Thread by @ChiAppleseed

🧵 For the first time in years, the number of people incarcerated in Cook County is steadily growing: today, over 8,700 people are on electronic monitoring (EM) or in jail.

Our new report outlines 10 facts about the Cook County Sheriff's pretrial surveillance program:

🧵FACT 1: The number of people incarcerated in Cook County Jail or on electronic monitoring (EM) has risen 23% since April 2020.

In August of this year there was a notable decline in the EM population, but even with this decrease, *31% more people are on EM than in March 2020.*

🧵 FACT 2: Currently, at least 1,150 people in Cook County are on electronic monitoring and have been *for over a year.*

This is 32% higher than the same time last year. At least 78% of people on the Sheriff’s EM have been detained for at least 3 consecutive months.

🧵 FACT 3: Only 23% of Cook County’s population is Black, but over 74% of those on electronic monitoring (and in jail) are Black.

Electronic monitoring is another facet of the #InjusticeSystem that mainly harms Black and Brown families and communities.

🧵 FACT 4: Today, 83% of the people on EM in Cook County had to pay a money bond to leave jail and be placed on electronic monitors.

As of July 31, ~83% of people on electronic monitoring were forced to pay a D-Bond (10% of the full amount) to leave jail and begin house arrest.

🧵 FACT 5: An average of 67% of people spend over 2 days in jail before starting house arrest.

Over two-thirds of people who spent 24 hours+ in jail after being arrested in Chicago were there for at least 2 days and 40% of these people were in Cook County Jail for over a week.

🧵FACT 6: Over 75% of people on pretrial electronic monitoring in Cook County are facing “non-violent” or low-level allegations.

Over 45% of all people on EM in Cook County have, as their highest charge, a gun possession allegation that did not harm anyone.

🧵 FACT 7: Less than one in twelve people in Chicago are arrested for new allegations while on pretrial EM.

From 2016 to 2020, about 18,229 people in Cook County spent some period(s) of time on EM through the Sheriff’s Office. Over 90% of these people were not rearrested.

🧵 FACT 8: Re-incarcerations for technical violations (rather than for new arrests) are four times higher in 2021 than in 2019.

Technical violations can occur because someone is late returning from work, went to the hospital without authorization, or took out their trash.

🧵 Side note: The GPS technology used by the Sheriff is repeatedly cited as ineffective, often sending false alerts and faulty signals.

See @Chicago_Reader @imLeor (chicagoreader.com/music/on-house…) + @VICE @lorenzofb (vice.com/en/article/3aq…).

🧵FACT 9: Data suggests that pretrial electronic monitoring has no meaningful effect on public safety.

As is also true of people awaiting trial *without* EM, most people (82%) show up to all court dates and only about 17% are taken back into custody for some reason pretrial.

🧵 FACT 10: Despite the harms and lack of evidence that it's effective, Cook County taxpayers spend $19.5 million annually on the Sheriff’s EM program and another $12 million for the Home Confinement Unit of the Adult Probation Department’s Pretrial Services Division.

🧵 @Staudt_Sarah explains: "Electronic surveillance perpetuates racial disparities in the criminal legal system and destabilizes communities without a return for public safety." It's time Cook County reevaluate the "services" it prioritizes.

Full report: chicagoappleseed.org/wp-content/upl…