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Thank you for your interest in reforming the criminal justice system. This past year has been one of tremendous growth for the Chicago Justice Project. With your contributions, we will continue promoting equal access to justice in Chicago. You can help us:

• Maintain the open records supported by the Freedom of Information Act: CJP obtained a judgment from the Illinois Attorney General's Office supporting our position that key transcripts from the Chicago City Council Committee on Police and Fire should be open to the public. This precedent will help keep citizens informed of what occurs at the legislative level of the criminal justice system. Increased access to transcripts of this Committee's actions will allow the public a new level of insight into the oversight role played by this Committee.
• Create a tool for citizens to access justice information: CJP has partnered with the Information Retrieval Laboratory (IRL) at the Illinois Institute of Technology. One of the top academic laboratories in the nation, the IRL can define the technology required to make the public documents that CJP is gathering more widely available.
• Make an example of Chicago: In March, CJP's contributions will be reflected in a Human Rights Network report responding to the United Nations Criminal Justice proceedings. While this document highlights Chicago's unpleasant past experience regarding police accountability, we believe the future can position Chicago to be a leader in system reform.

We hope you will consider making a tax deductible contribution to allow us to continue these efforts.

Your assistance will support actions in the next year that will improve society's access to justice related information and keep Chicago's law enforcement agencies accountable to the public they serve. You know from recent headlines that corruption and abuse within our criminal justice system threaten to further undermine the merits of our police force. The Chicago Justice Project believes that the foundation for meaningful reform in the criminal justice system depends on information about what is happening within it.

The Chicago Justice Project's Community Advisory Board has helped to link relevant communities concerned with policing issues. With academic representation from the University of Illinois, Illinois Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, and Northeastern Illinois University, the project also benefits from the involvement of some of the city's most prestigious law firms and influential community organizations. We continue to participate in activities and conferences such as Northwestern University's Conference on Human Rights to raise our visibility. We are laying the foundation for a strong reform movement.

With your support, we strive to become the reliable source of information and expertise on the Cook county and Chicago criminal justice agencies. If you would like to discuss any of the work we do, please contact us.