Prison or treatment? Thousands participate in mental health courts. Half graduate — and millions are left out
What to know about your county’s mental health court
This story is a collaboration between Illinois Answers and the Chicago bureau of MindSite News. Mental health courts have proliferated across Illinois in recent decades. Now, the state has 31 courts across 25 counties. There’s at least one in most of the state’s judicial circuits, but about two million Illinoisans are still left out. In order to…
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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…
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 & CelebrationFriday, October 22, 2026 | 11:30 AM…
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Months After Late Property Tax Bills, Thousands Are Still Waiting With No Resolution in Sight
County officials and are piling blame on their beleaguered technology vendor over a deluge of outstanding issues that have also delayed refunds for ten of thousands
Body Cam Video Shows Chicago Cop Took Cover for 90 Seconds After Fatally Shooting His Partner, Krystal Rivera
The footage released Friday shows that officer Carlos Baker ran up a stairwell after his gun went off when they encountered an armed man, leaving Rivera bleeding from a gunshot…
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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
Chicago Cops Did Little to Probe Gun Stolen From Police Station and Used in Three Shootings, New Records Show
The Chicago Police Department fought to keep secret any details of its investigation into a Glock handgun that was taken from a room full of cops at the Gresham District station in late 2023. In the end, no one was charged, and no cops were disciplined.
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.
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.
