Tell us about your path to becoming a prosecutor and how your involvement in a mental health court influenced your perspective.

In my first year of law school, I interned for a trial court judge who presided over a specialty court for people with mental health issues and drug and alcohol use. The opportunity allowed me to attend “graduation day” for those who completed their work through court-assigned programs.

During the ceremony, one graduate, through a stream of tears, thanked the judge and staff. They shared about their history of addiction and being ostracized by their family for many years. Then the graduate said, “because of you and this program, for the first time in years I was allowed to go to my family’s Labor Day barbeque.”

After the graduation hearing, we went back to the judge’s chambers to discuss the remaining participants. The room was filled with an array of criminal justice partners—the prosecutor, judge, victim advocates, and public defenders. I was fascinated. Particularly by the prosecutor who led the whole discussion. I knew this was where I needed to be, to make the greatest impact as an attorney.

On that day, I saw how specialty courts affect real people, impacting lives in a positive and transformative way. In my TEDx Talk, I tell another story about a young person who was at a crossroads after becoming involved with the criminal justice system. By engaging in a specialty court and doing the work to graduate, his charges were dismissed, and he was able to get his life back on the right track. As a prosecutor, I can help people access these courts and the opportunity to make a significant course correction.

With your unapologetic commitment to justice, what is the tangible connection between justice and behavioral health services and treatment for justice-involved individuals?

Every victim has a different sense of what makes them whole. I talk to victims and remind them that the primary work of the state’s attorneys office is to represent the people of Cook County. At the same time, we have the interest of the victim in mind, as well as that of the defendant, their family, friends, and community. So, we include everyone in the process of finding “justice.” We tell the victims in these cases, “There are some mental health challenges here, and there’s an opportunity for this defendant to go into a special program.” Most times, the victims agree to allow the defendant a chance to seek treatment. If the defendant completes the program, the case is dismissed, and they are hopefully rehabilitated and on a different track. Justice is a team effort; we want everyone on board in the process of making the victim whole.

Working with the Misdemeanor Triage Program allowed me to witness the effectiveness and value behind services and treatments for individuals who are justice involved. The program provides services for individuals with symptoms of serious mental illness in misdemeanor court who are diverted to treatment. Assistant state’s attorneys can connect people with treatment providers to develop a long-term treatment plan for continued success and management of their serious mental illness. The work is a team effort, a true partnership that looks out for everyone in the process.

How does your cultural heritage play a role in your passion for social justice and system transformation and your career path?

I’m a first-generation Palestinian Muslim. After 9/11 my father sat us down and told us we’d be facing a new world. We had to make adjustments. In high school and college, I witnessed the sheer magnitude of discrimination, racism, bigotry, prejudice, and disenfranchisement—not just against my community. For me, this creates a lot of empathy, especially for those who are also experiencing mental health crisis or struggling with substance use.

It’s interesting to see the similarities between certain religions and backgrounds and find out that a lot of communities don’t recognize mental health challenges. As an Arab American, I know that in parts of our culture mental health isn’t taken too seriously.[1][2] I’ve seen this many times among people of color with unaddressed long-term unresolved mental health challenges who become involved with the criminal justice system. Entering a carceral setting can magnify these challenges when individuals are isolated from community and their mental health needs are not met. That’s how the vicious cycle endures. My goal is to make sure mental health support is available to everyone, and they understand the process so they can be successful.

How do you balance your belief that “justice does not always require a conviction” with pressure from victims, colleagues and supervisors, and the public regarding the perceived need to be “tough on crime and criminals.”

It is hard to deny the overwhelming evidence that mental health and specialty courts work. Between 2012 and 2022, the state’s attorney’s office for Cook County diverted 24,000 cases for alternative prosecution (which includes the mental health specialty courts). The graduation rate stands at 75 percent, and of those graduates, 79 percent have not been re-arrested. It’s good for all of us when people are no longer part of the system, and they return to their communities to start fresh.

The question that criminal justice partners must continue to ask themselves is, do we help this person get back on their feet and become a contributing member of society, or do we feed them back into the cycle of mental illness and incarceration? Our collective vision of justice must include more opportunities to provide resources for people to grow and get back on the right track.

Your work can be fraught with difficult stories of trauma and inequity. How do you take care of yourself and your mental and physical health?

This is hard work, so I try my best to separate work and home. I am a practicing Muslim, so I rely on my faith in God in addition to spending time with my fiancé, family, and friends.

I also appreciate the opportunities that the office provides with its Employee Resource Groups, which allow people from different backgrounds and their allies to come together to just talk to each other. That’s so important for a sense of belonging. Cook County also provides comprehensive mental health services for those who need to speak with someone.

I love this work, though. I witness so many moments when people ask for help and get on track. It’s a constant inspiration that makes the tough work worth it.

Footnotes

[1] Muslims and Mental Health Services: A Concept Map and a Theoretical Framework (nih.gov)

[2] Mental Illness Stigma and Associated Factors among Arabic-Speaking Religious and Community Leaders (nih.gov)


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