illinois prison inmates will continue to pay $5 for medical and dental visits, after the legislature tried and failed to get rid of the fee last…

The use of solitary confinement has drawn increasing scrutiny nationwide. And last week, the John Howard Association issued a statement (PDF) on the…

Illinois has a clear ambition for what it would like to do with members of its criminal class, and it’s right there in the name of the state agency set up…

Illinois’ main prison for women has nearly 2,000 inmates. An outside monitor says that’s the result of poor planning when Illinois closed the prison at…

A watchdog group says whoever wins the race for governor is going to face difficult choices about Illinois’ prisons. The group on Wednesday is laying out…

More and more prisoners in Illinois are being served brunch, eating two meals a day instead of three. Prison officials say it's actually better for many…