Illinois Justice Project News Summary

April 9 - April  15, 2024

PRISONS, JAILS and REENTRY
The News-Gazette: "Mental languish: Lack of resources at state hospitals causing defendants to spend months in jail"
WAND: "Illinois Senate passes plan to provide free state IDs to people leaving prison, jail"
Our Quad Cities: "More employees at Thomson prison will give up their jobs"
Mystateline.com: "From cellblocks to the community: 500 Illinois parolees attend re-entry expo in Rockford"
The Marshall Project: "I Had a Tough Job at My Brooklyn Jail: Keeping Men From Taking Their Own Lives"
Washington Post: "Many states don’t educate people sentenced to life. Now some are coming home"
The Appeal: "HOW INCARCERATED PEOPLE ARE BUILDING POLITICAL POWER IN WASHINGTON STATE"

LEGAL SYSTEM
The News-Gazette: "Jim Dey | Ignorance of court procedure forgivable for defendant, not judge"
WTTW: "Chicago Man Exonerated in 2013 Murder After New Medical Evidence Helps Prove Innocence"
Chicago Tribune: "‘She looked terrified’: Testimony begins in the unusual murder trial of Gerald Reed"

PRE-TRIAL FAIRNESS/SAFE-T ACT
WBBM NewsRadio: "Judge grants release of trucker charged with killing DeKalb County Sheriff's deputy, points to SAFE-T Act"
mystateline.com: "Driver released from custody under SAFE-T Act, charged in crash that killed DeKalb Deputy"
CIproud.com: "Illinois Sheriffs’ Association responds to man released before trial"
The Center Square: "Lawmakers want changes to SAFE-T Act to avoid criminals ‘slipping through the cracks’"

CHICAGO POLICE: DEXTER REED SHOOTING
CBS News: "Dexter Reed's family demands charges against Chicago police officers in fatal shooting"
WTTW: "Breach Between Top Cop, Misconduct Agency Widens Amid Probe of Shooting Death of Dexter Reed"
BlockClub Chicago: "Police Watchdog Should Have Talked To Cops Before Offering Opinions On Dexter Reed Case, Snelling Says"
Chicago Tribune: "David Greising: The consent decree was designed to prevent disasters such as the Dexter Reed shooting"
The Triibe: "Chicago organizers rally behind Dexter Reed’s family as city releases video of fatal police shooting"
BlockClub Chicago: "On Block Where Dexter Reed Was Killed, Neighbors Describe Strained Relationship With Police"
USA Today: "96 shots fired in fatal traffic stop. Chicago watchdog agency and bodycam video raise questions"
Fox32: "Chicago leaders react to footage of shooting in which officers fired nearly 100 times"
Chicago Tribune: "Questions could linger after video of fatal police shooting of Dexter Reed roils city"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Killing of Dexter Reed raises questions about Chicago police reform. ‘The message is, go in guns blazing'"

CHICAGO POLICE
Courthouse News Service: "Future murky for Chicago’s civilian police board following police transparency ruling"
WTTW: "Johnson Misses Deadline to Nominate Permanent Chicago Police Oversight Board"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Crain's Chicago Business: "At City Hall, a progressive crusader steps into the chief of staff role"
WBEZ: "Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson pitches more City Council say over projects funded by $1.25 billion borrowing plan’"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Civic Federation endorses Chicago's $1.25 billion bond plan for economic development’"

COMMUNITY SAFETY, CRIME
Hyde Park Herald: "Gun deaths see slight decline nationwide but more interventions are needed, new Rep. Kelly report finds"
Austin Weekly News: "Austin teens’ deaths ignite call for end to gun violence"
The Center Square: "Homicides, shootings up across Chicago"
Block Club Chicago: "West Side Peace March Calls For Gang Truce — And No Murders This Summer"
Boston Herald: "Piquero: Public safety demands better funding"

FIREARMS
The Guardian: "Many Americans who recently bought guns open to political violence, survey finds"
The Center Square: "Trial on merits of Illinois’ gun ban could begin July 8, attorney says"
The Washington Post: "Justice Department finalizes rules to close ‘gun show loophole’"
WBEZ Chicago: "Here’s the new plan to boost background checks for guns bought at shows or online"
New York Times: "Biden Administration Approves Expansion of Background Checks on Gun Sales"
Wall Street Journal: "Legal Shield for the Gun Industry Is Starting to Crack"

POLICING
IPM Newsroom: "Urbana residents want to divert calls from police while a consultant recommends hiring more officers"
Rockford Register Star: "UW Health SwedishAmerican challenges claim of Rockford homicide suspect"
Rockford Register Star: "Community Healing Center opens to address impact of violence on Rockford children"
Belleville News-Democrat: "Watch: Metro-east cop pepper-sprayed sleeping juveniles as other cops looked on, feds say

MIGRANT RESPONSE
CBS News: "Mayor Brandon Johnson to ask City Council for $70 million more in migrant funds"
Chicago Sun-Times opinion: "To jump-start the economy and provide workers, Biden should OK work permits for all undocumented immigrants"

SPRINGFIELD/POLITICS
WBEZ Chicago: "‘Security footprint’ plan for Democratic Convention kicked to City Council for Wednesday vote"
The State Journal-Register: "Voter data released for nearly 30K Springfield residents by far right publication"

April 2 - April  8, 2024

PUBLIC DEFENSE
Chicago Tribune: "Senate President Don Harmon proposes statewide office to support public defender system"

LEGAL SYSTEMS
Chicago Tribune: "How she won and what it might mean for the office of Cook County's top prosecutor going forward"
Talk FM 92.9: "Legislators question funds for Cook County through state’s appellate prosecutor"
25 News: "Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office issues annual report for the first time"

PRISONER REVIEW BOARD
WTTW: "State Lawmakers Call for Prisoner Review Board Reform After Fatal Stabbing of 11-Year-Old Chicago Boy"
Capitol Fax: "Pritzker: Prisoner Review Board member domestic violence training will be enhanced"
WTTW: "Former Chair of Prisoner Review Board Pushes Back Against Pritzker’s Criticism Following Killing of 11-Year-Old Boy"

PRISONS AND JAILS
WGLT: "Report: Illinois prisons among worst in U.S. for mental health care"
The Marshall Project: "What an Eclipse Lockdown Reveals about Dignity in Prisons and Jails"
Capitol News Illinois: "Court upholds law limiting where child sex offenders can live"
The News-Gazette: Jim Dey | "Onetime inmate passed up fight to focus on future"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Block Club Chicago: "Mayor Brandon Johnson, 1 Year After Election: ‘Name One Thing … I Haven’t Done’"
The Reader: "Alders advance plan to keep ShotSpotter on ward-by-ward basis"
Peoria Journal-Star: "Chicago migrant spending approaching $300 million"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Johnson unveils plan to cut red tape for real estate developers"
The Triibe: "One year after election, Mayor Johnson discusses his investments in Black Chicago"

PRE-TRIAL FAIRNESS/SAFE-T ACT
mystateline.com: "Two Chicago felons, accused of attempted child abduction, not detained because judge misinterprets SAFE-T Act: report"
WTAX: "State law enforcement board asks for funding to implement SAFE-T Act training"
Muddy River News: "Illinois law enforcement board requesting more funding to comply with SAFE-T Act"
Law 360: "Do New Laws Seek To Regulate Charitable Bail, Or End It?"

SPRINGFIELD
Capitol News: "Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton spotlights women in Illinois with two new initiatives"
Rockford Register-Star: "Illinois quick hits: 'Cold case' bill advances at statehouse; Madison County eyes referendum"

YOUTH
Chicago Sun-Times: "New DCFS director Heidi Mueller has her work cut out for her"
Kane County Chronicle: "Kane sees uptick in cyber crimes against children, vehicle theft"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Capitol News Illinois: "In Chicago visit, Attorney General Garland announces $78M anti-violence initiative"
WTTW: "In Chicago Speech, US Attorney General Merrick Garland Says Feds ‘Doubling Down’ on Funding for Violence Intervention Programs"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Heartbreak? Historic Heartland Alliance to spin off its divisions into separate entities"
The Trace: "Friends Don’t Let Friends Buy Guns"
South Side Weekly: "UChicago students honor slain Hyde Park bartender, build bridges through ‘beautiful game of chess"

CHICAGO POLICE
WTTW: "Chicago, Federal Agencies Ramp Up Security Training Ahead of August’s Democratic National Convention"
WBEZ Chicago: "Chicago Police traffic stops increase for the third year in a row, a new report shows"
Chicago Sun-Times: "‘I don’t know how I can live without him': Chicago cop who died by suicide was devoted family man"
WTTW: "Chicago Police Continued to Target Black, Latino Drivers With Flood of Traffic Stops in 2023: Report"
South Side Weekly: "Mayor Johnson to Delay Picking New Public Safety Commissioners"
South Side Weekly: "Which Wards Have ShotSpotter?
Alderpersons want to decide on a ward-by-ward basis whether to keep ShotSpotter. We found sensors in thirty-five wards"

FIREARMS
Chicago Tribune: "Federal report finds 68,000 guns were illegally trafficked through unlicensed dealers over 5 years"
WTTW: "Federal Report Finds 68,000 Guns Were Illegally Trafficked Through Unlicensed Dealers Over 5 Years"
WTTW: "State Republicans Killed an Indiana City’s Lawsuit to Stop Illegal Gun Sales. Why?"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Gun cases in Chicago turned down by feds at higher rate than in most cities"

March 26 - April 1, 2024

PRISONS AND JAILS
Chicago Sun-Times: "‘Punishment for being pregnant': Report details poor care for pregnant people in county jails"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Freed by governor, Gerald Reed now faces retrial in 1990 double murder"
Los Angeles Times: "Why was 2023 such a deadly year in Los Angeles County jails? It depends on whom you ask"
Chicago Tribune: "Lake County Sheriff Office wanted to initiate an inmate transfer last fall, but contract held up: ‘Time was of the essence’"
ABC7 News: "Cook County Jail's inmate opioid treatment programs SMART and THRIVE are trailblazers in Illinois"
WBEZ Chicago: "Every prison library in Illinois is getting a copy of a book about the Attica prison riot"
Colorado Sun: "400 people with mental illness are sitting in Colorado jails. Some state lawmakers want to divert them to treatment instead"
NBC News: "Former correctional officer at women's prison in California sentenced for sexually abusing inmates"
The Appeal: "MICHIGAN COUNTIES BAN JAIL VISITS TO PROFIT FROM VIDEOCHAT FEES, LAWSUITS SAY"
Truthout: "Louisiana’s Plan to Lock People Up Longer Imperils Its Sickest Prisoners"

YOUTH
Peoria Journal-Star: "Eight staff members injured in 'riot' at Knox County juvenile home, police say"
WCIA: "New Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice Director named"
Springfield Herald News "IL Dept. of Juvenile Justice to serve high school grads at newly repurposed career & education center"
Juvenile Justice Exchange: "Report: America’s growing movement to divert youth out of the justice system"
CBS News: "Teens incarcerated at Chicago area facility educated in wide range of careers"

ELECTION
WBEZ Chicago: "Eileen O’Neill Burke declares victory in the Democratic state’s attorney primary"
WTTW Chicago: "Eileen O’Neill Burke Wins Democratic Cook County State’s Attorney Race: AP"
Crain's Chicago Business: "How Burke could take on Foxx's legacy as state's attorney"
BlockClub Chicago: "Progressive Caucus says Bring Chicago Home defeat reflects ‘real questions’ voters had about whether ‘they could trust the government to spend the money’ prudently"
Axios: "Why the Bring Chicago Home ballot measure failed"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Chicago Tribune: "Johnson unveils Chicago’s first chief homelessness officer, takes more shots at ‘wicked’ adversaries of Bring Chicago Home"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Police Committee defies Johnson on ShotSpotter, with his allies and critics supporting the technology"

