At least 85 people died while detained in Cook County Jail between 2019 and 2025. That’s more than a third of all jail-related deaths statewide during that time.
Criminal Justice & Public Safety
Posted inInvestigations
State Standards Designed to Prevent Jail Suicides Don’t Always Work
Dozens of people have died by suicide in Illinois jails in recent years. Advocates say a multipronged approach could prevent such deaths.
Posted inInvestigations
Unsanitary, Unsupervised, Understaffed: Most Illinois Jails Aren’t Meeting Minimum State Standards
Jails that routinely fail inspections can be referred to the attorney general — but the Department of Corrections hasn’t done so in over a decade.
Posted inInvestigations
Dozens of Deaths in Illinois Jails Missing from State Records
An Illinois Answers Project analysis revealed that 63 people who died in jails were missing from state data on in-custody fatalities. Now the state is auditing its records.
Posted inInvestigations
Winnebago County Guards Fire Pepperballs More than Any Other Illinois Jail — Often at People with Mental Illnesses
Use of pepperball guns in Illinois jails is not the norm. Of the 90 jails, 11 reported using them in recent years, and 9 others have them on hand. But one, the state’s second-largest county jail, stands out for its repeated use.
Posted inInvestigations
Escapes. Fires. Rebellions. Trove of Records Reveals Chaos Inside Illinois County Jails.
Illinois county jails report thousands of “extraordinary or unusual” incidents every year, but the state doesn’t keep track. So we stepped in to shed light on what’s happening inside.
Posted inInvestigations
Chicago Officials Raised Concerns About South Chicago Chapel Nearly a Year Before Discovery of 56 Decomposing Bodies, Records Show
A City Council member’s office complained to city officials twice in one week that residents were griping about odors from the business.
Posted inFollow-Up
Chicago Police Failed to Place Troubled Cop Under Strict Supervision Before He Fatally Shot Partner
Carlos Baker was referred to a program that subjects officers to intense oversight. Those who fail can face “severe” discipline or be fired. But Baker wasn’t enrolled before he shot Officer Krystal Rivera because a supervisor didn’t respond to an email.
