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.
Investigations
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 inFollow-Up
Illinois Regulators Propose Expansion to Self-Exclusion Program for Compulsive Gamblers
The changes could open new ways to self-ban through mail, online or through provider referrals.
Posted inInvestigations
Roaches, Flooding, Unpaid Loans: Dozens of Chinatown Residents, Businesses Face Uncertainty as Landlord’s Empire Crumbles
Nearly 70 properties are in receivership after Jiazhao ‘Frank’ Chen defaulted on at least $119 million in real estate loans. A proposed landlord registry could help the city track irresponsible property owners.
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 inGovernment Finance & Accountability
Data Centers Near O’Hare Win Nearly $100M in Local Tax Breaks, Leaving Suburban Homeowners to Cover the Gap
Northwest suburban data centers had nearly $2 billion knocked off their taxable property values, an Illinois Answers Project/Chicago Tribune analysis shows.