PRISONER REVIEW BOARD
AP News: "Illinois parole official quits after police say a freed felon attacked a woman and killed her son"
Center Square: "Republicans want change after Pritzker board paroles now alleged murderer"
Capitol Fax: "Pritzker: Prisoner Review Board member domestic violence training will be enhanced"
Springfield Journal-Register: "Man on parole faces murder charge after shooting at Springfield motel"

SPRINGFIELD
Capitol News: "Capitol Briefs: Advocates push for guaranteed income, child care assistance"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Pritzker sends Cook County Democratic Party $250K ‘to turn out voters’ in November"

LEGAL SYSTEMS
Regional Media News: "Trial Delayed for Colona Man Charged with the Murder of His 14-Month-Old Child"
Rockford Register-Star: "Rockford man reaches $5.4M settlement in wrongful conviction suit against Normal, officers"
Rockford Register-Star: "​​Rockford woman, lawyer of 24 years, appointed to 17th Circuit Judicial Court bench"
WSILTV: "Former Southern Illinois State's Attorney Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge"
Chicago Tribune: "DCFS, under a new leader and following years of criticism, seeks a new wave of workers"

PRE-TRIAL FAIRNESS/SAFE-T ACT
WTTW: "Cook County Courts Have Seen ‘Mostly Smooth’ Transition After Elimination of Cash Bail, New Report Finds"
Madison St. Clair-Record: "Illinois Supreme Court Extends Order Allowing Pretrial Hearings Under the Safe-t Act To Be Remote When Necessary"
WAND: "State law enforcement board asks for funding to implement SAFE-T Act training, add more instructors"
The Center Square: "Company raises bias concerns about grants for 'less-lethal' tools"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
South Side Weekly: "‘Brick by Brick’ Community Safety Event and Panel"
WSIU: "Communities United receives $2 million grant"
news wise(University of Chicago Medicine): "Southland RISE celebrates 5 years of violence prevention and recovery efforts in Chicagoland"
The Trace: "You’re More Likely to Be Shot in Selma Than in Chicago"
Rockford Register Star: "Rockford emergency room will soon have strangulation experts on staff"
USA Today: "Big-city crime is down, but not in Memphis. A coalition of America's Black mayors will look for answers"
gm today: "‘Tough-on-crime’ policies are back in some places that had 'reimagined' criminal justice"
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Anti-homicide effort in St. Louis region advances, after a fight over what will work"

CHICAGO POLICE
Reader: "Disgraced cops still on the streets and in the courtrooms"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Midway Flight Facility proposed as site for new 8th Police District building"

POLICING
Chicago Tribune: "‘Extremely disturbing’: Some Illinois police departments nix training with controversial firm"
25 News: "UPDATE: Normal tentatively agrees to $5.4 million settlement for ‘malicious prosecution’ in 1993 murder case"
Herald-Whig: "QPD hears concerns at town hall meeting"
ABC 7: "Former Flossmoor police chief speaks out after firing draws outcry from community"

FIREARMS
Pro Publica: "Inside the Historic Suit That the Gun Industry and Republicans Are on the Verge of Killing"
Chicago Sun-Times: "A gun charge filed during George Floyd rioting in Chicago is dismissed amid controversy"
Washington Examiner: "FOID card numbers are up as IL gun owners prepare to march on Springfield"March 19 - March 26, 2024

PRISONS AND JAILS
Chicago Tribune: "Illinois’ top parole official quits amid controversy over release of man accused of killing boy, 11, and attacking mother"
Chicago Sun-Times: "2 parole officials quit after felon released from prison allegedly stabs pregnant ex-girlfriend, kills her 11-year-old son"
The Center Square: "Plan to rebuild Stateville, Logan prisons brings mixed reaction"
Shaw Local: "Eye on illinois prison plan shows lessons learned from Thomson travesty"
South Side Weekly: "Jailhouse Religion Some faith-based rehabilitation programs offer a rare, non-punitive space for those incarcerated—but do they blur the separation of church and state?"
The Marshall Project: "Her Story. Issue 16 highlights women’s experiences
in the U.S. criminal justice system"
Daily Herald: "Cook County Jail program is rescuing dogs and detainees and now it is expanding"

ELECTION
Chicago Tribune: "As number of mail-in ballots dwindles, O’Neill Burke’s lead over Harris in state’s attorney’s race is trimmed again"
BlockClub Chicago: "Bring Chicago Home Referendum Fails, AP Says"
WBEZ Chicago: "How did Chicago vote for Bring Chicago Home? Here are six takeaways from the data"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Johnson, defiant after 'Bring Chicago Home' loss, vows agenda push will 'get stronger'"
Chicago Tribune: "General Assembly races test clout of Democrat leaders"
WBEZ Chicago: "Joy Virginia Cunningham declares victory in Illinois Supreme Court primary"
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin: "Cunningham, Spyropoulos win big court contests"
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin: "Cook County judicial race results tallied"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
WTTW: "Johnson Vows to Continue Pushing ‘Big, Bold’ Agenda After Progressives See Some Disappointing Election Results"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Johnson set to pick city's first chief homelessness officer"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor Brandon Johnson losing seasoned chief of staff after less than a year in office"
WBEZ Chicago: "Mayor Johnson’s plan to borrow $1.25 billion for development projects gets a mixed reception"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Editorial: Another week for the record books at City Hall"

LEGAL SYSTEMS
Chicago Sun-TImes: "Legacy lap: Kim Foxx reflects on growing up in Cabrini, leading ‘difficult conversations’ with no ‘simple answers’"
Capitol News Illinois: "Illinois high court asked to review law limiting venue in constitutional challenges"
Daily Journal: "​​Illinois Republicans talk public safety, non-citizens rights to own firearms"
Bolts: "Leadership Scandals Surround Chicago’s Wrongful Conviction Unit"
Law360: "Behind The Unique Hurdles Of Rural Access To Justice"

REENTRY
Rockford Register Star: "From troubled youth to CEO: Rockford man has a story young people need to hear"
Northern Public Radio: "An Illinois organization is helping those who were previously incarcerated to clear their records"
Community Tech Network: "Bridging the Digital Divide: Navigating the Challenges of Digital Access for Incarcerated (and Formerly Incarcerated) Individuals"
WBEZ Chicago: "An incarcerated teacher taught his students that Jim Crow literacy tests were racist. Then he got fired"

YOUTH
Crain's Chicago Business: "Chicago's top cop wants to focus on juvenile crime"
Illinois Times: "ISP concludes investigation into shooting at juvenile detention center"
The Marshall Project: "For a Handful of Lawyers in Cuyahoga County, Juvenile Cases Are Big Business. Judges steered two-thirds of cases involving kids accused of crimes to just 10 lawyers in one year, according to a Marshall Project - Cleveland analysis"
The Sentencing Project: "New Report: America’s Growing Movement to Divert Youth Out of the Justice System"

PRE-TRIAL FAIRNESS/SAFE-T ACT
Aurora Beacon-News: "All Geneva police officers will soon be wearing body cameras"
KHQA: "Pretrial hearings under the SAFE-T-Act to be remote when necessary extended"
WCIA: "6 months of the SAFE-T Act; Champaign Co. prosecutor speaks on pros, cons"
Rochelle News-Leader: "6 months without money bond in Illinois"
CI Proud: "Six months on: The impact of Illinois Pre-Trial Fairness Act on Champaign County Jail"
Chicago Tribune: "Illinois Supreme Court makes changes amid ‘staggering’ increase in pretrial appeals over detention"
25 News: "No cash bail initiative now overloading judges with more appeals"
Fox Illinois: "Appeals cases surge after Illinois' Pretrial Fairness Act implementation, new report finds"
The News-Gazette: "Jim Dey | Defense lawyers to bear burden of detention appeals"
Our Quad Cities: "Illinois considers legislation for public safety"

CHICAGO POLICE
WTTW: "Serious Chicago Police Discipline Hearings Must Take Place in Public, Judge Rules"
WTTW: "New Limits on CPD Misconduct Probes Expose Deep Tension Between Top Cop, Misconduct Agency"
Chicago Tribune: "Judge rules CPD officers accused of serious misconduct may choose arbitration, but hearings to remain public"
BlockClub Chicago: "Downtown Police District Council Fills Vacant 3rd Seat After 8 Months Of Waiting"
BlockClub Chicago: "West Town Neighbors Back Non-Binding Measure To Reopen Closed Police District"
WTTW: "Chicago to Pay $57.2M to Settle 3 Police Misconduct Cases, Including Pursuit That Left Teen Unable to Walk or Speak"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Sheerine Alemzadeh: Domestic violence is a community safety issue, so let’s treat it that way"
NBC News: "The U.S. crime rate is still dropping, FBI data shows"
Patch: "IL Among Safest States in America: Report"
WSIU: "​​Internet Crime is still on the rise in Illinois"

FIREARMS/GUN VIOLENCE
BlockClub Chicago: "​​Chicago Sues Glock Over ‘Switches’ That Turn Pistols Into Illegal Machine Guns"
NBC News: "Children unintentionally shot and killed at least 157 people last year, Everytown says"

POLICING/LAW ENFORCEMENT
The Marshall Project: "Cleveland Promised Oversight of Police Surveillance. The Work Hasn’t Been Done"
Capitol News illinois "Highest-ranking woman in state police history reflects on experience as force looks to diversify"
NPR Illinois: "Investigation underway after fatal shooting by Decatur police"
Herald-Whig: "Quincy officer-involved shooting justified, review finds"
News Channel 20: "Illinois State Police is offering $90k for new troopers
ABC 7: "Flossmoor Village Board officially fires Police Chief Jerel Jones"

March 12 - March 18, 2024

ELECTION
Chicago Sun-Times: "Closing arguments: Candidates make final pitch to Chicago voters before Tuesday’s primary"
New York Times: "Chicago Voters Face Choice on Tax to Fund Homeless Programs"
South Side Weekly: "Landlords Warn Tenants: Don’t Vote for Bring Chicago Home"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Editorial: Chicagoans should vote down 'Bring Chicago Home'"
The Triibe: "Homelessness doesn’t look the same for everybody"
Chalkbeat Chicago: "Chicago student homelessness is rising. Could a tax change backed by the mayor help fix that?"
Chicago Tribune: "Illinois Supreme Court rejects effort to block Bring Chicago Home referendum"
WBEZ Chicago: "Nearly all of state’s attorney hopeful Eileen O’Neill Burke’s big funders are white men"
Chicago Tribune: More than $4 million has poured into the Democratic primary for Cook County state’s attorney. Here’s who’s contributing to the campaigns."
Chicago Sun-Times: "For Toni Preckwinkle, another election and another chance to wield her political muscle"
The State Journal-Register: "Primary turnout reached near record lows in Illinois two years ago. Will 2024 improve?"
Injustice Watch: "A perennial candidate pins her hopes on her sixth run for judge"

LOGAN, STATEVILLE ANNOUNCEMENT
Chicago Tribune: "Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces plan to tear down, replace historic Stateville prison"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Pritzker announces $900 million plan to demolish Stateville, Logan prisons"
Chicago Tribune: "Plan to rebuild Stateville prison provokes varied reactions from unions, local politicians"
State Journal-Register: "Pritzker's new $900M plan would demolish, rebuild state prison near Springfield"
WGLT: "Future of Lincoln's Logan Correctional Center is in flux under rebuild plan"
WAND: "Pritzker announces plan to rebuild Logan Correctional Center and Stateville Correctional Center"
WJOL: "Governor Pritzker Announces Plan For Transformative Capital Investments in Illinois Department of Corrections Facilities"

