Chicago Community Jail Support

CCJS needs funds. Can you commit to $5, $10, $50 a month to help us provide snacks, warm clothes and rides? In the last 30 days, CCJS has spent around $10,000 supporting our neighbors getting out of Cook County Jail. This includes parking for our van, snacks & cigarette runs, warm clothes for folks being released in freezing temps, rides (uber, lyft, taxi + volunteer’s driving mileage) for people to get to a safe place, and more. All monetary support we receive is immediately put to work providing these resources. Monthly, recurring support is ideal so that we have a reliable source of funds coming in on a regular basis, but any support you can provide is good support! Please consider donating, sharing this post, or consider volunteering to be drive! tinyurl.com/donateccjs (Image descriptions in comments)

💞 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! 🌸 If you’re interested in coming out for a shift at 27th & California, we’re looking for new volunteers! We operate nightly: 🚐 6:00pm - Supply pick-up and set-up ⛺ 6:30-9:00pm - 1st shift 🚗 9:00-11:30pm - 2nd shift 🛠️11:30-12:00am - Breakdown 📆 This is also a great time to sign up for a weekly shift if you’re able to! Having regular volunteers is hugely helpful for maintaining CCJS’s daily presence on the ground 💪 We especially need people Fridays both shifts, Saturday 1st shift, and Sunday 2nd shift! Please visit tinyurl.com/chicommunityjailsupport to get plugged in with the team!!

GREAT NEWS! ☀️💜 CCJS has a new fiscal sponsor and can take direct donations again! Thanks to everyone who has donated previously and allowed us to keep going through our fiscal sponsor changes! Donate at bit.ly/donateccjs As a reminder, small recurring donations are most helpful in keeping our operation running longterm! #mutualaid #chicago #community #chicagocommunityjailsupport #jailsupport

find CCJS at The Volunteer Fair! enjoy snacks, activities, and getting to know some organizations around the city & how you can plug into our work. this weekend: May 16 11am-3pm at Palmhouse Evanston/Rogers Park. The event is free but RSVPs are encouraged at the eventbrite link @thevolunteerfair bio

** GOAL MET ** help longtime CCJS volunteer and van repairer Wes replace their tools! Wes is constantly helping us keep the van running & also works on cars for other folks in mutual aid groups in the city. recently they noticed their tool case had been stolen. please consider sending some funds so that Wes can replace their tools - details from Wes below & items / cost breakdowns in the second image. thank you! 💜 “hoping i can get some help replacing them since i cannot begin to afford to and there are many current and future repairs to be done to keep our comrades moving. this is a list of the tools i can remember that were in the case. thanks for reading!” cashapp: $westondavisrose zelle: [email protected] PayPal: @westonrose312

Happy spring!🌸We’re back supporting Chicago Community Jail Support this April! Apologies for the delay. If you’re already in our network, look out for v3mno request. New folks please sign up in our bio! [Image Description: Page 1: A hand-drawn flyer with warm yellow background, pink shades, and green borders. On the left is a drawing of a Black person’s hand holding a flower. The flower’s center reads “CARE NOT COPS”. On the right, text on yellow, pink and orange boxes, “MONTHLY MUTUAL AID This month we are supporting ‘The Chicago Community Jail Support!’ Do a one time payment or sign up for CNC’s Monthly Mutual Aid Network (link in bio) and pledge to commit $5, $10, $15 or $20+ per month” Below is a QR code linked to the sign-up form. On the bottom, text reads“Follow @carenotcops on instagram to learn more about mutual aid” Page 2: A yellow flyer with pink marks. At the top center, title on a black ink block reads “Care Not Cops Monthly Mutual Aid”. Underneath, text on brown background, “Apr. 2026 update & request”. Text follows, “For our February mutual aid, we raised $530.55 (divided into 2 transactions) for Nita’s Love Train, supporting Black and brown families with grocery gift cards! Thank you to folks who contributed.” Underneath are two screenshots of Venmo payments to Nita’s Love Train. The first one was $432.30, “Support from Care Not Cops’ February mutual aid”. The second one was $98.25, “From care not cops - more funds from last month’s mutual aid”. (ID continued in pinned comments)]

it is COLD outside and folks continue to be released from cook county jail without adequate warm clothing, safe transport, or any way to access these things. We NEED volunteers on the ground to help connect people being released to warmth, nourishment, and a way to get to shelter safely. There are a lot of ways to plug into this work right now: if you have capacity to take an on the ground shift, we need you. if you can drive and transport folks to their homes, we need you. if you can order lyfts / ubers for people from your home/phone, we need you. if you can do supply runs for snacks and drinks, we need you. if you can drive the van to and from storage each night, we need you. if you have extra firewood to offload, we need you. Tap in at the link in our bio or send a message.

