Systemic Reform and Racial Disparities - Cook County State's Attorney Candidate Questionnaire
Illinois and nationwide, Black and Latinx people are more likely to be incarcerated than white people. This disparity is identified as a significant driver in mass incarceration and results from over policing of people of color, who are more likely to be charged with more serious crimes, more likely to be pressured to plea and more likely to be sentenced to time in prison. The starting point for disparity begins with unnecessary interactions with law enforcement, that include the intensive use of surveillance tools in communities of color and higher rates of traffic and pedestrian stops for Black and Latinx people.