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Sign a petition
Voice your objection to the Presentence Investigation Report’s recommendation that former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge serve only 15-21 months in prison for his convictions for obstruction of justice and perjury. Download a hard copy of the petition Attend the Sentencing 9 am — arrive early for 9:30 hearing 12 noon — rally and press conference |
Jon Burge’s sentencing is quickly approaching (Jan. 20). Raise your voice!
Background
Over the course of 20 years, former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge (in photo), in many cases assisted by police detectives working under him, engaged in a reign of torture that adversely affected the lives of more than 110 African-American men and women and their families.
Burge engaged in systematic acts of torture to extract confessions from African-American individuals, and these confessions were then used against scores of individuals to wrongfully convict them, and in the case of 12, to send them to Illinois’ death row. Many of the torture survivors served decades in prison before they were exonerated or otherwise released.
20 People Still in Prison, Families Suffering
Currently more than 20 of these individuals are still incarcerated, and their families are still suffering under the strain of having a family member unfairly imprisoned.
This past June, after a 25-year battle for justice, Burge was found guilty of two counts of obstruction of justice and one count of perjury for lying about the torture he and other Chicago Police detectives committed at Chicago Police Headquarters in the 1970s and 1980s.
Burge is now set to be sentenced on Jan. 20. He faces a maximum sentence of 45 years imprisonment.
Feds Recommend Short Sentence
Despite the egregious nature of Burge’s underlying crimes of systemic torture, the U.S. Pretrial Service Office in its Presentence Investigation Report (PSR) has recommended he be sentenced to serve only 15-21 months in prison.
Read why the Illinois Coalition Against Torture objects to this light
sentence
This recommendation fails to take into account:
- The devastating harm Burge wrought on individuals and families in the African-American community in Chicago; and
- The lack of responsibility and remorse Burge has expressed for the heinous crimes he committed.
The Illinois Coalition Against Torture is calling the community together to raise our voices against the PSR’s sentencing recommendation. They need 1,000 signatures by Monday, Jan. 10.
Please sign the petition and tell your friends!
