IMAN Ready for Cook County States Attorney Primary
By Kauthar Umar

The Inner-city Muslim Action Network, IMAN, is preparing the community
for the February 5th Democratic primary election for Cook County's top
prosecutor.

On Jan. 10th, IMAN with the Developing Justice Coalition, DJC,
mobilized over 200 community activists, including dozens from the
Muslim community, and a panel of community and policy experts on
criminal justice issues, to face off with Cook County's States
Attorney's candidates.

The next Cook County States Attorney will play a pivotal role in
addressing a shattered criminal justice system that affects all
aspects of our inner-city community. The primary nominee for States
Attorney, the highest-profile political jobs in Illinois, will seek a
$100 million office with nearly 1000 lawyers and the power to launch
investigations, issue subpoenas and convene grand juries.

"It's no secret the Illinois criminal justice system is badly broken,"
said Rami Nashashibi, Executive Director of IMAN, a key member of the
DJC. "Right now we have a 52 percent recidivism rate for nonviolent
drug offenses. That means more than half of all inmates will return to
prison within three years, at a cost of more than $22,000 per inmate.
Half of all boys with a parent in prison end up in prison too. We need
the next Cook County States Attorney to plan to change this situation
in our community."

Since its inception DJC, a statewide alliance of more than 80
community based, grassroots, and religious organizations, has been at
the for front of the struggle for criminal justice reform in Illinois
and has been a driving force in transitioning the state into one of
the nations leaders in alternative and diversionary sentencing.
Presently the coalition is working with legislators to fully fund the
SMART Act.

Responsible for prosecuting all individuals charged with violating
Illinois' criminal laws within the county, the State Attorney of Cook
County will decide the future of the SMART Act, a $1.9 million
statewide initiative allowing State's Attorneys to create drug school
programs in lieu of sentencing for nonviolent drug offenders.

Drafted by IMAN board member, Maaria Mozaffar, the SMART Act
legislation has the potential to cut the state recidivism rate in half
- more than 80 percent of the offenders placed in drug school programs
do not commit another drug offense.

"The most significant attribute of this bill is that it actually
limits the distance between community organizations and State agencies
like the State Attorneys Office, in the realm of Criminal Justice,"
said Mozaffar. "Therefore it's very important for us to elect a
candidate that believes in the necessity of that open relationship."