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March 2003 $3.95 A publication ofthe University ofIllinois at Springfield >C?-'M :;•'I«• 4 2003 STATE LIB 1AH W-9SWE Out of hiding Poverty is on the rise in Illinois and increasingly visible. It can no longer be overlooked PBC PUBLICTVSTATIONS WEIU Charleston WILL Champaign PUBLIC BROADCASTING WMEC/WQEC/WSEC COOPERATIVE OF IlIINOIS Macomb, Quincy Jacksonville/Springfield WQPT Moline WSIU Carbondale WTVP Peoria WUSI Olney WYCC Harness the power Chicago ofpublic broadcasting PUBLICRADIO STATIONS across Illinois... WBEZFM Chicago WCBUFM Peoria Chicago and the suburbs WDCB FM Glen Ellyn Rockford to Carbondale WGLTFM Charleston to Quincy Normal WILLAM Urbana WIUM/WIUWFM Macomb,Warsaw WNIJ FM DeKalb, Rockford, Get the undivided attention of the most influential, Sterling, LaSalle, Freeport educated, and affluent citizens in Illinois along WNIU FM with the top business decision makers. 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Whyoor su °scription My name iss^f Address Illinois City_ State _Zip State Paymentenclosed Account#_ f Bill me later Exp. date _ MasterCard Signature Officiate VISA Forfaster service, call 1-800-508-0266. -"V i NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 1901 SPRINGFIELD, IL POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE Illinois Issues UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT SPRINGFIELD PO Box 19243 Springfield IL 62794-9980 l.ll,,..l.ll...ll.l...l..ll.l..l.l..l..l.ll....ll..l EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK It's time lo debate women's crime and punishment policies by Peggy Boyer Long SallyJefferson arrivedat Alton femaleconvicts. Thewarden had no George Ryan'slate-Septemberpress Penitentiaryon September 1 1, 1835. room and nodesireto accommodate releasetoutingthegroundbreakingof Aprison clerk'sbriefnotation in the them. It would be fiveyears beforean Hopkins Park women'sprison. Th—at Convict Registermarkedtheoccasion. Illinoisjudgesentenced a second woman $100millio—n, 1,800-bedfacilityis at "No. 23,"theclerk wrote, had been toprison. It would beanothertwo lastcheck slated to open in 2005 in sentenced bythe Peoria CountyCircuit decades before the statedesigned a Ryan'shomecountyof Kankakee. Pem- Courtto 12months ofconfinement for buildingtohousewomenwithin Illinois' brokeTownshipto beprecise, oneofthe arson, including twoweeks in solitary. second penitentiary at Joliet. It would be nation's poorestcommunities. Hopkins Shewas24yearsold. "Herleft hand and theend ofthe 19th century beforea Parkwould be Illinois'fourthexisting arm had beenconsiderably seared by a separatewoman's prison was built, also adult women'sprison. Dwight replaced burn whenyoung." atJoliet. And it would be 1930before thewomen'sprison in Joliet. In 2000, Historian L. Mara Dodgediscovered state officials, finallybowingtcKhewill Lincoln wasconverted toa female thisfleetingreferenceto SallyJefferson of Illinois'reform-minded clubwomen, prisonand thestate openedanotherin in the Illinois State Historical Library opened Dwight, Illinois'first "reforma- Decatur. Thenewsitewaschosen whileresearching Illinois'femaleprison tory,"with thestated aimofaddressing becauseit'sclosetoCookCounty, home population. In herbook, "Whoresand the special needsofwomenconvicts. tomostfemaleprisoners, and becauseof Thievesofthe WorstKind": A Studyof PembrokeTownship'seconomicneeds. Women, Crime, andPrisons, 1835-2000, Dodge marshalsan impressive But theprinted statementaddsa third shewritesthat nocourtfileson Sally array ofprimary sources, including reason: HopkinsParkwillease pressure Jefferson'scasesurvived, andnonews inmatejacketsand parolepetitions, fromthe risingnumberoffemale reportsabout hercrime. There'sno to tellthe storyof Illinois'women offenders, thefastest-growingsegment recordofthecircumstances surrounding prisonersasitevolved. And shehasthe ofthis state'sinmatepopulation. heract, hermotivationsorhersocial credentials togive it theoretical heft. She The DepartmentofCorrections standing. Arson wasanunusualcrime oncetaught in thisstate'sprisonsandis provided thenumbers. Womenarestill forawoman. Dodgenotes, yet the anassistantprofessorofhistory at afraction ofthesta—te'soverall adult sentencewassevere. Doesthe seared Westfield StateCollege