White Papers
Unequal Parenthood: How U.S. Parentage Law Fails LGBTQ+ Families in the Age of Assisted Reproduction – How to Fix It
This paper argues that the current U.S. parentage regime systemically disadvantages LGBTQ+ families by prioritizing...
The Legal Erasure of Indigenous Americans: U.S. Courts, Land Theft & the Need for Reparations
This paper explores the U.S legal system and its theft of Native land. Land acknowledgments...
The Illinois Juvenile Transfer Policies: Reforming Adult Prosecution of Youth
Illinois prosecutes hundreds of youths as adults each year through automatic transfer, discretionary waiver, and...
Reclaiming What Is Theirs: A Legislative Rewrite on Osage Nation Headright Ownership and Transferability
Unbeknownst to the Federal Government, lying beneath the surface of much of Osage grazing land...
Proposing Legislation in Response to the Illinois Pretrial Fairness Act 1-Year Reports
The Illinois Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA) was introduced as Illinois legislation in 2021 and became...
Jim Crow Takes Costco: The Food Apartheid examined through the lenses of oppressive systems
Oppressive systems, reinforced by legislation, have created a Food Apartheid, previously known as a food...
I’m Not Lovin’ It: Modern Day Slavery in the U.S. Prison System
Modern day slavery operates through the prison system, where incarcerated individuals are forced to work...
I Need a Playground Not a Prison: Juvenile Justice in Illinois
This paper provides recommendations for programming and policies in the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice...
Earned and Denied: A Framework for Statutory Reforms to the Illinois Parole System
In 1978, the Illinois legislature established the Prisoner Review Board to replace the former Parole...
Burying the Black Body and Mind: How Mass Incarceration Kills the Black Community
This white paper highlights the issues with current prison policies and practices in the United...
Bridging the Baby Gap: A White Paper on the Lack of Fertility Coverage for Medicaid Patients and the Disproportionate Impact on Black Women
In Illinois, the promise of reproductive healthcare access remains incomplete. While the state has positioned...
Beyond Bail: The Necessity for Cash Bail Abolition and Humane Reforms
Cash bail invites discrimination based on income in pretrial detention, is counterintuitive, and costs states...