Prisons and Jails
Judge strikes down ban on transfers to Illinois prisons
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The ruling by a Logan County Circuit Court Judge could cut the Cook County Jail population by ten percent.
The ruling by a Logan County Circuit Court Judge could cut the Cook County Jail population by ten percent.
There are about 800 more people in the jail than there were in early May. Injustice Watch took a closer look at what’s causing the change.
The Exoneration Project lawsuit asks the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to disclose DNA samples that have been matched to old crimes, which could lead to exonerations.
Activists and family members of people incarcerated at Vienna say that issues with water and electricity have made the prison unlivable, especially during a pandemic.
“I guess they wanted to make an example out of us,” said Shantee Mason-Tanzie, one of 26 people arrested after alleged looting in Champaign County on May 31.
Billy Smith’s 2017 death highlighted broader problems at Elmore Correctional Facility, an overcrowded and understaffed prison with a history of abusive, neglectful managers.
Restrictions related to the COVID-19 outbreak have made observing Ramadan more difficult for Muslims in prisons and jails.
Going to the doctor or the grocery store can be nearly impossible when you are on house arrest.
The order comes over a week after Walter Ogrod began showing symptoms associated with coronavirus.
In an open letter to Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans, reform advocates are demanding the release of as many detainees as possible in order to mitigate risks related to the new coronavirus.