Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis and the Illinois Supreme Court have been named as the recipients of the Charles W. Daniels Judicial Leadership Award from the National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies (NAPSA) for the Court’s landmark work in supporting the expansion of pretrial services throughout Illinois.
Named for the late New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles W. Daniels, a significant advocate for pretrial reform, the award is presented to a judicial officer who exemplifies leadership in reforming pretrial systems and agencies through legal and evidence-based practices.
“Illinois has been a national leader in pretrial reform since the end of bail bondsmen in the
1970s,” Chief Justice Theis said. “The Illinois court system took another major step with the expansion of pretrial services to every county in the state through the Office of Statewide Services (OSPS). We are proud to be recognized for those efforts to promote justice and community safety.”
NAPSA is the pre-eminent national professional association for the pretrial justice field, developing national standards, supporting evidence-based research, educating stakeholders and practitioners, and overseeing certification and accreditation. Their collaborations have helped jurisdictions incorporate effective pretrial practices and have highlighted the work of hundreds of well-established pretrial programs nationwide. The NAPSA Board of Directors, which votes on award recipients, includes 14 federal, state and local pretrial agency leaders from across the country.
“Chief Justice Theis and the Justices of the Supreme Court are trailblazers in pretrial justice,” OSPS Director Cara LeFevour Smith said. “I am very grateful to the NAPSA Board of Directors for selecting the Court for the Charles W. Daniels Judicial Leadership Award, recognizing the Court’s extraordinary vision, leadership and commitment to pretrial justice across Illinois.”
The award will be presented during NAPSA’s Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel on September 15th.