The closing of the facility at Tamms provides the State of Illinois with a unique opportunity to save money and make an important public policy change that promotes human rights and public safety -- reducing the use of solitary confinement.

As residents and concerned citizens in Illinois...

There is an old adage that "bad cases" make "bad law." In the past week, Illinois residents have seen the media analog to this adage -- "bad cases" create editorials calling for "bad public policy." The recent news coverage of the decision by prosecutors in Lake County, Illinois to...

In a little reported local move, Resurrection Health Care, a Roman Catholic health system, is seeking to sell two of its suburban Chicago hospitals to the nonsectarian Vanguard Health Systems. As part of the deal, Resurrection has demanded that Vanguard maintain the religiously-based health care restrictions Resurrection instituted when took...

The Chicago Tribune recently reported that the $31 billion statewide construction program approved last spring by the Illinois General Assembly includes more than 100 grants -- in the form of earmarks designated by particular state legislators -- that are extended directly to religious organizations. One such earmark highlighted in...

The other day, I had a conversation with a friend about how much we (independently) enjoy being at "home." There was nothing unusual about our conversation. For most of us, home is a refuge -- whether we live in a private home, a townhouse, condo or apartment. At the end...