Chicago Cops Did Little to Probe Gun Stolen From Police Station and Used in Three Shootings, New Records Show
Mentally ill man restrained in chair for 3 days settles case in Williamson County
More from Illinois Answers project
Illinois Regulators Say Prediction Markets Are Illegal Gambling, But Bettors — and the Trump Family — Love Them
E. coli found in drinking water of Southern Illinois city that floods with sewage
Making It In chicago
Unsettling Accounts: How Illinois is Confronting the Student Loan Crisis
Illinois has one of the highest rates of student loans in the country, compelling the state to intervene so that residents burdened by debt…
‘We’re at the Mercy of Child Care:’ Child Care Costs are Crushing Families — Illinois’ Largest Subsidy Excludes Thousands
While the state infuses hundreds of millions of dollars a year into child care programs, the strict eligibility requirements and limitations for its largest…
When Seniors Face Expensive Home Repairs, the Solutions Can be a Lifeline…Or Leave Their Families an Inheritance of Debt
Wealth and property passed down from parents to their children can be a major financial boost. But as some aging parents struggle financially, they…
Engage with us
Beyond the Byline and the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Investigative Reporting
Join us for Beyond the Byline: Featuring the 22nd Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Investigative Reporting on Thursday, May 7, from 3:30–8:30 p.m. at Venue SIX10 in downtown Chicago. The event will feature a community-centered storytelling panel elevating the sources, experts and lived experiences that informed Illinois Answers Project investigations; an engaging conversation with…
more from Illinois answers
Trump Administration Sues Illinois Over State’s Attempts to Regulate Prediction Markets
The feds argue they have primary authority to regulate the popular markets, not the states. Illinois says the move puts profits over people.
Proactive building inspections one step closer to reality in Chicago — but questions of funding and logistics remain
Chicago took a step toward beefing up its safety oversight of apartment buildings on Wednesday following years of criticism that the city’s patchwork of reactive building inspections has cost the…
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The Illinois Answers Project is an investigations and solutions-focused nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization published by the Better Government Association. Launched in November 2022, the Illinois Answers Project identifies problems and solutions to significant Chicago and Illinois problems. Learn more.
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Investigating Responses
Illinois’ Low-Cost Library Program Takes on the Justice Gap
A pilot program in 18 libraries across nine counties trains staff to help residents navigate civil court proceedings, offering a lifeline in communities where legal aid and public transit are scarce.
Illinois Is Turning to Local Jails to Treat Mentally Ill Defendants. Some Early Results Offer Hope — and Warnings
It’s not often that Menard County Jail has a detainee who has been found unfit for trial. The jail, just north of Springfield, is small. With a census that can hover around 10 people or less, and just a few correctional staff on a given shift, mental health care is limited. In 2024, the man…
Investigations
Madison County judge finds name in Epstein files because of legal representation
Madison County judge finds name in Epstein files because of legal representation Article Summary This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story. EDWARDSVILLE — A man wearing a sandwich board protesting outside of the Edwardsville courthouse last month revived sleeping worries and anxieties Madison County Judge Andrew Carruthers had hoped to leave in the past. That single protester’s…
Prediction Markets Up Against Illinois’ Century-Old Gambling Law in Series of Lawsuits
Class-action lawsuits against prediction market platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi seek to make the financial giants pony up for bettors’ losses in Illinois and other states. The platforms continue to argue what they’re doing is perfectly legal.
Special Projects
Making it in Chicago: Detours and Dead Ends on the Path to Opportunity
The path to upward mobility is paved by affordable and quality education, housing, health care, as well as safe neighborhoods and good-paying jobs… things increasingly out of reach for many Chicagoans. Some city, state and community -led efforts could be part of a roadmap to economic opportunity.
Series – Strapped Down: Restraint Chairs in Illinois Jails
The Illinois Answers Project found jail staff are restraining people in chairs in ways that often violate policies and last longer than recommended by manufacturers.
Series – Underwater in Illinois: Responses to Flooding
The Illinois Answers Project explores how prepared Chicago and the state are to combat the growing environmental threats its residents face, particularly from the problem of severe flooding.
