Stop Alvarez's Deadly Inaction

Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez continues her approach of deadly inaction, refusing to work with the Reclaim Campaign to reform our broken justice system and prevent violence in our communities.

Email State’s Attorney Alvarez now and tell her to take action to reduce violence. We need more prevention, less detention.

On Monday, over 150 faith and community leaders from Community Renewal Society, the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, and Southside Together Organized for Power/Fearless Leading by the Youth participated in a mock funeral procession that culminated with a rally in front of the State’s Attorney’s office. 

A delegation of pastors and leaders attempted to deliver our reform proposal, “Deadly Inaction: How Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez Can Act to Prevent Violence,” but State’s Attorney Alvarez declined to accept it. She, once again, ran away from accountability and refused to recognize the harm she is causing our communities.

This refusal continues a pattern of deadly inaction by State’s Attorney Alvarez. On September 24, 2014, nine months after our initial request, leaders from the Reclaim Campaign met with State’s Attorney Alvarez, and she said no to the five points in our plan for reform. We have urged her to come back to the table to negotiate on our proposals, but she refuses to do so. 

While hundreds of Chicagoans die and thousands more are affected by violence, the State's Attorney continues to push an agenda of mass incarceration of low-income African-American and Latino men and women that tears families apart and denies communities the resources we needed to enact true violence prevention programs. We must empower our communities to heal through community-based restorative justice violence prevention, substance abuse treatment, and mental health care.

Email State’s Attorney Alvarez now and let her know that her inaction is unacceptable. We need more prevention, less detention.

We will not stay silent on State’s Attorney Alvarez’s inaction to reform destructive policies that continue to devastate and fuel violence in our communities.