inWestfield, prisonpopulation 6percent of armsuggestahistoryofsettingfires? Mass. 43,000 inmates. But thepercentageof There is noway to know. Herbook, publishedby Northern women inmateshas been rising. In 1990, But if SallyJeffersondisappeared Illinois University Press, isvaluableon itwas4.4percent. Therateoffemale from the historical record, two facts twocounts. It arrivedlatelastyear, in admissionswasmorethan double that abouthercaseremain. Shewasthefirst timeto markWomen's History Month. ofmen in theback halfofthe 1990s. woman sentenced toprison in Illinois, And it offerscontext foradebateabout Thepopulation ofadultfemaleprisoners and shewaspardonedby thegovernora thisstate'sresponsibilitiesregarding isgrowing, from 1,191 infiscalyear mere sixweeksafterenteringAlton. femalecrimeand punishment. 1990to 2,712 in fiscalyear2002, a Thoughno reasonsweregiven for Infact, "WhoresandThievesofthe 128 percent increase. Theagency mercy, thismuch iscertain: Illinois'first WorstKind"landed atIllinoisIssuesjust projectsa totalof3,493 by theend penitentiarywasill-equipped to house about the sametimeasformerGov. offiscal year2004. http://illinoisissues.uis.edu IllinoisIssues March 2003 Q 3 Possible reasons forthe increase? weresentenced for 70percent ofall seri- FISCAL NOTE Somesuggest that female offendersare ousassaults, 57 percent ofall robberies, Regular IllinoisIssues readers less likelyto geta breakbecausemore 66percent ofallmanslaughterdeaths might notice this month's edition womenareservingon thebench, and 53 percentofall murders." has fewer pages than usual. especially in CookCounty. In thisissue, Further, femaleprisonerswereless Like everyone else in these BethanyWarnerdetailsthe risein the likely to havecommunityorfamilial dbiefefnicuflotrceecdontoommiacketimseosm,eweh'avred nNeuamrbleyroonfe-wthoimrednofjutdhgeejsudingeIslliinnoitsh.e raonodtsd.iMsroesptutawbelree.cAonnsdidmearneydifamimloedraatl choices. Among them, the CwoomoeknC.oIunnt1y99C1i,rtchueityCwoeruertonslyyst1e3m.2are cnounmvbeentrioofnawlofmoernmsinofIlfleimnioniisnpirtiys.oTnshe decision to trim our editorial percent of thetotal. Women alsomade grewslowly, though. Between 1835 and budget by a considerable amount gainsoutsideCook, butnotbynearly 1930, Dodgewrites, only 1,653 women through this fiscal year and to asmuch. Nationally, thenumberof weresentenced topriso—n in thisstate— reduce the number of pages. womenjudgesisup, too. Theconse- fewerthan 20annually incontrastto What we will not do, though, quencesofthisaredifficultto track, morethan 70,000men. isjeopardize the quality of but onestudybytwo Indianapolitical Therehavebeen spikesin thenumbers this magazine. Overnearly three scientists showsthat womenjudgesdo ofwomen sentenced, but theytended decades, every staffmember imposeharshersentences incriminal tooccurafterthecapacity forhousing of IllinoisIssueshas been cases. Yetmorework needsto bedone womenwasexpanded orprison committed to keeping Illinoisans byresearchersto identify trendsin conditionsweremarginallyimproved. sentencing by femalejudges. Dodgemaintainstheserisesin the informed about the policies that Aneasiertrend toidentifyis the numberofwomen inmatesweremere affect their lives. political push toget tough ondrug upticks. "Although today's female We won't stop. Even now. You crimes. Accordingto thecorrections offenders sharemany similaritieswith have our word on that. department, theprimaryfactordriving womenprisonersfromearliereras, they therelativegrowthofthefemaleprison are beingincarcerated in historically population hasbeen therelativegrowth unprecedented numbers."Sheattributes in theirconvictionsfordrugoffenses. thisto "draconiancriminaljustice Between fiscalyear 1990and fiscalyear policies." 