REENTRY
Vermillion County First: "CORE Re-Entry Program Aims to Provide Ex-Convicts the Chance for Good Work; and the Chance for Good Lives"
The Center for American Progress: "Supporting Women Affected by the Criminal Legal System"
WBEZ Chicago: "A state senator provides a rare opportunity for incarcerated men to shape the policies that impact them"

PRISONS AND JAILS
Fox 32 News: "IL inmates stuck in jail despite mental health court orders"
AP: "Warden ousted as FBI again searches California federal women’s prison plagued by sexual abuse"

YOUTH
Illinois Times: "Limited capacity in juvenile detention centers statewide"
WCMY: "Illinois Juvenile Detention Centers Running Out Of Space"
Philiadelphia Inquirer: "Some kids at Philadelphia’s juvenile detention center get no education at all, advocates say. That’s illegal"

PRE-TRIAL FAIRNESS/SAFE-T ACT
WCIA: "6 months of the SAFE-T Act; Champaign Co. prosecutor speaks on pros, cons"
WTTW: "Illinois’ High Court Reports ‘Breathtaking’ Rise in Appeals Following Elimination of Cash Bail"
Bolts: "As Kim Foxx Exits, Chicago Is Choosing the Next “Gatekeeper” of Its Bail Reform"
Reason Foundation: "The effects of cash bail on crime and court appearances"
My Journal Courier: "Jail populations see decrease, finances unknown following Safe-T Act"
My Stateline: "SAFE-T Act appeals cases ‘crippling’ Illinois appellate courts"
WGLT: "No cash bail brings heavier workloads and fewer inmates to McLean County"
Governing: "Is Bail Reform Soft on Crime? Not When Done Well"
Reason Foundation: "The effects of cash bail on crime and court appearances"
My Journal Courier: "Jail populations see decrease, finances unknown following Safe-T Act"
My Stateline: "SAFE-T Act appeals cases ‘crippling’ Illinois appellate courts"
Loyola University Center for Criminal Justice: "Short-Term Trends in Jail Bookings & Populations After the Pretrial Fairness Act"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
WTTW: "Johnson to Focus Chicago’s Anti-Violence Efforts on 10 Blocks in Englewood, West Garfield Park, Austin, Little Village"
The Triibe: "​​City to target four community areas on the South and West sides for the second phase of community safety plan"
ABC 7 Chicago: "Mayor lays out next phase of preventing Chicago violence: investing in communities"
The Trace: "​​Illinois Made It Easier for Gun Violence Survivors to Apply for Compensation. Why Aren’t More Chicagoans Finding the Program?"
AP: "​​Transit crime is back as a top concern in some US cities, and political leaders have taken notice"
Time: "America’s Suburban Crime Problem"
NZZ: "​​While saving lives on Chicago's streets, activists fight idea of drug addiction as a moral failure"
 
FIREARMS/GUN VIOLENCE
Chicago Tribune: "A surge of illegal homemade machine guns has helped fuel gun violence in the US"
The Trace: "Congress Renews Ban on Undetectable Firearms"
Patch: "​​Pro-Gun Group Asks Supreme Court To Overturn IL Assault Weapons Ban"
Advantage News: "​​Up to $9 million in lost revenue estimated from Illinois’ gun ban"

LEGAL SYSTEMS
Chicago Tribune: "‘Never should have happened’: Police announce charges in stabbing that killed 11-year-old boy and injured his mother in Edgewater"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Man charged with killing boy, stabbing pregnant mom -- but questions remain why he was released from prison"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Man accused of killing boy, stabbing mom admitted he had shown up at home but was not kept in prison"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Prosecutors won’t oppose certificates of innocence for brothers in murder case marked by torture allegations"
Reader: "Inside the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Brady lists"
Chicago Sun-Times: "City to consider $5.5 million payout to wrongfully convicted man who now faces kidnapping charges"

CHICAGO POLICE
WBEZ Chicago: "Appeals court upholds $1.1 million for investigator who refused to change findings on CPD shootings"
Chicago Tribune: "Historic $45 million Chicago police misconduct settlement moves forward"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Teen who can’t walk, speak after crash during unauthorized police chase offered $45 million settlement"
WTTW: "Cook County Officials Approve $17M Settlement With Jackie Wilson, Who Said He Was Tortured Into False Murder Confession"
WTTW: "Pay $5.5M to Man Who Spent 22 Years in Prison After Being Framed by Disgraced Ex-Detective, City Lawyers Recommend"
WBEZ Chicago: "Routine traffic stops have resulted in gun charges for thousands of Chicagoans"
CBS 2 Chicago: "2 victims of wrong raids by Chicago Police call for progress with reforms under consent decree"
WTTW: "Families of Homicide Victims in Chicago Await Closure Amid Low Clearance Rates"

POLICING/LAW ENFORCEMENT
Washington Post: "Killings by police brought reforms. Fear of crime is unraveling them"
Chicago Tribune: "Recruitment strategies help Aurora Police Department fill its ranks despite national shortage of officers"
Chalkbeat Chicago: "Illinois lawmakers challenge Chicago school board’s plans to remove police, rethink choice policy"
CBS 2 Chicago: "Fired suburban Chicago police chief files racial discrimination lawsuit"
CBS 2 Chicago: "Illinois government transparency in question with secret "surveillance" reports"
USA Today: "HBCU internships, trips to Puerto Rico: How police are trying to boost diversity"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
The Daily Line: "Billion-dollar bond proposal moved out of rules committee over objections of some alderpeople"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $1.25 billion borrowing plan back on track for City Council approval"
WTTW: "Chicago Spent $524M on Overtime in 2023, Including $293M for Police, Setting New Records"
WTTW: "Johnson Says He’s ‘Frustrated’ With City’s ‘Out of Control’ Overtime Spending"
Wall Street Journal: "Why Private Developers Are Rejecting Government Money for Affordable Housing"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago failed to take Catholic archdiocese up on offers to house migrants for free"
Chicago Tribune: "Mayor Johnson says limited migrant shelter evictions to start"
Block Club Chicago: "With Evictions Looming, Alderpeople Ask Mayor To Again Halt 60-Day Shelter Limit"

Feb. 27 - March 4, 2024

REENTRY
The Southland Journal: "ICJIA Announces $30-Million Grant Opportunity for the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) Program"
WAND TV: "Pritzker announces $6 million for CEJA Returning Residents Program"
Illinois Public Media: "A new Illinois re-entry guide includes resources for LGBTQ+ people after incarceration"
NCR Online: "'Less than a person': Formerly incarcerated people say system needs healing"


YOUTH
Public News Service: "Digital court hearings cause uneasiness for young offenders"
WBEZ: "Court clerk’s error exposed data involving thousands of juvenile defendants, violating state law"
WNNS: "Illinois Youth Center in Lincoln construction delayed with Governor Pritzker’s new budget looming"
Chicago Defender: "Missing Black Children Deserve Justice Too"
Fox Illinois: "Springfield armed robbery raises questions about juvenile detention capacity in state"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago-based Catholic order is keeping secrets about child-molesting clergy around the US"


PRE-TRIAL FAIRNESS/SAFE-T ACT CRITICISM
Rockford Register Star: "Your turn: Some public safety bills do little to make Illinois communities safer"
Illinois Times: "Crime on the rise in Sangamon County"
County Herald: "Illinois Man Charged with Attempted Murder of Two Seniors Released Ahead of Trial"
Chicago Tribune: "Paul Vallas: The protection of Chicago’s witnesses and victims must be a priority"

PRE-TRIAL FAIRNESS/SAFE-T ACT IMPLEMENTATION
Shaw Local News Network: "Lee County court gets $1.016 million grant for tech upgrades"
Shaw Local News Network: "Lee County officials, U.S. Rep. LaHood discuss issues facing the county"

COURTS AND LEGAL SYSTEM
Bolts Mag: "As Kim Foxx Exits, Chicago Is Choosing the Next “Gatekeeper” of Its Bail Reform"
Chicago Law-Bulletin: "Illinois leads nation in overturned wrongful convictions"
Chicago Tribune: "Criminal cases against parents still in infancy"
Daily Herald: "Woman charged after son brings gun to elementary school"
Reader: "Bring Chicago Home, CPD misconduct, race for Cook County State’s Attorney, ShotSpotter"
Herald-Whig: "Two new attorneys set to join public defender's office"

PRISONS AND JAILS
Capitol Fax Illinois: "His conviction was overturned after 35 years wrongfully served. State law caps his compensation at 14 years."
The Marshall Project: "How Federal Prisons Are Getting Worse"
Roll Call: "Senate Judiciary panel to hear about federal inmate deaths"
The Appeal:  "Nonprofit Prison Accreditor Perpetuates Abuse And Neglect, Senators Say"
The Center Square: "Illinois quick hits: Department of Corrections hiring; Illinois Products Expo this weekend"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
ABC7: "CPD Supt. Larry Snelling at White House with President Biden for 'Safer America' anti-crime event"
AP: "Biden highlights how federal money is being used to boost public safety efforts"
WTVB: "Biden meets police from Chicago, Miami as violent crime drops"
My Stateline: "Illinois redirecting $30M of marijuana taxes to minority communities"
Daily Herald: "Transit ambassadors, lighting and interventions. How public transit might get safer in Chicago area"
Springfield State Journal: "Burglaries in the Springfield area increased more than 70% in 2023, new data shows"
The Hill: "To end mass incarceration, reform our excessively punitive systems"

CHICAGO POLICE
WTTW: "Chicago Taxpayers Pay $99K to Ex-CPD Officer Who Said Boss Ordered Her to Protect His Bridgeport Block During 2020 Unrest"
WTTW: "5 Years After Chicago’s Consent Decree Took Effect, Little Urgency Surrounds Reform Push"
Injustice Watch: "A notorious Chicago cop wants to become a Cook County judge"
Government Technology: "Chicago Latest City to Rethink Gunshot Detection Technology"
Reader: "Chicago plans to end its ShotSpotter contract"
Chicago Sun-Times: "ShotSpotter deal could be invalid, should get City Council vote, ex-watchdog says"
Huffpost: "A Chicago ShotSpotter Alert Led To An Officer Firing At An Unarmed Child"
ABC 7: "Chicago police supt. defends ShotSpotter, says communication with mayor 'could have been better'"
WTTW: "Chicago Taxpayers to Spend an Additional $4.2M to Allow CPD to Use ShotSpotter Through November"
Chicago Sun-Times: Armed robberies prompt increased police presence on North Side"
Chicago Sun-Times: "CPD officer shoots dog; officer injured in Roseland"
Fox 32 Chicago: "Survivors seek conviction overturns in cases tied to disgraced Chicago police detective"
CBS News: "Body camera video shows fatal police shooting of Isaac Goodlow III"
CNN: "Family in ‘in shock, dismay, mourning’ following Illinois police shooting of man inside his home"
ABC 7: "Chicago sees no shootings Wednesday, police department says"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Jurors could begin deliberating fate of man accused of murdering Officer Ella French as early as Tuesday"

POLICING/LAW ENFORCEMENT
Rockford Register-Star: "Your turn: Rockford Civilian Oversight Board is 'a solution looking for a problem'"
Daily Herald: "Can working less lead to happier, healthier and better cops?"
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Messenger: St. Louis mayor works overtime to keep police department in the shadow"
The Kansas City Star: "‘Call of Duty’-themed recruiting ad leads to apology from police chief. ‘That’s on me’"


HOUSING/BRING CHICAGO HOME
Chicago Tribune: "Chicago Board of Elections to appeal ruling that invalidated Bring Chicago Home referendum"
Chicago Tribune: "Bring Chicago Home latest: ...."
Crain's Chicago Business: "It's getting harder for towns to ignore their lack of affordable housing"


MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Block Club Chicago: "City Council Needs To Be More Open To The Public And Transparent, Civic Groups Say"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor Brandon Johnson outlines vision for downtown revitalization"
Axios: "Mayor Johnson's commissioner shuffle leaves some agencies in disarray"
Politico: "Mayor taking care of business"

SPRINGFIELD
State Journal-Register: "Pritzker introduces pension reform plan that could save taxpayers billions. Will it work?"

