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West Side Community Court To Focus on Education — Not Jail, Top Judge Says

By Erica Demarest | April 14, 2016 2:19pm | Updated on April 14, 2016 2:46pm
 A community courthouse is planned for nonviolent offenders in North Lawndale.
A community courthouse is planned for nonviolent offenders in North Lawndale.
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COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — If you're a North Lawndale resident facing a nonviolent charge, your luck might be turning around.

Starting next year, the county will offer 200 people the opportunity to have their charges dropped in exchange for participating in a new West Side "Community Court," Chief Judge Timothy Evans announced Thursday.

The court, which is part of a 2-year pilot program, will offer job training, parenting classes, mental-health counseling and substance-abuse treatment, Evans' office said in a statement.

Those who successfully complete the program could have their charges dropped and arrests expunged. Tasks might include writing apology letters and performing community service.

"This is a solution to help send defendants on better paths and reduce the likelihood that they commit another crime," Evans said.

To be eligible, you must be between 18 and 26 and live in North Lawndale. Participants must have a current nonviolent charge and no more than one prior felony conviction.

The 2-year project is being funded by a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, according to Evans' office. It can accommodate 100 nonviolent offenders each year, for a total of 200 people.

Cook County Judge Colleen Sheehan will preside over the court and make decisions about sentences and treatments.

"The community has been clamoring for change," Sheehan said in a statement, "for a transformation and to take a look at how we approach crime and what our criminal justice system is about."

The court will be located in North Lawndale, according to Evans' office, but an exact location has not been announced.

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