2002, the numberoffemaledrug Thesearepoliticaldecisions, of offenders increased270percent, course. But the heartofDodge'sanalysis makingthat themost prevalent type isherassessment that crimeisasocial ofoffenseamongfemaleprisoners. construct. Shearguesthedecisionto Itmight bebetterlefttohistoriansto prosecuteanact dependsasmuch on the assessreasons forthegrowingfemale characteroftheaccused, theprejudices prison population. In themeantime, oftheprosecutorand thenormsofa officialsprovided thisprofilein the communityasontheact itself. department's2000Five YearPlanfor "Aboveand beyond theirlegal FemaleInmates: Typically, she'sa offenses, andwell into the 1960s, itwas 34-year-old black singlemotherfrom officials'estimatesofwomen'scharacter, CookCountywho hasbeen sentenced particularly theirmoral and sexual fornonviolent crime. And she'safirst- reputations, that oftendeterminedtheir time offender. Dodgeaddsthis: "Like fatewithin thecriminaljusticesystem." theircounterpartsin previouscenturies, Theirreputationswerecompromised, women sentenced toprison todayare too, by thoseoftheirfamilies, husbands overwhelminglypoor, marginalizedand and friends, motivatingoneprisonclerk disadvantaged." in 1896tocharacterizea femaleprisoner The penitentiary, shewrites, "was and heraccomplicesas "whoresand neverconsideredanappropriateplace thievesoftheworst kind." forpunishing'properwomen.'"In the Patternsofprosecution havechanged 19thcentury, impropermeantmostly in Illinois through thedecades, ashas Irishandother European-born immi- thepurposeofimprisonment. But, grants. Later, racereplacedethnicityin Dodgeargues, no sustaineddebatehas thesocialdefinition offemalecriminal- accompanied thesetransitions. ity. "From 1890to 1950, African-Ameri- It'stime. canwomen,averagingapproximately4 PeggyBayerLongcanbereachedat percentofthestate'sfemalepopulation. peggyboy@dolcom. 4 March 2003 IllinoisIssues http://illinoisissues.uis.edu 9 Issues Illinois A publication of the University of Illinois at Springfield March 2003 Volume XXIX, No. 3 Politicalcalculations,page22 Cairo,page 12 Therichgetricher,page 1 FEATURES DEPARTMENTS 12 Out of hiding by Stephanie Zimmermann EDITOR'SNOTEBOOK Now's the time fora debate. Poverty can no longerbeoverlookedin Illinois. & PegKowalczyk byPeggy BoyerLong STATEOFTHESTATE Photo essay Cairo Gamingis emergingas a fiscal fix. byAaron Chambers Southern Illinois Universitystudentsdocument life in an Illinois town. BRIEFLY 2S PEOPLE 30 LETTERS 19 Review essay The rich get richer byAaron chambers 31 AVIEWFROMCHICAGO TwoneivbooksbyKevin PhillipsandRobert B. Reich Mayorcommits a political sin. byRobertDavis 32 PUBLISHER'SGALLERY 22 Spotlight Political calculations byDougFinke Thepublic should beconcerned. byMikeMorsch State lawmakersmightriskaraidonpublicpensionsystems. 34 ENDSANDMEANS Revelationscould causechange. bv CharlesN. WheelerIII 24 Through the glass Ceiling byBethanyK. Warner STAFF Thenumberofwomenjudgesison therise in Cook County. Publisher:MichaelE. Morsch Editor:PeggyBoyerLong BUSINESS 26 Books Florence the Farm Hand byBillKnight BCuirsciunleastsimonan&agmearr:keCthirnigsmRaynaanger:CharleneLambert A newbookabout the Women's LandArmyin World WarII EDITORIAL Statehousebureauchief:AaronChambers Projectseditor:MaureenFoertschMcKinney Credits: ThephotographonthecoverwastakenbyDavidMsseemmaa.aseniorphotojournalism Associateeditor:BeverleyScobell studentatSouthernIllinois UniversityinCarhondale. MsseemmaaisfromPeru. Contributingeditor:RodilWhelpley Editorialandbusinessoffice:HRB10.UniversityofIllinoisatSpringfield,OneUniversityPlaza.Springfield,1L62703-5407. Columnists:RobertDavis Telephone:217-206-6084.Fax:217-206-7257.E-mail:illinoisissuestouis.edu.E-mailpublisher:morsch.michaeltouis.edu. MadeleineDoubek E-maileditor:boyer-long.peggy^uis.edu. PatrickE. Gotten SHuobusrcrsiaprteio8n:0q0ueas.tmi.on-s:5:I0l0lipno.ims.ICsseunetsr.aSluTbismcrei.pMtioonndaDiyv-iFsriiond,ayP.(Oe.xBceopxt2h7o9l5id,aSypsr)i.nSgufbiseclrd,ipItLio6n2s:70$83-92.79955oonrecyaelalr1/-$87020-t5w0o8-y0e2a6r6s./$105 CharlesN. 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Thecontentsofthemagazinedonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsoftheuniversityorthedonors. http://illinoisissues.uisedu IllinoisIssues March 2003 5 STATE OF THE STATE Gambling is emerging as an attractive alternative to raising state taxes or cutting state services by Aaron Chambers The video poker machines comprehensivegamingpolicy and if found in bars around Illinois Ultimately, all the gaming wecannot find comprehensive gaming are perfectly legal. What's not is the policy and everybody is goingto be in widespread practice of gambling on lobbies must agree to a it forthemselves, I think we're going to those games. compromise bill that's good havean issue." So when bar owners collect money Yet each faction, from the state's theirpatrons lose while betting