Cook County Jail
One of the largest single-site jails in the country, the Cook County Jail, has in recent years held as many as 7,000 people at one time, most of them awaiting trial. We report on the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, which runs the jail, and conditions for people inside.
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As the number of Covid-19 cases at the Cook County Jail hit a record high in January, people detained there accused the jail of inadequate testing and quarantine measures, poor social distancing, and unsanitary conditions.
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Cook County Jail’s deadliest year in decades reveals repeated lapses and failed oversight
Eighteen people died at the jail last year, and half of the deaths featured examples of inadequate supervision and medical care, an Injustice Watch investigation found. Sheriff Tom Dart blames detainees overdosing on drug-laced paper and says he’s addressed the problem, but experts say there’s a renewed need for oversight.
Where is the urgency to decarcerate the Cook County Jail?
While the Cook County Jail experiences its worst Covid outbreak yet, county officials drag their feet on steps that could save lives.
Cook County sheriff takes state officials to court over stalled prison transfers
Sheriff Tom Dart filed a petition before the Illinois Supreme Court on Monday asking the justices to force the state department of corrections to accept the transfer of over 500 people from the Cook County Jail.
Cook County Jail begins demolishing vacant dormitories to make way for recreational space
The deteriorating vacant dorms, built in the early 1900s, were “costly” and difficult to maintain, officials said during community meetings earlier this year.
Court backlog leaves hundreds of people in Cook County Jail for more than a year
Covid-19 restrictions have led to a growing felony court backlog in Cook County. To clear it, “we have to move faster than normal,” one expert said.
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