Grace Asiegbu, Author at Injustice Watch

Grace Asiegbu

Grace Asiegbu has covered housing, evictions, and reentry and is interested in the intersection of gender issues and the courts. Before joining Injustice Watch in 2021, she worked at the Chicago Sun-Times. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. Grace is a lifelong Southsider who lives in Bronzeville.

Judicial Elections

Name-change law used to target women running for judge

Ashonta C. Rice’s name was removed from the Cook County ballot under a 2007 law intended to prevent candidates from using name changes to deceive voters. She’s not the first, and some say the law has been used as a political weapon against female candidates instead.

by Grace Asiegbu March 14, 2024March 18, 2024

Two middle-aged men shake hands. Ronnie Carrasquillo is sitting in a car while his friend Carlos Colon stands outside.

Reentry

Ronnie Carrasquillo is adjusting to freedom after nearly half a century in Illinois prisons

Carrasquillo came home in October after an appellate court ruled his 200-to-600-year sentence was excessive, and his numerous applications for parole were unfairly denied. Now, Carrasquillo is enjoying his family, learning technology, and speaking out about his case.

by Grace Asiegbu December 19, 2023February 15, 2024

Housing

Mayor Johnson sets sights on enshrining right to counsel for Chicago tenants in eviction court

Despite a lack of data on the right-to-counsel pilot program, city officials and advocates say expanding it is a necessary step to help stem the tide of evictions in Chicago.

by Grace Asiegbu October 31, 2023January 30, 2024

The Long Wait

Appellate court throws out ‘excessive sentence’ for Chicago man denied parole over 30 times

Ronnie Carrasquillo will be resentenced after 46 years in prison after an appellate court panel ruled he has not been given a ‘meaningful’ opportunity for parole by the state’s Prisoner Review Board. The ruling follows a 2017 Injustice Watch series, “The Long Wait,” which examined the board’s opaque process.

by Grace Asiegbu September 21, 2023January 30, 2024

Housing

What is the condition of your apartment?

Injustice Watch is reporting on trends in evictions and building conditions. Help us by sharing your experiences.

by Maya Dukmasova, Alejandra Cancino and Grace Asiegbu August 8, 2023January 30, 2024

A man in a dark blue polo shirt sits on a couch looking at the camera. He's Black, with a bald head and a close-trimmed salt-and-pepper beard. Behind him is a blank grey wall and, in the background, a kitchen.

Reentry

Homecoming

Every year, about 20,000 people leave Illinois prisons. Two in five will return to prison within three years. State and local officials want to stop this tragic and expensive cycle.