on the for the state. At least that's nine riverboat casinos to its seven machines, that cash goes unreported. horse racing tracks to thousands of And st—ate government comesup the goal of Rep. Lou Lang, video poker operators, clearly is empty to the tune ofan estimated a Skokie Democrat who is fighting to protect its own bottom $350 million each year. That's an line. Each is concerned about losing impressive sum fora state drowning in chairing a special House patrons to competition as thegaming red ink and looking for a quick fiscal gaming committee. market gets saturated. fix. At the same time, the deficit could Tryingto get the groups on the bevideo pokergambling's ticket to same page in the legislature isdelicate come out from under the table. work. The action has largely been As Gov. Rod Blagojevich and to offer slot machines. The video confined to Lang's committee, the General Assembly struggle to poker operators, ofcourse, want indicating a willingness on the part reconcile a deficit estimated by the gambling on theirmachine—s to be of gaming interests to work together. governorat nearly $5 billion for this legitimate. And horsemen as horse But one group, the Illinois Harness fiscal yearand the one beginning in owners, drivers and—jockeys, and Horsemen's Association, has pushed July, increased gambling isemerging breeders arecalled want to ensure legislation on its own, and lobbyists as an attractive alternative to raising that their slice of raceproceeds, set by for othergroups are quick to suggest taxes ordrastically cutting state statute, does not get rolled back in the the harness racers mightjeopardize services. Gaming interests, their fray. They also want a substantial anyeffort at compromise. lobbyists in a frenzy, hope that share ofproceeds generated from any The harness racers want to abolish translates into more business for slot machines. a law that permits horse racingtracks them. Increased gaming, they Ultimately, all the gaming lobbies to take money from a shared purse argue, also would go a longway must agree to a compromise bill that's account when the state fails to appro- toward improving government good for the state. At least that's the priate a subsidy to the tracks, as it did revenues and the state'seconomy. goal of Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie last year. "It doesn't have to do with Casinos want lawmakers to Democrat who is chairinga special the slots and big bills per se,"Brenda eliminate the statutory cap on gaming House gamingcommittee. He says Watson, a lobbyist for the group, says — positions the number of people gaming legislation this spring likely of the proposal. The group maintains permitted to gamble at any given time. won't pass unlessevery interest is this must be done to put them on Horse racing tracks want permission on board. "We all have to find equal footingwith the tracks before 6 J March 2003 IllinoisIssues http://illinoisissucs.uis.edu consideration ofan omnibus bill. this license to use. "That 10th license Lang says he appreciates the harness has to be up and running,"he says. racers'concern but that they nonethe- "That's very important to our plans." less should operate within the scope of The Illinois Supreme Court A casino in Chicagocould dramati- hiscommittee. "The fact is that unless also may help determine cally alter the gambling landscape as it wecan makewhat they want to do part presumably would draw patrons from ofa bill that people in the industrycan the direction ofgambling, the four boats already in northern support, it's probably not goingto though it's unlikely the court Illinois, but Mayor Richard Daley has pass,"he says. gone back and forth on whether he Lang faces a long road to craftingan will weigh in by the end of the wants this. Last fall, Daley indicated omnibus deal. interest in a land-based, city-owned legislature's spring session. Clearly, gamingestablishments casino. That would require a change to pump loads oi^cash into statecoffers the state riverboat gambling law as it and put people to work. According to does not provide for land-based or the legislature's Economic and Fiscal to do much betteror much worse." government-owned casinos. Commission, gamingaccounted for There are several variables beyond Meanwhile, the Wisconsin-based $1.04 billion in state revenues during immediate considerations in Spring- Ho-Chunk Indian tribe wants to build the fiscal year that ended last June. field that could affect the future of a casino-hotel complex in suburban This includes $470 million from river- gambling in Illinois. Hoffman Estates. This scenario is com- boat gambling, $13 million from horse The state's 10th casino license is tied plex, though, as tribal casinos operate racing and $555 million from the up in bankruptcy court by license largely outside the scope of state law. state's lottery. But there's plenty holder Emerald Casino Inc. The To secure such a casino, the tribe of debate overwhether increased Illinois Gaming Board next month will would need approval from Congress gambling is worth associated social resume hearings to revoke the license. and the U.S. Interior Department. The problems and, forthat matter, whether It's been in limbo since 1999, when tribe could then form a compact with gaming actually helps grow the state's Emerald announced plans for a the state and federal governments that economy. Rosemont casino that the board later would determine how much tax The Illinois Casino Gaming rejected amid alleged mob ties to revenue, ifany, the state would get. Association trumpets a University of Emerald's investors. In anycase, the legislativeclimate Illinois report that thecasino industry Once the license is freed and sold to this springdoes favor gambling employed more than 11,000 people and anothercasino, the state's share ofthe growth. Blagojevichmaintains he spent more than $184 million on goods sale could be as much as $500 million. won't increase income or sales taxes, and services provided by Illinois Several suburban towns want to host which account for the bulk of state vendors in 2001 The January report, thecasino that claims the license. general revenue funds. And slashing a . prepared by the U of I Regional The Illinois Supreme Court also may slew of state services is not politically Economics Applications Laboratory, help determine the direction of gam- feasible. In hisefforts to reconcile the was commissioned by the casino bling, though it's unlikely the court will shortfall, he appears to be leaving the association and the Illinois Chamber weigh in by the end of the legislature's door open for more gambling. of Commerce. spring session. Early last month, the He reiterates his campaign position The groups, duringtestimony before court agreed to heara case involvinga that he doesn't support "expansion of Lang's committee, emphasized the lawsuit filed by a group wanting the gambling"but he refuses to define report's finding that theirproposal to 10th license in Lake County. At issue is "expansion." Specifically, he won't say eliminatecaps on gaming positions whetherthe group has standing to sue. whethereliminatingcaps on gaming would create some 26,000jobs. They The group is challenging as uncon- positions at casinos would constitute maintained that their other legislative stitutional a 1999 amendment to the this. "That's open to interpretation; priority, rolling back the tax rate on riverboat gambling law that permitted somepeople might saythat it is, some casinos from 50 percent to 35 percent, dockside riverboat gambling people might say it's not,"he says. "I would help fuel that growth. and paved the way fora casino in haven't thought it through." He says he But Earl Grinols, an economics Rosemont. also hasn't "thought through"adding professorat the U of I, suggests The court typically takes about a slots at tracks orlegalizing video increased gamblingisnot an effective yearto dispose ofacase, and there's poker, but that thesemeasures arenot way to grow theeconomy. He points no guarantee it will address the law's part of his budget "framework." to otherresearch indicating that more constitutionality. Still, prolonged That's a fluid position, to be sure. than40percent ofthenation'scoun- litigation could prevent the state from Moreover, it fuels a climate that tieswith casinos actuallyexperienced enjoying revenues associated with a gaming interests hope will produce a job losses. "Basically that's almost like 10th casino. winningyear. flipping a coin,"he says. "Nationwide, However, Blagojevich says his Aaron Chamberscanbereachedat counties that