Business And Professional People For The Public Interest

THE ORGANIZATION OPERATES IN THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN REGION AS A PUBLIC INTEREST LAW AND POLICY CENTER WORKING TO COMBAT SYSTEMATIC BARRIERS TO EQUITY AND TO FIGHT FOR RACIAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.

HOUSING/COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - BPI HAS BEEN DEEPLY COMMITTED TO HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS. OUR LEGAL AND POLICY ADVOCACY FOCUSES ON REMOVING BARRIERS AND PROMOTING AUTHENTIC HOUSING CHOICES ACROSS THE CHICAGO REGION, INCLUDING FOR FAMILIES USING SUBSIDIZED HOUSING RESOURCES OR IN NEED OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE ARE EXPANDING CHOICE AND ACCESS TO PUBLIC AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND PROMOTING NEIGHBORHOODS WITH THOSE RESOURCES. OUR HOUSING WORK INCLUDES A FOCUS ON PUBLIC HOUSING IN CHICAGO, A COUNTY-WIDE ECONOMIC MOBILITY PROGRAM IN CHICAGO AND COOK COUNTY, AND EFFORTS TO EXPAND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN REGION.

POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY - OUR POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY PROGRAM SEEKS TO INCREASE PUBLIC SAFETY AND PROMOTE RACIAL JUSTICE. WE ARE WORKING TO ENACT SYSTEMIC POLICE REFORMS, INCLUDING BY STRENGTHENING THE POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM, PROMOTING COMMUNITY SAFETY, IMPROVING POLICE PRACTICES, REIMAGINING THE ROLES THAT POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER ENTITIES PLAY IN PRODUCING PUBLIC SAFETY, AND TRANSFORMING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMUNITIES IT SERVES. IN ALL OUR WORK, WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THOSE MOST DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE REFORMS PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN DEVELOPING THEM.

EDUCATION/EARLY LEARNING - FOR TWO DECADES, BPI HAS HELPED IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR CHICAGO CHILDREN, PARTICULARLY THOSE LIVING IN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES. OVER THE YEARS, OUR WORK HAS RUN THE GAMUT. FROM WAGING A CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE TO FIX THE UNFAIR SCHOOL FUNDING SYSTEM OF ILLINOIS TO SPONSORING FORUMS FOR EDUCATIONAL LEADERS AND POLICYMAKERS, TO FACILITATING JOINT PLANNING AND COOPERATION BETWEEN CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE CHICAGO HOUSING AUTHORITY, TO PARTNERING WITH SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO ENSURE CHILDREN IN HIGH-POVERTY NEIGHBORHOODS RECEIVE EQUITABLE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. TODAY, THE EARLY LEARNING EFFORTS OF BPI ARE FOCUSED ON THE COMMUNITY OF ALTGELD-RIVERDALE, HOME TO ALTGELD GARDENS, THE LARGEST COMMUNITY OF PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS IN CHICAGO. IN 2012, BPI LAUNCHED THE ALTGELD-RIVERDALE EARLY LEARNING INITIATIVE. THIS PARTNERSHIP OF MORE THAN TWO DOZEN ORGANIZATIONS FOCUSES ON BUILDING A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM TO SUPPORT CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO AGE EIGHT AND THEIR FAMILIES IN THIS COMMUNITY.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM - BPI ENVISIONS ILLINOIS AS A STATE WHERE FEWER PEOPLE HAVE CONTACTS WITH THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM, AND IF AN INTERACTION OCCURS, THOSE INVOLVED ENCOUNTER A JUST, ACCOUNTABLE SYSTEM THAT TREATS ALL PEOPLE IMPACTED BY IT EQUITABLY, WITH RESPECT FOR THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIGNITY. TO ACHIEVE THIS VISION, OUR JUSTICE REFORM TEAM ADVOCATES FOR POLICIES AND PRACTICES THAT CREATE AND PROTECT ALTERNATIVES, PROMOTE JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY, AND SEEK EQUITABLE OUTCOMES FOR THOSE IMPACTED BY THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM IN ILLINOIS. THE CURRENT FOCUS OF OUR JUSTICE REFORM PROGRAM IS TO REDUCE ENTRIES INTO THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM, DECARCERATE JAILS AND PRISONS AND TRANSFORM INCARCERATION. WE DEVELOP RESEARCH, LEGAL APPROACHES, AND POLICY ANALYSIS THAT AMPLIFIES THE PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCES OF IMPACTED INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES AND WORK STRATEGICALLY TO BUILD CONSENSUS AND COALITIONS THAT CENTER AND SUPPORT THE POWER OF AFFECTED COMMUNITIES TO ADVANCE CAMPAIGNS. OTHER ACTIVITIES INCLUDE MAKING CONTRIBUTIONS TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING THE MISSION OF BPI.