White Papers
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...
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...
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...
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...