havecasinos don't seem budget solution anticipates returning statehousehiireau(a\aoI.com. http://illinoisissues.uis.edu IllinoisIssues March2003 Q 1 BRIEFLY Downslale Innocence Illinois Project's first subject gets pardon Keith Harris was Indeed, Clutter, who helped investi- gate the Rolando Cruzand Alejandro released from prison Hernandezinnocencecases, learned 22 months ago, but now he's ofthe persistenceof Alva Busch, the original IllinoisStatePolicecrimescene really free. investigatorwhohadcollectedevidence Hewasoneof 131 peopleinprisonfor fortwodecades,andconvincedthe non-death penaltycrimeswhoreceived projecttotake Harris'caseasitsfirst clemencyfromformerGov. George subject. BuschandClutterareboth Ryan in Ryan'slast sixweeksinoffice. supervisingstudentsinvestigatingthree Harris had spent 22years injail fora newcasesthisspring,saysNancy Ford, crime he didn't commit. And before he co-founderoftheproject. left office, Ryan granted a full pardon, Harriswas accused of shootinga gas meaning Harris'record wasexpunged. station attendant in Caseyvilleduringa The Downstate Illinois Innocence robbery. However, Busch says a crime Project basedat the University of KeithandMaryHarrismarriedon I'(dentine's spreein the area occurred overseveral Illinois at Springfield was a large part Day2002. Hehasajobasaconstructionworker. months, with many ofthecrimes ofthe reasonhewas released. takingplaceafter Harris was in prison. Two years ago, students at the evencaseslikethis that do not involve Buschbecameconvinced theauthorities university took on Harris'caseas the thedeath penalty,"says Bill Clutter, a had thewrongperson and told them so first subject ofthe project. Underthe Springfield privateinvestigatorand repeatedly, to the point of retribution supervision ofteachers and outside co-founderofthe Downstate Illinois and the loss ofhisjob. Sometimes, advisers, includingacriminal Innocence Project. "Keith Harris'case Busch says, police, prosecutors and investigatorand an attorney, the particularly illustrates theproblem judges "let thingsgo they shouldn't students reviewed transcripts, reinter- ofeyewitness misidentification." in orderto saveface."The innocence viewed participants and assisted in the Harris wasconvicted ofattempted projects, he says, offera kind of preparation and presentation of the murder in 1979 and sentenced to 50 checks-and-balances system to the final appeal to the Illinois Prisoner years. He wasconvicted, says Clutter, work ofoverzealous prosecutors. Review Board. In May 2001, an despite the absence ofphysical "I always havefelt I owesomething appealscourt found his sentenceto be evidence, misidentification by a witness to thevictim and try todo the best unduly harsh. aftermultiple lineups, confessions from workIcanasacrimesceneinvestigator," "The Harriscase illustrates the far- twootherindividualswho hada history he says. "So weneed to make sure the reaching problem in the investigation, ofcommittingsimilarcrimes and real killeriscaught. The worst thingwe arrest, trial and appeal ofcases i—n concerns from Illinoiscrime investi- can do is takean innocent person's Illinois involvingseriouscrimes gators about evidence. freedom." BeverleyScobell Chicago school reforms advance Chicago teachers would have more room to negotiate The union and the Chicago Board of Education with that city's school system, and the city could establish will begin renegotiating theircontract in June. more charter schools, under legislation advanced quickly The measurealso would permit Chicago to establish in the General Assembly. Themeasurealsowould require 15 new charter schools, which often are designed to that the school systemand theteacherscooperatetoimprove out-perform traditional public schools. student achievement tomeet standardsmandated bythe Chicago Teacher Union President Deborah Lynch says federal NoChild Left Behind reformact. all three elements arecrucial. "This bill is a tremendous The measure passed the Senate with bipartisan support opportunity for us to take Chicago school reform to the and, in mid-February, was pending before the House. It next level." would permit the Chicago Teachers Union to bargain BethanyK. Warner collectively over such key issues as class size and layoffs. 8 March 2003 IllinoisIssues http://illinoisissues.uis.edu