Newly appointed Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx was elected during a critical moment for the criminal justice in the State of Cook County, in which she was voted for on a platform of reform. High levels of violence that plagued the neighborhoods and a drastic decrease in trust in the justice system within Cook County was brought to light. State’s Attorney Kim Foxx responded to the eminent concerns by developing recommendations on key policy priorities with the help of criminal justice system stakeholders, a team of leaders from the community and nonprofit organizations, and the legal community.
“Improving public safety in every corner of our County is my top priority. In order to achieve that I know that we must repair and rebuild the relationship between the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office and the community,” said State’s Attorney Kim Foxx in her 2016 Transition Report.
The State’s Attorney recognizes that working with the community —especially those most impacted by crime— increases public safety. With this, she puts at the center of her vision for a revitalized Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office the core belief in which the State’s Attorney’s Office shall promote public safety – one that is best achieved through the employment of accountability, collaboration, discretion, fairness, and integrity, instead of facing concerns with a “win at all costs” mentality.
With over a total of 1200 personnel, with approximately 900 of it are attorneys, the Office of the Cook County State’s Attorney remains as the second-largest prosecutor’s office in the United States. The Office represents around 5.2 million residents of the Cook County in both criminal prosecutions and civil litigations before the courthouses in the state.
The focus of the Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s plan of reform is on several specific key issues related to criminal prosecution, including the use of transparency and accountability to rebuild the trust of the citizens in the criminal justice system of the County; the emphasis on budget allocation for resources on the most serious offenses, as well as managing lower-cost alternative programs to maintain and enhance rehabilitation and reduction of recidivism; and establishing justice within the Cook County.
Among State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s top priorities and recommendations in her term are:
- Engagement and Transparency: re-establishing trust from the citizens to the law enforcers through increased transparency and strengthened relationships with the community.
- Accountability and Integrity: Fostering accountability and integrity within the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
- Smart Strategies to Promote Public Safety: Addressing violent crime through the employment of newly developed smart strategies
- Criminal Case Management and Operations: Supporting alternative programs that reduce recidivism through rehabilitation and creating efficient operations within the Criminal Bureau to empower prosecutors, as well as reduce backlogs.
- Juveniles and Emerging Adults: Promoting developmentally-appropriate programs to prioritize juveniles and emerging adults
- Protecting the Interests of the County and its Residents through the Work of the Civil Actions Bureau: Ensuring that the Civil Actions Bureau defends the interest of the citizens of Cook County.
Ultimately, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx prioritizes and commits to addressing the most urgent challenge within the county – that is promoting public safety.
“Together, we will set a path that will make the State’s Attorney’s Office more responsive to the people we serve, and more effective in protecting public safety and justice in Cook County,” said State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.
Elected by her demonstration of a commitment change and eagerness to collaborate with other law enforcers across parts of the justice system, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx shows an excellent emphasis on promoting public safety and fostering meaningful reformation within the County, and for the people of the Cook County. Recommendations from her 2016 Transition Report represents a statement of vision and purpose, with the ultimate objective of ensuring that the Office of the Cook County State’s Attorney is, always, in the interest of justice.
Updated: August 18, 2020