Illinois Supreme Court, Chief Justice to receive national leadership award

ILLINOIS (WCIA) — The Illinois Supreme Court and its Chief Justice are set to receive a leadership award next month on a national stage for their work in expanding pretrial services.

Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis and the court have been named recipients of the Charles W. Daniels Judicial Leadership Award from the National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies (NAPSA). This comes as a result of the Court’s landmark work in supporting the growth of pretrial services across the state.

This award, named after a late New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice, is presented to a judicial officer who embodies 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,” 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.”

The NAPSA is the leading national association for the pretrial justice field. It develops standards nationwide, supports evidence-based research, educates stakeholders and oversees certification. The collaborations the NAPSA has been a part of have helped jurisdictions incorporate effective pretrial practices while also highlighting the work of countless pretrial programs across the United States.

The association’s Board of Directors, which votes on who receives the award, consists of 14 federal, state and local pretrial agency leaders across the country.

“Chief Justice Theis and the Justices of the Supreme Court are trailblazers in pretrial justice,” said OSPS Director Cara LeFevour Smith. “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 Charles W. Daniels Judicial Leadership Award will be presented to Theis and the Illinois Supreme Court at NAPSA’s Annual Conference in Atlanta on Sept. 15.