POLITICS AND ELECTIONS
Chicago Sun-Times: "Early and ‘optimistic:’ Turnout surge predicted as early voting spreads to more than 100 sites across Cook County"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Supreme Court ruling keeps Trump on Illinois ballot"
Capitol News: "Cook County judge orders Trump removed from GOP ballot but holds decision pending appeal"
Chicago Tribune: "Eileen O'Neill Burke raises $800,000 after busting fundraising caps"
Axios: "The race for Cook County state's attorney heats up"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Truthout: "Data Disproves Right-Wing Talking Points About Migrant Crime"
Bloomberg: "Illinois Official Pitches Plan to Bill Biden for Migrant Costs"
News Nation: "Sanctuary city migrants facing spring evictions live in ‘limbo'"
CBS News: "Shortage at shelters has diapers being rationed, migrants say"
WBEZ: "Migrants in Chicago file complaints about hostile treatment across city shelters"
Wall Street Journal: "Biden and Trump Make Dueling Border Visits Amid Migrant Crisis"

Feb. 20 - Feb. 26, 2024

PRISONS AND JAILS, REENTRY
NPR Illinois: "Death and redemption in an American prison"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Should America care about felons?"
My Stateline.com: "New Illinois bill would shorten prison sentences with credit for each day served"
Our QC News: "Illinois bill calls for safety changes in correctional facilities"
Truthout: "12 Years After Degrading Mass Strip Search, Women in Prison Won $1.4M Settlement"
New York Focus: "Hochul’s Plan to Close Prisons Faces a Fight"
New York Times: "How a Notorious Jail Became a Literary Hotbed"
Brennan Center for Justice: "Reforming Solitary Confinement Without the High Court"
The Nation: "The Invisible Labor of Women Who Love Incarcerated People"

YOUTH
The Daily Northwestern: "Illinois to launch portal streamlining access to youth mental health services"
Illinois Answers Project: "Court Clerk’s Error Exposed Data Involving Thousands of Juvenile Defendants, Violating State Law"
Fox32 Chicago: "Mayor Johnson tries to connect businesses with Chicago youth"
WTTW: "Chicago Group Gets Kids on the Ice With ‘Figure Skating on Your Block’"

LEGAL SYSTEM
Marshall Project: "This Mississippi Court Appoints Lawyers for Just 1 in 5 Defendants Before Indictment"
AP: "Illinois judge who reversed rape conviction removed from bench after panel finds he circumvented law"
Chicago Tribune: "New report critiques Cook County’s experimental neighborhood courts, recommends reforms before expansion"

PRE-TRIAL FAIRNESS/SAFE-T ACT
The News-Gazette: "Jim Dey | Appellate judges impatient with enhanced SAFE-T Act workload"
Stateline: "Bail clampdowns don’t match what research says about suspects, experts say"
The Center Square: "Jails across Illinois experience vacancies after elimination of cash bail"
Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest: "River Forest moves toward police body cameras"

CHICAGO POLICE
Chicago Tribune: "Cook County judge denies extension on stoppage of police discipline cases"
Wired: "Here Are the Secret Locations of ShotSpotter Gunfire Sensors"
ABC7: "Chicago police traffic stops skyrocket after CPD ends stop-and-frisk, data shows"
WTTW: "Chicago Public Schools Set to Stop Using Resource Officers by Start of Next School Year, Resolution States"
Chicago Tribune: "Chicago Board of Education moves to pull resource officers out of schools"
Chicago Sun-Times, opinion: "Getting rid of school choice and police in schools is about politics, not what’s best for kids and families"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Chicago Sun-Times: "Another legal cloud hanging over ShotSpotter contract"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Opinion: Keep ShotSpotter — or find something better"
Slate: "When High-Tech Policing Goes Wrong"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor Johnson spends $8.6 million on nine-month ShotSpotter deal — more than entire past year’s cost"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor Brandon Johnson, his message, and the media: Time for a course correction before public loses faith"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson pitches borrowing $1.25B for housing and development"
BlockClub Chicago: "Mayor Sells $1.25 Billion Affordable Housing Plan: It’s ‘About Us Investing’ In South, West Sides"
The Daily Line: "Bond proposal pushed by Johnson would invest in housing, workforce development, neighborhoods"
WBEZ Chicago: "Mayor Brandon Johnson’s borrowing plan raises questions about how the city will spend the money"

BRING CHICAGO HOME
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor Johnson’s team asks judge to pause ruling invalidating Bring Chicago Home referendum"
The Triibe: "Bring Chicago Home is still on the ballot: Here’s what you need to know about the legal battle"

MARCH 19 ELECTION
WBEZ Chicago: "State’s attorney candidate Clayton Harris III pledges to ‘chart my own course’ despite being party pick"
WBEZ Chicago: Eileen O’Neill Burke says she’s running for state’s attorney because ‘our justice system is not working’"
Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest: "What to know about the 2024 primary races in Cook County"
WCSJ: "Questions of race and ethnicity in Illinois Supreme Court race highlight diversity of the Latinx experience"
WCSJ: "High-Ranking Cook County Prosecutor Jumps Into Race For Judge"
The Daily Line: "News in brief: Chicago sues oil and gas companies; Cook County receives MacArthur grant for criminal justice reform efforts"

SPRINGFIELD
ABC7: "Pritzker proposes eliminating sales tax on groceries, mayors worry about revenue loss"
AP: "Illinois governor’s proposed $53B budget includes funds for migrants, quantum computing and schools"
Capitol News Illinois: "With budget proposal and fiery address, Pritzker paints himself as progressive pragmatist"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Bragging rights for Bost? Republican Darren Bailey loses Trump nod to incumbent Mike Bost in downstate congressional race"
The Center Square: "GOP lawmakers blast Pritzker's budget request for more migrant funding"
State Journal-Register: "Bill would permit supervised use, decriminalize magic mushrooms in Illinois"
State Journal-Register: "Budget breakdown: Tax increases draw ire from Illinois lawmakers"
Illinois Times: "Black and Latino caucuses exert influence"

POLICING/LAW ENFORCEMENT
WREX: "The usefulness of Shot Spotter technology in Freeport"
NPR Illinois: "Tribal courts can't prosecute non-Native drug suspects. Tribes say it's a problem"
ProPublica: "St. Louis Police Chief Receives a Third of His Pay From a Local Foundation, Raising Concerns of Divided Loyalties"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Block Club Chicago: "City Says It Will Save $19 Million By Closing 4 Migrant Shelters"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Chicago's migrant crisis raises questions of equity"
Chicago Tribune: "State picks up tab for migrants who want to leave Chicago"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Commentary: Chicago must build a bigger 'we' to ensure safety and opportunity for long-time residents and new arrivals"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Commentary: While Texas Gov. Abbott shows disregard for lives, Chicago can stand up for human dignity"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Chicago Tribune: "Chicago’s unhoused are the focus of WTTW’s latest season of ‘Firsthand’ documentary series"
Chicago Maroon: "Student Safety Should Be About Students"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Jenna Prochaska: Illinois should protect tenants, property owners from harms of ‘crime-free’ housing laws"
The Trace: "Brandon Johnson Is Making Progress on Gun Violence. But Some Chicagoans Still Feel Forgotten"

FIREARMS
The Center Square: "State appeals court revives challenge to Cook County’s gun, ammo tax"

Feb. 13 - Feb. 19, 2024

REENTRY
BlockClub Chicago: "35 Years After Wrongful Conviction, Englewood’s Brian Beals Is Getting His Life Back"
Filter: "Cash Assistance for Prison Re-Entry Still Controversial, for Some Reason"
Rockford Register Star: "Resident: 'There would be no success stories' without Rockford area sober-living homes"
Chicago Tribune: "Paul Vallas: What does real criminal justice reform look like? Job training programs"
IPM News: "One man’s re-entry charts a path for more formerly incarcerated people to buy homes"

PRISONS AND JAILS
CI Proud: "Prison deaths report finds widespread missteps, failures in latest sign of crisis in federal prisons"
WCSJ: "Grundy County Jail Will Start Housing Cook County Inmates After County Board Approval"
News-Gazette: "There's always an answer, but not always the right one"
The Nation: "It’s Known as “Death by Incarceration.” These People Want to End It"
New York Times: "The Addiction Recovery Story We Don’t Hear Enough"
Pro Publica: "The DOJ Is Working With a Wisconsin Sheriff to Improve How Deputies Communicate With People Who Don’t Speak English"
WBEZ Chicago: "After 27 years in prison, a 54-year-old is now getting his Ph.D."

YOUTH
SPLC: "REPORT: BLACK YOUTH IN ALABAMA ARBITRARILY PUSHED FROM SCHOOL INTO FOR-PROFIT DETENTION"
Rockford Register Star: "Here's what life is like inside the Winnebago County Juvenile Detention Center"

HOUSING/BRING CHICAGO HOME
Chicago Tribune: "Judge hears arguments in Johnson homelessness referendum lawsuit"
The Daily Line: "Housing Committee to hold confirmation vote for new housing commissioner"
The Davis Vanguard: "Illinois Introduces ‘Community Safety Through Stable Homes Act’ to Combat Unjust Local Rent Laws"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Proposal in Springfield seeks to stop evictions spurred by police calls"
Rockford Register Star: "Rockford makes list of top 20 emerging housing markets in the US"
Chicago Block Club: "Uptown Homeless Shelter Proposal Rejected By Zoning Board"

PUBLIC DEFENSE
Northwest Herald: "Pay raises sought for prosecutors and public defenders in McHenry County court amid recruiting struggles"
Northwest Herald: "Discussion of raises for McHenry County state’s attorneys prompts political finger-pointing"

PRE-TRIAL FAIRNESS/SAFE-T ACT
25 News: "Lawmakers, advocacy groups respond to Sheriff’s critique of SAFE-T Act following Chillicothe shooting"
WGN: "Has the move to cashless bond impacted safety?"
Daily Chronicle Dekalb County: "Election 2024: State Rep. 76th District candidates on SAFE-T Act
Candidates for state rep. in 76th District make their pitches ahead of March 19 primary"
Daily Chronicle DeKalb County: "Election 2024: Illinois’ 37th Senate District candidates discuss SAFE-T Act
Republican candidates for 37th Senate District talk platforms during virtual forum"

MARCH 19 ELECTION
Chicago Tribune: "State’s attorney Democratic candidates spar over Foxx at Tribune Editorial Board meeting"
Chicago Tribune, editorial: "Editorial: We endorse Eileen O’Neill Burke for Cook County state’s attorney"
Injustice Watch: "Dominance of appointed judges in primary election highlights Illinois Supreme Court’s power"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Justice Joy Cunningham runs to keep seat on Illinois Supreme Court, facing primary challenge from Judge Jesse Reyes"
Austin Weekly News: "What to know about the March primary on the West Side"

SPRINGFIELD
The State Journal-Register: "4 things to watch for in Pritzker's budget address"
NPR Illinois: "Pritzker to mull tightening fiscal landscape in budget address this week"

CHICAGO POLICE
BlockClub Chicago: "911 Calls On South, West Sides Ignored While ‘Rapid Response’ Cops Make Traffic Stops Instead"
Chicago Tribune: "Beyond Adam Toledo, another 19 pending Police Board cases paused during dispute over cop discipline"
Chicago Sun-Times: "City Council again rejects allowing police disciplinary hearings to be held in secret"
Chicago Tribune: "As Chicago police grapple with mental health issues, deficiencies in the response are laid out in federal court"

