Bob kicks off this month's show by talking with Cara Smith, executive director of the Department of Corrections at the Cook County Sheriff's Office, about a legislative initiative from her office that takes an innovative approach to equipping inmates with construction skills to be used on rehabbing housing into transitional housing for the mentally ill. House Bill 4113 is a win-win: It provides inmates with a marketable skill for re-entry into society, and provides housing for the mentally ill, who often make up a third of the Cook County Jail’s population. Bob next talks to Lisa Christiansen Gee from Voices for Illinois Children, who explains how the state's Earned Income Tax Credit targets low-wage workers with financial relief. Gov. Pat Quinn has proposed doubling the state's EITC during the next five years. Finally, Steve Colecchi, director of the Office of International Justice and Peace with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, discusses the recent spate of religious-related bombings and killings in Nigeria.
