Escapes. Fires. Rebellions. Trove of records reveals chaos inside Illinois county jails.
Winnebago County guards fire pepperballs more than any other Illinois jail — often on people with mental illnesses
More from Illinois Answers project
Dozens of deaths in Illinois jails missing from state records
Unsanitary, unsupervised, understaffed: Most Illinois jails aren’t meeting minimum state standards
Featured Series
State standards designed to prevent jail suicides don’t always work
Two years after Illinois Answers exposed restraint-chair abuse, jails are doing better
How we built a database of Illinois jail records — and how you can use it to do your own digging
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Ink & Impact: The Power of Journalism
Join Illinois Answers Project reporters for a behind-the-scenes conversation about the investigations exposing unsafe jails, housing inequities, gambling harms, government finance and school board transparency. Hear the stories behind the headlines and discover how accountability journalism gives us the information we need to hold power accountable and create meaningful change. Be our guest! Please RSVP by…
BGA Annual Luncheon & Celebration
This year’s Annual Luncheon celebrates the Better Government Association’s 100+ year record of advancing a more transparent, equitable and accountable government for all the people of Illinois through investigative journalism, policy advocacy and community engagement that hold power to account and drive meaningful reform. 2026 Annual Luncheon & CelebrationThursday, October 22, 2026 | 11:30 AM…
more from Illinois answers
Roaches, Flooding, Unpaid Loans: Dozens of Chinatown Residents, Businesses Face Uncertainty as Landlord’s Empire Crumbles
Data Centers Near O’Hare Win Nearly $100M in Local Tax Breaks, Leaving Suburban Homeowners to Cover the Gap
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The BGA’s Illinois Answers Project is a nonprofit newsroom reporting on how power works in Illinois — who it serves, who it doesn’t, and ways to fix imbalances. Our journalists investigate wrongdoing, follow the impact on communities, and examine solutions that are making a difference. Learn more.
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Investigating Responses
City Leaders Tout Tree-Planting Bonanza, But Neighborhood Disparities Persist
Listen: Mental Health Courts Offer People Facing Prison an Imperfect Alternative
Investigations
Illinois Regulators Propose Expansion to Self-Exclusion Program for Compulsive Gamblers
Chicago Officials Raised Concerns About South Chicago Chapel Nearly a Year Before Discovery of 56 Decomposing Bodies, Records Show
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.