SHOTSPOTTER
WTTW: "Mayor Brandon Johnson Cancels ShotSpotter Contract, Fulfilling Major Campaign Promise"
Chicago Tribune: "Johnson says he expects ShotSpotter to remain through September, but dodges contract questions"
Chicago Tribune: "Mayor Brandon Johnson will not renew ShotSpotter after summer"
WTTW: "City Inks ShotSpotter Contract Extension Through September"
Chicago Tribune: "Editorial: ShotSpotter disaster only the latest example of mayoral incompetence"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Crain's Chicago Business: "Editorial: The migrant crisis opens a rift between the mayor and would-be allies"
NPR Illinois: "Pritzker, Preckwinkle seek $250M more for Chicago’s migrant crisis — but no pledge from Johnson"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Pritzker, Preckwinkle pony up $250M for migrant crisis. As for Johnson? He won't say."
The State Journal-Register: "Illinois, Cook County seeking more than $250M for migrant crisis"
Chicago Tribune: "Mayor Brandon Johnson cites differences on migrant response for failure to pitch in on latest state, Cook County funding plan"
WGN: "Johnson defends his time as Chicago mayor amid growing criticism"
WTTW: "Just 29% of Federal COVID-19 Relief Funds Meant to Transform Chicago Have Been Spent: Data"
WTTW: "Johnson Promises to Spend All of Chicago’s Federal COVID-19 Relief Funds, With Focus on ‘Disinvested’ Communities"

MIGRANT CRISIS
Chicago Tribune: "5-year-old migrant who fell sick in shelter died of sepsis, medical examiner says"
Chicago Sun-Times: "To trace the origins of busing migrants to Chicago, start with Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz"
Chicago Tribune: "Illegal border crossings from Mexico plummeted in January"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Number of migrants in Chicago shelters at lowest point in months"
WBEZ: "How are the Chicago suburbs handling the influx of migrants?"

POLICING/LAW ENFORCEMENT
Innocence Project: "Artificial Intelligence Is Putting Innocent People at Risk of Being Incarcerated"
Times-Tribune: "Collinsville PD start on their first two CIP projects of 2024 outspends her using self-financing"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Patrick Kenneally: Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx finds legislative way to avoid reality"

FIREARMS
WBEZ Chicago: "After Illinois banned assault weapons, rural gun owners registered very few of them"
Naperville Sun: "Gun rights groups ask SCOTUS to review Illinois’ assault weapons ban"
Aurora Beacon-News: "Aurora honors victims of Pratt mass shooting at candlelight vigil"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
BlockClub Chicago: "Englewood Church Opening Free Community Healing Resource Center"
NPR Illinois: "Violent crime is dropping fast in the U.S. — even if Americans don't believe it"
The Appeal: "ASK THE APPEAL: WHY DO AMERICANS THINK THE U.S. IS TOO ‘SOFT’ ON CRIME?"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Edgewater residents express safety concerns, demand solutions at public forum"
The Daily LIne: "Alderpeople ask new public health commissioner about Treatment not Trauma, staff vacancies"
Chicago Tribune: "SheRo Program from social services agency UCAN Chicago helps heal women most at risk for violence"
Naperville Sun: "Property crime went up nearly 8% in Naperville in 2023, police statistics show"

Feb. 6 - Feb. 12, 2024

YOUTH
WNIJ Northern Public Radio: "Several northern Illinois juvenile detention centers non-compliant in education & discipline"
WBEZ Chicago: "Bill backed by Pritzker would require a lawyer for kids under 18 during interrogations"
WIFR: "Winnebago County Juvenile Detention Center addressing concerns from report"
Bolts: "A Wave of States Reduce “Death by Incarceration” for Young Adults "

PRISONS AND JAILS
WSIL: "Imprisoned mom wins early release but same relief blocked for some other domestic violence survivors"
Chicago Sun-Times: "The Cook County Jail population has shrunk dramatically, but costs have not. Why?"
KWQC: "Henry County Jail Admin resigns following allegations"
WBEZ Chicago: "The winner of a $4 billion Illinois contract has a history of preventable deaths in state prisons"
Truthout: "Prison Lockdowns Are Becoming More Frequent and More Brutal Across the US"
The Marshall Project: "My Biggest Daily Challenge in Prison Isn’t Violence. It’s the Monotony"

HOUSING/BRING CHICAGO HOME
The Daily Line: "Beale, Cardenas speak against Bring Chicago Home to property owner group"
WBEZ Chicago: "What voters need to know about the Bring Chicago Home referendum"
South Side Weekly: "South Side Mobilizes for Bring Chicago Home Referendum"

REENTRY
Kane Count Connects: "From There to Here – Kane County Sheriff Introduces First of its Kind Supportive Reentry Program"
AOL.com: "Chicago program aids former inmates in rebuilding lives after prison"
Law360: "Pushing To Make The Formerly Incarcerated A Protected Class"

COURTS, LEGAL SYSTEM
WBEZ Chicago: "Chicago falls shy of national milestone for women attorneys"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Lawsuit filed on behalf of 15 people wounded in mass shooting at North Lawndale Halloween party"
WGLT: "Judge denies Barton McNeil's petition for new trial in 1998 Bloomington murder"

PRE-TRIAL FAIRNESS/SAFE-T ACT
McKinley Park News: "Police Council Meeting Spotlights Domestic Abuse Spike, Pretrial Fairness Act"
WJBD: "Centralia Police raising new frustration with SAFE-T act following two recent incidents"
WGN: "Dolton shooting suspect was free awaiting murder trial"

MARCH 19 ELECTION
Chicago Sun-Times: "Who will replace Kim Foxx as Cook County’s top prosecutor?"
Chicago Tribune: "Democratic candidates for state’s attorney split on juvenile crimes, retail theft"
ABC7: "Cook County State's Attorney Democratic candidates discuss public safety in primary debate"
The Daily Line: "Circuit Court Clerk raising more in outside funds as her primary opponent outspends her using self-financing"
Injustice Watch: "It’s never been easier or harder to become a Cook County judge"
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin: "Jesse G. Reyes makes case he’d lend different voice to high court"
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin: "Justice Joy V. Cunningham translates varied career roles to court insights"

POLITICS/LEGISLATION
The State Journal-Register: "Funeral home regulations, police stop policies among 8 bills to know in Illinois"
NBC5: "Exclusive: Pritzker, Johnson, Preckwinkle meet to discuss Chicago migrant situation"
MyJournal Courier: "Lawmakers introduce police reform, advocates push to end tipped wage"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Block Club Chicago: "After Senn Student Killed, Edgewater Officials To Host Victims’ Advocate Session, Public Safety Meeting"
USA Today: "Exclusive: Biden White House readies week of events on combatting gun violence"
AP: "Justice Department proposes major changes to address disparities in state crime victim funds"

PUBLIC HEALTH
AP: "The effect of police violence on Black Americans’ health is documented in 2 new studies"
JAMA Network: "Officer-Involved Killings of Unarmed Black People and Racial Disparities in Sleep Health"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
ABC7: "Chicago migrants are under pressure as the deadline to find permanent housing looms"
WGN 9: "New city initiative to streamline resources to better handle migrant crisis"
South Side Weekly: "Camp Plans Collapse, but Challenges Remain"

CHICAGO POLICE
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago’s top cop admits he mistakenly touted wrong murder clearance rate for this year"
CBS2 Chicago: "Proposed Illinois legislation would shed light on homicide clearance rate"
Block Club Chicago: "City’s Top Cop Vows To Improve Community Policing, Asks West Siders To Work Together"
Chicago Sun-Times: "City Council committee OKs study on how best to deploy Chicago police as resources shrink, some crimes spike"
Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons "CPD required to conduct workforce study, Mayor Johnson’s plans to address migrant crisis"
BlockClub Chicago: "CTA Smoking Tickets Spike As Police Crack Down On Puffing Passengers"
Columbia Journalism Review: "How we’re failing to cover the cops"

SHOTSPOTTER CONTRACT
Chicago Sun-Times: "Is Chicago Sticking With ShotSpotter? City Won’t Say What’s Next For Controversial Technology"
Chicago Tribune: "Editorial: Chicago’s new top cop doesn’t want to nix ShotSpotter. He deserves time to make his case."
Chicago Sun-Times: "Top prosecutor says ShotSpotter has little impact on gun violence cases as mayor faces pressure to renew contract"
WTTW Chicago: "Will Chicago Renew its ShotSpotter Contract? Public Sounds Off on Controversial Technology During Community Hearing"
WBEZ Chicago: "At public forum on South Side, residents are divided on city’s renewing ShotSpotter deal"
South Side Weekly: "Activists Spar with ShotSpotter CEO at CCPSA Meeting"

POLICING/LAW ENFORCEMENT
Illinois Public Media: "After fatal shootings, Rantoul police recommended more training. They just sent one officer to a gun range"
Belleville News-Democrat: "Man accused of shooting Granite City Police officer shot dead in standoff, police say"
Chicago Tribune: "Family of man killed by Carol Stream police condemns officers after viewing bodycam video"
Daily Southtown: "Park Forest use of drone in arrest is part of debate on use of unmanned crafts"
Northwest Herald: "McHenry County takes on ‘contagion’ of sex trafficking and exploitation: ‘It can consume anyone’"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Expect the DEA to finally decide on whether to loosen its grip on pot by end of March, insider says"
Herald-Whig: "Fraternal Order of Police voice support for Moore for House seat"

FIREARMS
St. Louis Public Radio: "Illinois Supreme Court denies state lawmaker’s bid to vacate gun ban ruling"

Jan. 30 - Feb. 5, 2024

YOUTH SYSTEMS
Crain's Chicago Business: "New effort aims to advance trauma-informed care in Illinois"
WAND: "Pritzker announces statewide initiative with Google Public Sector to improve access to children’s behavioral healthcare resources"
Time Magazine: "Why Mandatory Reporting Doesn’t Keep Children Safe"
WGLT: "YouthBuild celebrates 30 years helping adolescents in McLean County"

PRISONS/JAILS
WTTW: "While Many in Illinois Prisons Need Medication for Opioid Use Disorders, Advocates Say System Slow to Provide"
Between The Lines: "Fighting to Reform U.S. Mass Incarceration from Inside the System: Interview with Nneka Jones Tapia, managing director of justice initiatives at Chicago Beyond, and former warden of Chicago’s Cook County Jail, conducted by Melinda Tuhus"
WTTW: "New Gallery, Community Hub Links Incarcerated Artists to Chicago Communities: ‘We Use Art as Connective Tissue’ | Chicago News | WTTW"
Yahoo Finance: "Can A New Rule Change By The Small Business Administration Give Formerly Incarcerated Citizens A Chance At Entrepreneurship?"
Lake & McHenry County Scanner: "150 Lake County Jail inmates now housed in McHenry County Jail under new agreement amid staffing shortage"

COURTS, LEGAL SYSTEM
WGEM: "‘The modern attorney has made a lot of changes’: Local attorneys weigh in on legal challenges in the Tri-States"
Chicago Tribune: "Chicago police sergeant involved in two controversial fatal shootings now running for Cook County judge"
WGN 9: "Bumpy rollout of updated Circuit Court online system as clerk prepares for election"
The Center Square: "Cook County’s gun, ammo tax subject of Illinois appeals court hearing"
American Constitution Society: "ACS Chicago: Illinois Supreme Court Candidate Forum"

PUBLIC DEFENSE
Muddy River News: "With Adams County Public Defender’s office already shorthanded, Nelson leaving as chief public defender on Feb. 15"
WGEM: "Adams County Public Defender Todd Nelson steps down"