In December 2025 685 were people released overnight between 12am and 8am.  Including 630 men and 55 women. With 31 people between the ages of 60 and 81. Temperatures have dropped into the negatives and January is much colder. There were 10 nights where less than 10 people were released.  Showing overnight releases are completely avoidable, and are the cause of Cook County Jail employees neglectful response to releasing FREE people who are being cycled through the jail for profit.    Dec 2025 =  3,393 total people released WITH 685 (20.18%) being being released between 12am and 8am Dec 2024 = 1,716 total people released WITH 621(36.19%) being released between 12am and 8am There were 1,677 more people released from CCJ in  Dec 2025 than in Dec 2024. Which is a 102.33% increase in total releases. With  64 more people between 12am and 8am. Showing a growing need to support Chicago Community Jail Support in every way.  Contributions of coats, gloves, hats, socks, sweaters, hoodies, and other winter gear, financial contributions and more volunteers are needed more than ever. SIGN UP AND CONTRIBUTE AT: bit.ly/donateccjs Cook County Jails population in December 2025 is at 5,868.  While Cook County Jails population in December 2024 reached 5,195.

In November 2025  901 people released from Cook County Jail between 12am and 8am, including 80 women and 821 men.  With 46 people ages 60-77 years old, including one 77 year old man released at 4:44am into the temperature of 44º F, who has had several past news articles labeling him as a missing person.  What is his mental state? Was his family notified of his release or his arrest?  On 11/19 77 people were released throughout the night into the temp of 43º F including 8 men ages 60-65.  There were 11 days with 20 or less people released overnight, showing overnight releases are completely avoidable.  In total, 4,196 people were cycled through CCJ for profit in Nov.   Releasing elders overnight into dangerous and freezing conditions greatly increasing their chance of death, is reckless endangerment. Hypothermia can set in at temperatures as high as 50º F. In the evening shelters close their doors and most public transist is unavailable. And CCJ constantly “forgets” to give released people bus cards.  Combining possible medical conditions and cold temps. CCJ leaves elders vulnerable in an unknown area, with no way to shelter.   November 2025 = 4,196 total people released WITH  901(21.47%) being released between 12am and 8am November 2024 = 2,396 total people released WITH 733(30.59%) being released between 12am and 8am  There were 1,800 more people released from CCJ in November 2025 than in November 2024.  Which is a 75.12% increase in total releases.  With 168 more people  between 12am and 8am.

we’ve officially entered Chicago Winter & we need your help to meet our cold month needs! we’re running a clothing drive right now if you have warm things to share, but we also ask you to consider becoming a monthly donor. ANY amount is appreciated - we’re running low on funds and, our funds don’t last as long in the winter as we try to supply warm gear, bus passes, snacks, and a warm fire to wait by. you can set up a recurring donation at tinyurl.con/donateccjs.

I love mutual aid I love @chicommunityjailsupport I love when people help them help our neighbors

The Illinois Department of Corrections has placed a temporary ban on physical mail via an emergency ruling by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR). Instead, mail is being scanned across all Illinois prisons, with those incarcerated no longer receiving mail directly from their loved ones. The Last Letter “We Like Real Mail!” Sat, Nov 22, 1-5PM Great Space (5th Floor), Art and Exhibitions Building, UIC 400 S. Peoria, Chicago IL 60607 Please join us to: 1. Write letters to every single person in Logan Correctional Center. 2. Write brief emails to oppose the new letter scanning policy before Nov 24, when this ban could become permanent. 3. Hear a presentation + Q&A from Restore Justice about mail policies in IL prisons! Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. Elevator access available to the space. This is a project led by grad students in a ART 541/SOC 543: Prison Aesthetics & Policy course, featuring Restore Justice, a Chicago non-profit organization working to convene others on this issue. Note: 400 S. Peoria St., is located 50 feet north of the UIC-Halsted CTA Stop Blueline (at Peoria) Directions and parking info here RSVP link: /e/the-last-letter-we-like-real-mail-tickets-1965585916388