Community Renewal Society advocates for economic and criminal justice reform policies that restore opportunities for people with criminal records and support police accountability reform throughout Illinois. We oppose new mandatory minimums or sentence enhancements, especially as a solution to gun violence.

Calling all Faith in Action advocates!  We are midway through the 2017 spring legislative session and your voice is needed to bring justice to Springfield. 

CRS member churches came together to affirm our priorities for the “Platform for Renewal 2016-17,” present our annual congregational and partner awards, celebrate campaign victories, celebrate board members whose terms have ended, elect new board members and dialogue about our strategic vision. Father Larry Dowling of St. Agatha Catholic Church and Jaquie Algee of Trinity UCC co-chaired the assembly.

If you want to stay informed on police accountability, please sign up! We'll let you know when organizing and advocacy opportunities come up.

The FAIR COPS Ordinance would immediately increase police accountability by establishing an Office of Police Auditor to independently monitor patterns of police misconduct, ensure that officers are investigated and held accountable for their actions, and make policy changes that provide meaningful systemic reform. As people of faith, we are called upon to demand justice now.

Update: The Chicago City Council is scheduled to vote on the Mayor's ordinance on Thursday, September 29, 2016.  CRS does not endorse the Mayor's ordinance.

A new research report from Community Renewal So.ciety finds that the two civilian oversight agencies charged with investigating and disciplining police misconduct in Chicago.

Fifty days have passed since the video of LaQuan McDonald’s killing was released, and yet Mayor Emanuel and the City Council have taken no decisive action to address the systemic failures of Chicago’s police oversight.

Join us as we demand action from our elected officials to stop police brutality, end violence, enact fair tax reform, and increase job opportunities!

Clearly, we have a reprehensible police accountability problem in Chicago. Read Part 1 of this blog for an in-depth look at the numbers that demonstrate just how bad it is.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, and other top brass at city hall would have you believe that Chicago’s policing and police oversight are the standard of excellence.

They say that police and community relations have improved, the Superintendent just finished a “community listening tour,” the newly-created Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA) is holding police accountable for misconduct, and the Police Board has fired the “bad cops.”

Our communities on the South Side of Chicago experience disproportionate rates of violence and police brutality and we need our elected officials to stand with us for real change. Our efforts to reduce violence and increase police accountability are at a critical moment and we need your voice.

We celebrate important victories as we continue to demand a moral budget that protects Illinois’ families and communities by choosing new revenue.

Police body-worn cameras can be tools for better police supervision and civilian oversight. Through this legislation, Illinois becomes the first state in the nation to create a single state standard for police body-worn camera programs.

The Illinois General Assembly took the first step in implementing major police reforms. The police reform omnibus bill includes some of our priorities to create policy guidelines for police body-worn cameras and end stop and frisk discriminatory practices.

Participate in a virtual Day of Faith at the Capitol

Faith leaders and community residents who have been victims of police abuse marked Ash Wednesday by calling for the City of Chicago to repent for police violence at the Mayor’s office today.

An important part of Community Renewal Society’s (CRS) work is to bring together congregations to fight for social justice. Every fall CRS holds an Annual Membership Assembly to set priorities for our organizing and policy work. On Saturday, October 4, CRS membership voted to initiate two new campaigns and renew three campaigns launched in 2013.

Like in Ferguson, young leaders in our communities report needing to be protected from the police, instead of by the police.