SAFE-T / PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT
Spotify: "The Price of Freedom: Cash Bail and Pretrial Detention"
Lake County News Sun: "Column: State law which erased cash bail appears to be working"
BGA: "SAFE-T Act Data Collection Begins Behind Schedule"
Shaw Local News Network: "What’s happening in Joliet mass shooting investigation"
Herald-News: "Supporters of cashless bail still fighting ‘campaign of misinformation'"
Chicago Tribune: "Illinois appeals courts see ‘dramatic increase’ in cases following elimination of cash bail"

MARCH 19 ELECTION
Chicago Sun-Times: "Eileen O’Neill Burke would lose $211,000 yearly pension if elected Cook County state’s attorney. Here’s why"
NBC5 Chicago: "Judge O'Neill Burke hits airwaves with TV ad in Cook County State's Attorney's race"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Cap20: "In 2023, Gun Violence Trended Down Across the Country"
CAP20: "Community Violence Intervention: Susan Lee and Chicago CRED"
Chicago Tribune: "Foundations, business interests raise $66 milliion to fight crime in Chicago"
WTTW: "New Anti-Violence Initiative Aims to Reduce Chicago Shootings by 50% in 5 Years"
WBEZ Chicago: "Shootings of Chicago students prompts push for anti-violence workers in high schools'
Chicago Tribune: "Editorial: Business community’s massive new violence-prevention commitment puts millions toward a safer Chicago"
Chicago Sun-Times: "CPD Supt. Larry Snelling addresses public safety concerns at West Side meeting of oversight panel"
Block Club Chicago: "Englewood Alderwoman Wants To ‘Level Up’ Gender-Based Violence Task Force"
Chicago Tribune: "Editorial: It would have been good to see Chicago top cop Larry Snelling address the public after horrific Loop slayings"

POLICING
IPM News: "Champaign hired Police Chief Timothy Tyler despite disciplinary past and allegations of misconduct"
IPM Newsroom: "After fatal shootings, Rantoul police recommended more training. They just sent one officer to a gun range"
Edwardsville Intelligencer: "ISP's new strategy slashes Metro East crime rates"
23WIFR: "Illinois law enforcement roundtable discusses border crisis, policy solutions"
Chicago Sun-Times: "‘They shot my son down like he was a dog,’ says mother of man killed by Carol Stream police"

CHICAGO POLICE
Reader: "Shots in the dark The $33 million contract with SoundThinking, the company behind ShotSpotter, is up for renewal in February—yet concerns abound"
WTTW: "City Council Set to Weigh Push to Require CPD to Study How Officers Are Deployed, Despite Political Peril"
Chicago Sun-Times: "City Council committee rejects arbitrator’s police disciplinary ruling for a second time"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Judge halts all proceedings before Chicago Police Board after City Council again delays vote on what cases can be heard in private"
WTTW: "Judge rules to delay police board discipline until Chicago council votes on the issue"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "David Greising: Public disciplinary hearings are crucial to regaining trust in Chicago police"
WTTW: "Fate of Officer Who Fatally Shot Adam Toledo Depends on Whether Chicago City Council Rejects Push to Upend Police Discipline System"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago’s top cop halting initiative that has sent ‘scarecrow’ police cars downtown"
Axios: "Chicago police end "scarecrow policing" tactic downtown"
Chicago Tribune: "Editorial: Good riddance to the flashing blue lights. But the Loop still needs police officers out of their cars"
WTTW: "‘We’ll Adjust’: Top Cop Larry Snelling Responds After Mayor Johnson Expresses Support For Removing School Resource Officers"
NBC5: "Exclusive: Chicago police step up efforts to combat CTA crime"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Chicago Sun-Times: "Johnson’s clout on the line with Bring Chicago Home referendum"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Johnson says he supports removal of police officers from schools"
South Side Weekly: "ShotSpotter Lobbied Mayor’s Office ahead of Budget Vote"

FIREARMS
The Center Square: "Judge ‘not interested’ in delaying challenge to Illinois gun ban"
The Trace: "Mexico’s Lawsuit Against U.S. Gunmakers Has Cleared a Big Hurdle"
ProPublica: "Indiana Lawmakers Trying to Kill Historic Suit Seeking Gun Industry Accountability"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
ABC7: "City council committee examines conditions at shelters for Chicago migrants"
Chicago Tribune: "Chicago aldermen focus on migrant work authorizations rather than shelter conditions"
Chicago Tribune: "Niles, Lincolnwood, Norridge pass ordinances to curb unscheduled bus drop-offs of migrants"

Jan. 23 - Jan. 29, 2024

PRISONS/JAILS
AP: "A private prison health care company accused of substandard care is awarded new contract in Illinois"
WTTW: "Despite ‘Lack of Progress’ Toward Consent Decree, IDOC Awards New $4B Contract to Same Private Health Care Provider"
SEIU Local 73: "Cook County Workers Testify About Short Staffing During Committee Hearing"
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin: "Jail guards in Cook County can proceed with sexual harassment suits"
Law360: "Cook County Can't Duck 300 Officers' Harassment Claims"
Evanston Roundtable: "Northwestern prison grad marches through the arch"
Chicago Tribune: "Man who conspired with sister in infamous 1993 ‘black widow’ murder case released from prison"

YOUTH SYSTEMS
Rockford Register Star: "Officials: Expansion needed at Winnebago County Juvenile Detention Center"
My Stateline.com: "The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice report presented to Winnebago board"
Rockford Register Star: "Report: Confinement, water access used as punishment in Winnebago County youth detention"
Daily Journal: "Illinois DCFS offers post-secondary scholarships to current, former youth in care"
Illinois Public Media: "New program aims to help mental health of Illinois youth"

SAFE-T / PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT
Patch: "Stop Spreading False Info About SAFE-T Act, Romeo Nance Bail: Group"
WREX: "Lee County sees one appeal since implementing Pretrial Fairness Act"
Shaw Local: "What’s happening in Joliet mass shooting investigation"
Chicago Tribune: "Illinois appeals courts see ‘dramatic increase’ in cases following elimination of cash bail"

COURTS, LEGAL SYSTEM
The News-Gazette: "Jim Dey | Murders moving onto one docket"
WCPT820: "A lack of attorneys creates ‘legal deserts’ in rural Illinois counties"
Naperville Sun: "Lawyers for man charged in 1972 murder of Naperville girl want more statements excluded from trial"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
CBS News Chicago: "Chicagoans raise crime concerns at public hearing with CPD Supt. Larry Snelling"
WGN 9: "Chinatown residents show public safety concerns at first CCPSA public hearing"
Reader: "Editor’s note: public safety. Is it more dangerous on Chicago streets these days than it was before? Or does it depend on who you are?"
Chicago Tribune: "Faith leaders: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s public safety plan continues the major mistakes of its predecessors"
Reader: "Walls Turned Sideways aims to foster community on the west side"
The Appeal: "NON-POLICE CRISIS RESPONSE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN WORKING. HERE’S HOW."
WTTW: "211 Helpline Connects Cook County Residents to Health and Social Services: ‘It’s Those Everyday Emergencies"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Tinley Park, Joliet mass shootings are a reminder that deadly violence against women is all too common"
Our Quad Cities: "Deflection Initiative holds East Moline meeting to discuss approaching people to substance use, behavioral health issues"
The State Journal-Register: "'We need to strengthen domestic violence laws:' Advocates urge passage of Karina's Bill"
The State Journal-Register: "Homicides down in Springfield for third consecutive year"

CHICAGO POLICE
Block Club Chicago: "Top Cop Larry Snelling Reaffirms Support For ShotSpotter At Community Meeting"
South Side Weekly: "CPD Reported Hundreds of Missed Shootings to ShotSpotter Last Year"
ProPublica: "How Chicago Became an Unlikely Leader in Body-Camera Transparency
The city has a long history of brutal, violent policing, but its latest approach to body-worn cameras and police oversight could serve as a national model"
NBC 5 Chicago: "Left for Dead: Chicago police reports show months of inaction in deadly hit-and-run investigationRecords show investigators searched the Malibu - left behind at the scene - six days after the crash and found a debit card with the suspect's name on it"
Chicago Tribune: "Charges dropped against Chicago police officers accused of beating teen"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor to seek second vote rejecting arbitrator’s ruling on CPD disciplinary hearings"
CBS 2 Chicago: "Chicago City Council puts off final votes on police arbitration ruling, new restrictions on dollar stores"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Johnson calls off 2nd vote to reject police arbitration"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago police officer gets three months home detention for participating in Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot"
Hyde Park Herald: "Monument to honor Chicago’s police torture survivors proceeds with community input"

LAW ENFORCEMENT/POLICING REFORM
CBS 2 Chicago: "Some disappointed in Ring's new restriction on police asking for doorbell camera video"
WTTW: "Newly Released CPS Security Guard Disciplinary Records Shine Light on Serious Cases at Roosevelt, Mather High Schools"
Belleville News-Democrat: "It was a Belleville hotel, then a college dorm. Now it will house police in training.
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin: "School district ordered to turn over documents in excessive force case"

ELECTIONS
Chicago Tribune: "Ethnicity, experience take center stage in first faceoff of Illinois Supreme Court candidates"
NBC 5 Chicago: "Your guide to voting in the 2024 Illinois primary election"
Lake County News Sun: "Despite likely presidential election rematch, Lake County political leaders focused on local races; ‘We’re excited to take on the challenge"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor Brandon Johnson’s job performance rated fair to poor by majority of Chicago voters in new poll"
Fox32 Chicago: "Chicago mayor launches annual 'Point-in-Time' count to assess homelessness"
Reader: "Groups demand end to ShotSpotter contract, ceasefire vote delayed, poor living conditions for migrants. A weekly column covering the top stories on the Reader’s radar and how they impact our communities"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Chicago Sun-Times: "City Council members urge mayor to stop eviction of migrants, citing threat to their health and safety"
Chicago Tribune: "Mayor Johnson calls on state to build migrant shelters outside Chicago"
PBS: "Spotlight Politics: State, City At Odds Over Migrant Crisis"
Shaw Local News Network: "DeKalb area leaders embark on initial planning for possible arrival of migrants
Recent meeting draws dozens to help figure out plan to support access to aid for migrants if they come to town"

FIREARMS
Chicago Sun-Times: "Illinois ban on assault weapons is working"
The Center Square: "Latest gun ban lawsuit seeks court to declare plaintiff a peace officer"
The Trace: "Storing Guns Safely Could Save Lives. Why Aren’t Americans Listening?"
Muddy River News: "State of Illinois says ‘Government has no authority’ to impose penalties for not registering banned guns"
WSIU: "Illinois lawmaker petitions Illinois Supreme Court to vacate decision on weapons ban law"

Jan. 16 - Jan. 22, 2024

PRISONS/JAILS
Chicago Tribune: "Edgar Naranjo was freed after serving half of a 40-year sentence. Critics say his case shows what’s wrong with the felony murder law"
Bolts: "How Illinois Housing Banishment Laws Push People into Homelessness and Prison "
WTTW: "Nearly 1,300 State Laws Prevent People with Criminal Records from Moving On After Serving Their Sentences"
Fox32 Chicago: "Cook County Jail inmates become authors in nonprofit's writing program"
The Sentencing Project: "One in Five: How Mass Incarceration Deepens Inequality and Harms Public Safety"
WTTW: "‘You Know You’re Innocent, Yet Nobody’s Hearing You.’ Jimmy Soto Looks to Future After Serving 42 Years for Wrongful Conviction"

YOUTH SYSTEMS
The Imprint: "DOJ Calls on States To Eliminate Juvenile System Fines and Fees"
WREX: "Winnebago County Juvenile Center accused of shutting off water to children as punishment along with several other violations"
The Pantagraph: "Bloomington nonprofit aims to expand facility, enhance services for homeless youth"
The Crusader: "Legislation requires agency to accompany photos of children in their care"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
The Guardian: "Crime in the US is once again falling. Can we rethink policing?"
Chicago Tribune: "Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot calls on feds to accelerate migrant work authorization, launches effort to support local nonprofits"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Lori E. Lightfoot: Many Chicago nonprofits struggle to sustain themselves. We can help them help themselves"
ABC 7 News: "Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot launches organization to help community nonprofits"
Truthout: "The Only Solution to “Wealth Supremacy” Is a Democratic Economy"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor Brandon Johnson pushes the deadline back again to move migrants out of shelters"
IPM News: "Illinois House speaker assembles lawmakers to recommend help for migrant crisis"
Fox32 Chicago: "Illinois announces additional funding for migrants, but there's a catch"
Fox32 Chicago: "Chicago 'pauses' new migrant shelters"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
WTTW: "Emails Show Johnson, City Officials Notified About Sewage, Roaches and Illnesses at Pilsen Migrant Shelter Almost 2 Months Before Boy’s Death Highlighted Problems"
The Triibe: "Is the Johnson Administration listening to gender-based violence support groups?"

