Support family of Charles Jones, beloved activist
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Charles Jones III passed away over the Thanksgiving holiday. More than anything, Charles was an extraordinarily committed family man leaving behind his adoring wife, Tramaine Lewis Jones, dear adult daughter Chardae Carpenter and her daughter Mi’Yonna Barnes, and most incredibly bonded young children Anaiyah, Carlee, Charles IV, and Ayden. Their patriarch, and that of the larger movement for know your rights education in Chicago, passed away overnight of an apparent heart attack and was found by family in his living room in the morning.
The neighborhood, and broader south and west sides knew Charles Jones III as a leader, and for always putting his family first. Charles’ children were his everything. Everyone who knew him, knew them, as they were always near. Charles adored them and gave relentless focus and priority to their safety, health and growth as individuals and a unit. His widow asks the Chicago community he loved and served to be there for his children. She is asking for support with paying 6 months rent ($1500 per month) and $1000 for other moving costs and utilities.
Charles was a celebrated youth, violence prevention, and legal activist who made local, national and international news by sharing his own story and work post-incarceration, and advocating that knowing one’s rights with police and holding them accountable reduces street violence. He was born and raised in the Englewood community of the 1960’s. His childhood was cut short by an arrest; when held incommunicado by Burge- trained detectives until he made an incriminating statement and was convicted and imprisoned for a murder. Charles wrote and spoke extensively in public about how initially the injustice lead him to respond with aggression towards those around him. Caged as a teen from Englewood, he learned his rights and how to enforce them through engaging the law. “I felt human again,” were the words he used to express this transformation.
The quote would become the public service campaign of the first-ever broad legal aid program for police accountability he helped launch in 2019 at First Defense Legal Aid where he worked for the past 8 years. His post-incarceration calling was violence reduction through teaching at-risk youth and parents their rights with police, to stop the false confession epidemic in Chicago and provide the catharsis of civic engagement on the human rights atrocity of our time, for those most traumatically impacted by police overreach, in the process. In his deep engagement with south and west-side peacekeeping efforts, Charles’ street outreach and violence interruption strategies proved successful in reducing violence and recidivism among those he worked closely with. He was featured in many news outlets over his career including the Guardian, CNN, and others where he was key to exposing Homan Square and the ongoing offense of less than 2% of people in Chicago police custody getting a lawyer.
Family, friends and community say they are heartbroken he did not get to see justice on ending incommunicado detention in Chicago police custody in his lifetime, saying the City now owes his legacy Charles’ Law: a city ordinance requiring know-your-rights education in local schools including why and how to invoke one’s 4th, 5th and 6th amendment rights with police and the additional right that exists in Illinois to call out to communicate with lawyers and family generally within an hour of arrest.
The neighborhood, and broader south and west sides knew Charles Jones III as a leader, and for always putting his family first. Charles’ children were his everything. Everyone who knew him, knew them, as they were always near. Charles adored them and gave relentless focus and priority to their safety, health and growth as individuals and a unit. His widow asks the Chicago community he loved and served to be there for his children. She is asking for support with paying 6 months rent ($1500 per month) and $1000 for other moving costs and utilities.
Charles was a celebrated youth, violence prevention, and legal activist who made local, national and international news by sharing his own story and work post-incarceration, and advocating that knowing one’s rights with police and holding them accountable reduces street violence. He was born and raised in the Englewood community of the 1960’s. His childhood was cut short by an arrest; when held incommunicado by Burge- trained detectives until he made an incriminating statement and was convicted and imprisoned for a murder. Charles wrote and spoke extensively in public about how initially the injustice lead him to respond with aggression towards those around him. Caged as a teen from Englewood, he learned his rights and how to enforce them through engaging the law. “I felt human again,” were the words he used to express this transformation.
The quote would become the public service campaign of the first-ever broad legal aid program for police accountability he helped launch in 2019 at First Defense Legal Aid where he worked for the past 8 years. His post-incarceration calling was violence reduction through teaching at-risk youth and parents their rights with police, to stop the false confession epidemic in Chicago and provide the catharsis of civic engagement on the human rights atrocity of our time, for those most traumatically impacted by police overreach, in the process. In his deep engagement with south and west-side peacekeeping efforts, Charles’ street outreach and violence interruption strategies proved successful in reducing violence and recidivism among those he worked closely with. He was featured in many news outlets over his career including the Guardian, CNN, and others where he was key to exposing Homan Square and the ongoing offense of less than 2% of people in Chicago police custody getting a lawyer.
Family, friends and community say they are heartbroken he did not get to see justice on ending incommunicado detention in Chicago police custody in his lifetime, saying the City now owes his legacy Charles’ Law: a city ordinance requiring know-your-rights education in local schools including why and how to invoke one’s 4th, 5th and 6th amendment rights with police and the additional right that exists in Illinois to call out to communicate with lawyers and family generally within an hour of arrest.
Organizer
Tramaine Lewis Jones
Organizer
Chicago, IL