The Cook County Board of Commissioners Technology Committee soon will consider a proposal from the Sheriff’s Office to obtain AI video surveillance software known as Briefcam for monitoring people incarcerated in Cook County Jail. This technology raises civil rights concerns that could lead to lawsuits or people in the Sheriff’s custody being harmed or harassed. The French Supreme Court banned the use of Briefcam because of privacy concerns and documented cases in which the technology misidentified criminal activity and falsely identified individuals.

It is clear that there are real health and safety issues behind the walls of Cook County Jail. In 2023, the jail experienced its highest mortality rate on record, with more people dying while in the Sheriff’s custody than during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2025, nine people incarcerated in Cook County Jail lost their lives, and Sheriff’s Officers are being investigated for criminal behavior in relation to one of those deaths. These circumstances call for real solutions, not technological gadgets. There must be a review of the conditions of the jail, the procedures in place to respond to incidents of violence, and actions of law enforcement inside the jail before installing powerful surveillance technology.

Call on your county commissioner to vote no to AI video surveillance and ask them to work with their fellow commissioners to undertake a holistic review of the human rights crisis at Cook County Jail.