Last week, Cook County was announced as the recipient of a $500,000 grant by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to build upon existing efforts to address racial and ethnic inequities in the county’s local justice system. The grant is part of the Safety and Justice Challenge (SJC), a $300 million national initiative to reduce over-incarceration and address racial and ethnic disparities in local criminal justice systems by changing the way America thinks about and uses jails. Cook County has participated in the Safety and Justice Challenge since 2015.  Cook County is one of only four jurisdictions nationwide selected for the award and participation in the SJC’s Racial Equity Cohort. Each Equity Cohort member is charged with promoting racial and ethnic equity in the criminal justice system by authentically engaging community and centering the lived experiences of those most impacted by the justice system. Cook County Government, specifically the Office of the Chief Judge and the Justice Advisory Council, will work alongside Chicago Regional Organizing for Antiracism (Chicago ROAR) to lead this racial equity work. Funding from the grant will provide training and technical assistance, peer-to-peer support from other cohort members, and qualitative and quantitative data and analytic support.  Fellows will be residents from Cook County communities most impacted by violence and crime and disproportionately represented in local courts, jails and prisons