HOUSING
Crain's Chicago Business: "Johnson's real estate transfer tax plan is dealt a major blow"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Paul Vallas: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ‘mansion tax’ plan is a regressive tax increase in search of a program"
NPR Illinois: "Sangamon County's struggles with homelessness may lessen with opening of $9 million shelter"

COURTS
Chicago Sun-Times: "Six reputed gang members found guilty in Gold Coast slaying of rapper FBG Duck: ‘O Block ... is done’"
Chicago Tribune: "Is marijuana odor an ‘aroma of legality’ or a reason for cops to search vehicles? Illinois Supreme Court to decide"
Illinois Radio Network: "Legislator says Illinois cannabis revenue needs to be properly spent"
Illinois State Bar Association: "Illinois Supreme Court Appoints Seven Judges to Circuit Court of Cook County"
IPM News: "Illinois high court hands lawmakers a rare pension-overhaul victory"
Law 360: "For Immigrants, Gun Rights Debate Goes Beyond Firearms"

PRIMARY ELECTION
The Crusader: "Black leaders step up support for Harris after reports"
WBEZ Chicago: "The Democratic Party’s pick to replace Kim Foxx is behind in fundraising"

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT
Daily Northwestern: "Illinois justice system begins to see impacts four months after eliminating cash bail"
Chicago Sun-Times: "With end of cash bail, ‘dramatic increase’ in appeals from people ordered held in jail or told to submit to restrictions to be released"
Daily Journal: "Update on the state's no cash bail system"
The Bar News: "Illinois Supreme Court Announces Creation of Pretrial Release Appeals Task Force"
My Stateline.com: "Illinois creates task force to review ‘dramatic increase’ in pretrial release appeals"
The State Journal-Register: "'Dramatic' increase in pretrial release appeals causes high court to create task force"

LAW ENFORCEMENT/POLICING
WREX.com: "Illinois State Police report decrease of traffic fatalities, shootings in 2023"
ABC News: "Former police captain weighs in on use of Taser on Illinois teen with autism"
Capitol News Illinois: "As recreational cannabis sales again hit record, Illinois AG calls for federal rescheduling"

CHICAGO POLICE
Chicago Sun-Times: "CPD officer who fatally shot man during domestic disturbance call in Gresham faces firing"
South Side Weekly: "Applications Open for Police Oversight Commission"
TechPolicy.press: "Will Chicago Learn From Its Past Mistakes With ShotSpotter?"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Feds want a year in prison for Chicago police officer who entered the Capitol on Jan. 6"
CBS News Chicago: "COPA recommends Chicago Police officer be fired for shooting, killing domestic violence victim"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Firm tied to former Chicago top cop David Brown back at police academy after being dumped over cost"
WTTW: "Repeated Police Misconduct by 141 Officers Cost Chicago Taxpayers $142.8M Over 4 Years"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Judge rules police can wear full uniforms at murder trial of man charged with shooting Officer Ella French"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Soldier who sold guns used by Chicago gang members in 2 mass shootings pleads guilty"

GUN LAWS/FIREARMS
Capitol News Illinois: "Lawmakers clear path for assault weapon registration rules"
Chicago Tribune: "Legislators OK rules for maintaining, enforcing registry of guns covered by state ban"
Texas Public Radio: "Illinois has banned assault weapons, but many residents aren't complying"
The Center Square: "Despite legislators objecting, Illinois’ gun ban rules remain in effect"

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
BlockClub Chicago: "Democratic National Convention Prep Underway As Leaders Push For ‘Blue Wall’ Success In Election"
ABC7 Chicago: "DNC Chicago organizers unveil logo, strategy for 2024 convention"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago’s FBI boss preparing for threats in unusual election year that brings Democratic convention to town"

Jan. 9- Jan. 15, 2024

YOUTH LEGAL SYSTEM
Chalkbeat: "How many out-of-school, out-of-work youth did Chicago reengage last school year?"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Expensive program to get high-risk teens back in school is off to a slow start"
NIU Today: "Project FLEX earns $2.55M to maintain, advance work in juvenile justice centers"
KHQA: "Report: 1,009 children in Illinois DCFS care kept in facilities longer than they needed to be"
The Progressive Magazine: "More Policing Won’t Solve Youth Crime"
WGN: "BUILDing Boys 2 Men: Providing Mentorship and Counseling To Local Youth"

PRISONS/JAILS
The Marshall Project: "New Data Shows How Dire the Prison Staffing Shortage Really Is"
Hyde Park Herald: "U. of C. students barred from county jail for criticizing restrictions"
IPM Newsroom: "Illinois to report for first time how many prisoners are taking college courses – and how many are waiting for access"
Reader: "Exonerated, graduated, and ready for law school"
Austin Weekly News: "Foundation offers help to seal and expunge criminal records"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Chicago Sun-Times: "Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Garien Gatewood
The Fran Spielman Show"
Chicago Tribune: "We Rise Together program building a rising tide of economic recovery in Black and Latinx communities"
STAT: "As she drives research on structural racism in health care, Rachel Hardeman faces a painful reckoning"
Chicago Tribune: "Illinois sets another record for recreational cannabis sales in 2023, but purchases by out-of-staters decline"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Paul Vallas: Gender-based violence is Chicago’s forgotten issue"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Ephraim Lee: Chicago leaders turn away from who is doing the killing in Black communities"
Daily Herald: "Town hall hears county’s diverse approach to fighting gun violence"
CBS News Chicago: "Experts concerned about crash-and-grab burglaries turning violent in Chicago"
KFF Health News: "States begin tapping Medicaid dollars to combat gun violence"
South Side Weekly: "Who Goes Missing. Black children make up nearly sixty percent of missing person cases in Chicago, but police data make them hard to analyze"

HOUSING
Block Club Chicago: "The CHA Owns More Than 130 Acres Of Vacant Land And Buildings — Enough To Fill 25 City Blocks"
Politico Illinois Playbook: "Bring Chicago Home staffs up"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Real estate transfer tax referendum campaign heating up"
Block Club Chicago: "Bring Chicago Home Advocates Say ‘Frivolous’ Lawsuit Won’t Block Ballot Question"
Crain's Chicago Business: "As 'mansion tax' catches on in U.S. cities, Los Angeles offers lessons"
Herald-Whig: "Quincy's housing shortage hampers efforts to assist those facing homelessness"
Dispatch-Argus: "Annie Wittenmyer complex could become affordable housing"
Block Club Chicago: "Short-Term Youth Shelter Proposed For Humboldt Park Apartment Complex"

LEGAL SYSTEMS
Fox32 Chicago: "Foxx reflects on community safety achievements in West Side meeting"
WTTW: "As Illinois Officials Push Back Against Book Bans, Some Advocates Wonder About Actual Impact on Prison Libraries"
Illinois State Bar Association: "Illinois Supreme Court Appoints David W. Neal as ARDC Review Board Member"
Captiol News Illinois: "Illinois Supreme Court weighs admissibility of ‘reenactment’ in murder case"
Law360 "The Issues Access To Justice Leaders Are Watching In 2024"

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS/SAFE-T ACT
Madison St. Clair Record: "Madison, St. Clair Counties adjusting well to SAFE-T Act mandates, but see increased demand on public defenders"
WLS 890 AM: "Take 1 with Bill Cameron (01-14-2024) - McHenry County State's Attorney Patrick Kenneally"
WCBU: "Peoria seeks overhaul broadening mandatory detention for youth and adults in state's cashless bail system"

LAW ENFORCEMENT/POLICING
Chicago Sun-Times: "Ex-police officer settles discrimination suit over Muslim faith against suburban department for $475,000"
The Department of Justice: "DOJ issues new guide for specialized police units in the wake of Tyre Nichols' death"
Vera: "Police Are Stopping Fewer Drivers — and It’s Increasing Safety"
WBEZ Chicago: "The UIC campus cop with extremist ties is banned from testifying in Cook County court cases"
Rockford Register Star: "Body camera footage released of man being shot, killed by Rockford police officer"
The Marshall Project: "More Police Are Using Your Cameras for Video Evidence"
CBS News Chicago: "Video shows suburban Chicago police officer throw handcuffed suspect to the ground"

GUN LAWS/FIREARMS
Capitol News Illinois: "SCOTUS denies one appeal of assault weapons ban while another waits in the wings"
The Center Square: "With low compliance, Pritzker says state will work through gun registration ‘challenges’"
The News-Gazette: "Open-records report | Firearms reported stolen to Champaign police"

SPRINGFIELD
WBEZ Chicago: "With a March 19 primary election looming, Illinois lawmakers return to Springfield"

CHICAGO POLICE
Chicago Tribune: "Appellate court upholds $3 million jury award, rules Chicago police should have done more to protect slain domestic violence victim"
Illinois House Democratic Caucus: "Rep. Mary Gill Seeks to Preserve LSCs Right to Decide on Police Protection"
WBEZ Chicago: "Journalists from Chicago and Paris reflect on common experiences with racial profiling"
Chicago Tribune: "Officials call for splitting Chicago police 8th District to better serve residents"
Block Club Chicago: "Should The 13th Police District Reopen? March Ballot Asks Some West Town Neighbors To Weigh In"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Chicago Sun-Times: "Pritzker urges Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to stop migrant drop-offs in winter storm: ‘I plead with you for mercy’"
Shaw Local News Network: "DeKalb City Council backs plan to regulate buses carrying migrants"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Johnson, suburban mayors to talk state of Chicago migrant crisis"

Jan. 2 - Jan. 8, 2024

YOUTH LEGAL SYSTEMS
The State Journal-Register: "Smith out, Mueller in as new director of DCFS"
ABC 7: "Illinois juvenile justice chief to take over troubled child-services agency"
The News-Gazette: "Editorial | New child-protection chief will have her hands full"
ProPublica: "Illinois Judge Closes Juvenile Detention Center After “Facility in Crisis” Fails to Meet New State Standards"
Rock River Current: "Community Foundation Of Northern Illinois’ Youth-Led Council Awards Nearly $19K In Grants"
Youth Today: "Trauma-informed ‘hubs’ reduce Chicago youth incarceration"

LAW ENFORCEMENT
WCIA: "Central Illinois sheriff won’t penalize gun owners who fail to register banned guns"
The State Journal-Register "Sangamon County sheriff won't arrest owners of banned assault weapons for not registering"
Vox: "The shoplifting scare might not have been real — but its effects are"

GUN VIOLENCE DATA
New York Times: "After Rise in Murders During the Pandemic, a Sharp Decline in 2023
The country is on track for a record drop in homicides, and many other categories of crime are also in decline, according to the F.B.I."
WTTW: "Shootings, Homicides in Chicago Drop 13% in 2023 and Returned to Pre-Pandemic Levels, But Violence Numbers Remain Among Highest in Recent Decades"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
WBEZ Chicago: "How the Johnson administration plans to prevent Chicago crime
With 40% more victims than the previous year, Chicago stood out among U.S. cities for a spike in robberies in 2023"
Crain's Chicago Business: "States, including Illinois, begin tapping Medicaid dollars to combat gun violence"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Commentary: Where poverty is pervasive, solutions must be radical and relentless"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Lakaya Knight: To bring an end to ‘youth trends,’ the city must create mental health alternatives"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Dr. John Walkup: Chicago’s youths are yearning for adult support. Here’s what we need to do"
Chicago Sun-Times, opinion: "In 40 years as a journalist, I visited every Chicago neighborhood. For the first time, I now fear for my safety"
South Side Weekly: "After I Was Shot, My Friends Wanted Retribution. I Chose Empathy"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Chicago and Cook County try bold experiments to combat economic inequity"
South Side Weekly: "The Healthcare System Failed Me After Getting Shot"
Illinois Public Media: "He used education to escape a violent childhood. Today, he wants to help kids in similar situations"

CHICAGO POLICE
WBEZ Chicago: "Chicago Board of Education is considering removing cops from schools this fall"
Chicago Tribune: "Editorial: The decision on whether to have police officers in Chicago’s public schools should be kept local"
Chicago Tribune: "City’s police accountability agency did not finish investigation against infamous cop, declines to wrap it up now"
Chicago Tribune: "Retired CPD detective draws complaints alleging misconduct including witness coercion"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Arbitrator reaffirms police disciplinary ruling, urges City Council to reconsider its rejection"
WGN 9: "Arbitrator blasts Mayor Johnson, City Council for ‘big lie’ about cop discipline"
WTTW: "Push to Create Permanent Chicago Police Oversight Board Begins"
Chicago Tribune: "Leadership turnover, officer deaths, robbery spike challenged CPD in 2023"
Truthout: "Chicago Police Department Perpetuates Its Violence by Punishing Whistleblowers"

PRISONS/JAILS
NPR Illinois: "There is little scrutiny of 'natural' deaths behind bars"
Patch: "Short-Staffed Lake County Jail Deemed 'Insufficient' By Sheriff"
ABC 7: "Lake County IL jail inmates to be transferred to McHenry County amid staffing crisis, sheriff says"
NPR Illinois: "People in prison explain what music means to them — and how they access it"
New York Times: "He Was One of the Central Park Five. Now He’s Councilman Yusef Salaam"
Block Club Chicago: "Some Of Chicago’s Best Pizza Might Be Inside Cook County Jail — And You Can Taste It Soon"
U.S. Department of Justice: "BJS releases Federal Pretrial Release During the Coronavirus Pandemic, Fiscal Years 2019–2021"

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT
WMBD: "‘No cash bail seen as factor in holding down Peoria County’s jail population"
River County 107.1: "Lee County States Attorney Says the No-Cash Bail is Being Paid For Out of Taxpayers Pockets"
Northwest Herald: "Kenneally: Data show an increase in crime after the SAFE-T Act’s implementation among those on bond"
The Southern Illinoisian: "Learning in Retirement: "Judge Solverson Will Discuss SAFE-T ACT at Learning in Retirement meeting"
The Center Square: "Macoupin County state’s attorney sees mixed bag from end of cash bail"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Chicago Tribune: "Business groups sue to halt ballot question on raising real estate taxes to pay for homeless services"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "David Greising: As Mayor Brandon Johnson deals with a defining crisis, he should follow Lori Lightfoot’s lead"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Laura Washington: Is Mayor Brandon Johnson measuring up? Here’s my assessment for the new year"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
ABC 7 Eyewitness News: "Chicago migrants: Mayor Johnson to meet with Illinois congressional delegation, seek federal funds"
WTTW: "Chicago’s 2024 Budget Takes Effect, as Johnson Starts Making ‘Down Payment’ on Promises Amid Migrant Crisis"
WTTW: "Chicago Paid At Least $138M to Care for Migrants in 2023, Far Less Than Projections: Data"

Dec. 26, 2023 - Jan. 1, 2024

YOUTH LEGAL SYSTEM
The Southern Illinoisian: "6 months after lawsuit alleging inhumane conditions, Franklin Co. Juvenile Detention Center set to close"
WBEZ Chicago: "Illinois DCFS struggles to fix decades of systemic issues
The department’s budget is growing as new leadership is being recruited. Advocates hope those changes signal more improvements to come"

NEW LAWS
Chicago Tribune: "New laws for 2024: Minimum wage hike, indoor vape ban and don’t worry about that thing dangling from your rearview mirror"
Capitol News Illinois: "Prohibition on book bans, right to sue for ‘deepfake porn’ among new laws taking effect Jan. 1"
AP: "Laws banning semi-automatic weapons and library censorship will take effect in Illinois"
The State Journal-Register: "Videoconferencing while driving and vaping in public spaces become illegal on Jan. 1"
WBEZ Chicago: "New Illinois law should help survivors of gender violence who sue their employers"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago ends year with fewer shootings, but many more robbers are using guns as overall crime remains high"
Shaw Local: "Felonies slide 10% in La Salle County in 2023
DUIs, misdemeanors poised for second-fewest on record"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Faith leaders: Here’s how we can be peacemakers in Chicago and beyond"
The Southern Illinoisian: "The impact of the double murders on Richmond and Cloverleaf Mall | Late Edition: Crime Beat Chronicles podcast"
Chicago Sun-Times: "To report on the impact of Chicago’s mass school closings, we turned to neighborhood residents"

2023 IN REVIEW
Lake County News Sun: "Top Stories Of 2023: Supporters of cashless bail argue decision to jail suspects, ‘should not be dependent on a person’s bank account’"
WAND: "Illinois Capitol Recap: Top political stories of 2023"
ABC 7 Chicago: "Chicago news in 2023: New laws, mayoral elections, migrant madness"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Here are the top stories that made the news in Chicago in 2023"
Austin Weekly News: "What you liked in 2023: Austin Weekly News’ Top 10 most-read stories"
Block Club Chicago: "Chicago 2023 In Photos: 83 Moments To Remember From The Neighborhoods"
Journal Star: "Favorite photos of 2023 by Peoria Journal Star photographer Matt Dayhoff"
 
POLICE REFORM
New York Times: "Police Officers Are Charged With Crimes, but Are Juries Convicting?"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Inspector general’s office passes consent decree test as CPD struggles to comply"

CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM
Chicago Tribune: "Stalled Justice: Slow Cook County courts see progress in 2023, but some decade-old cases still linger on dockets"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Former head of wrongful conviction unit leaves Cook County state’s attorney’s office month after demotion"

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT
Prism: "Illinois advocates push for reform beyond ending cash bail"

SAFE-T ACT OPPOSITION
Fox News: "After one year, 'America's most dangerous law' is damaging policing profession in Illinois, says local sheriff"
 
MIGRANT RESPONSE
Chicago Block Club: Mayor Johnson Joins NYC, Denver Mayors To Demand Federal Aid In Migrant Crisis"
Rockford Register Star: Plane carrying migrants from Texas lands in Rockford"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Chicago Tribune: "Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration enters new year with city at crossroads on migrants, other issues"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mental health top priority in 2024 says Johnson’s new public health chief"
Reader: "‘Not the way a transparent, democratic process should work’ ... Chicago community organizers and police reform advocates question the lack of transparency surrounding the city’s new contract with the FOP and say Mayor Brandon Johnson should’ve pushed for greater accountability for cops, not less"

FIREARM LEGISLATION
The Center Square: "Jan. 4 status hearing ordered in 5th Amendment challenge to Illinois’ gun ban"
The News-Gazette: "California law banning most firearms in public is taking effect as the legal fight over it continues"

Dec. 19 - Dec. 26, 2023

PRISON SYSTEM
Bolts Magazine: "“Nobody Knows What That Means”: The Murky Decisions of New York’s Parole Board"
Muddy River News: "Prisoner Review Board releases final Illinoisan serving life sentence for ‘three-strikes’ drug offense"
Block Club Chicago: "North Lawndale Reentry Center Opens To Help Neighbors Returning From Prison"
WTTW: "Chicago Man Who Was Wrongfully Convicted of Murder Based on Testimony from Blind Witness Freed After 12 Years in Prison"
Marshall Project: "A Couple That Crafts Together Stays Together"
Chicago Tribune: "Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich celebrates Christmas Mass with Cook County Jail detainees"
The Triibe: "Families of incarcerated people have to go the extra mile to spread holiday cheer"

YOUTH LEGAL SYSTEM
The News-Gazette: "Editorial | Juvenile trial-transfer options serve important purpose"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor Brandon Johnson’s anti-violence strategy takes ex-Mayor Lightfoot’s plans to a new level in 4 violent neighborhoods"
New York Times: "Shootings Dip in Chicago but Grow in Domestic Violence Cases"
Chicago Tribune: "Top Stories Of 2023: While Lake County homicides are down, ‘We are under no illusion that there is not more work to be done’"
Block Club Chicago: "West, Southwest Side Nonprofits Receive $200K Grants To Expand Employment, Outreach Programs"
Chicago Tribune: "Austin woman obtained order of protection against suspect in her death, now sought by police"
Chalk Beat: "My 16-year-old son was shot and killed. What would justice look like?"

CHICAGO POLICE/POLICING
WTTW: "Police Board to Hold Evidentiary Hearings for 4 Cops Tied to Disgraced Ex-Chicago Sgt. Ronald Watts"
WBEZ: "A Chicago agency recommends firing four cops tied to a corrupt former sergeant"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago police supervisor retires while facing demotion for failing to respond to fatal crash involving off-duty cop"
Chicago Tribune: "With new leader, Chicago Police Board dives into alleged misconduct cases"
WBEZ Chicago: "Evergreen Park stops more Black drivers than almost anywhere else in Illinois"

COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY PRIMARY ELECTION
Chicago Tribune: "State’s attorney candidate prosecuted boy whose murder conviction was overturned because police coerced confession"
WBEZ Chicago: "A Cook County state’s attorney candidate once helped convict a boy whose murder confession was found to be coerced”

CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM
Chicago Tribune: "Ed Burke ‘had his hand out for money.’ Powerful politician convicted of extortion, bribery in historic verdict"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Amid PPP fraud investigation, 9 top employees have left chief Cook County judge’s office"
WBEZ: "Charge dropped against wheelchair-bound detainee accused of battering a jail guard”
Illinois Times: "Wrongful incarceration Illinois Innocence Project helps free man who served 35 years”

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT
Block Club Chicago: "Bond Reform Has Reduced Jail Population, But State Data On Pretrial Detention Is 18 Months Late"
NPR Illinois: "The next steps now that Illinois has abolished cash bail"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Chicago Sun-Times: "Charter plane company used to transport deportees for U.S. was hired by Texas governor to bring asylum-seekers to Chicago"
The Washington Post: "A broken immigration system keeps workers out of jobs the U.S. needs to fill"

FIREARMS
Chicago Tribune: "Editorial: Rest in infamy, Westforth Sports gun store. We’re glad to see you go"
Crain's Chicago: "Federal judge declines to stay assault weapons ban ahead of Jan. 1 registration deadline"
Chicago Tribune: "Federal judge declines to delay Illinois gun registration deadline"

Dec. 12 - Dec. 18, 2023

PRISON SYSTEM
Illinois Answers Project: "Illinois Taxpayers Shell Out Hundreds of Millions as Prison Reform Lawsuits Grind On"
The Hill: "Help people in prison change for the better"
NPR Illinois: "Jail populations are bouncing back to near pre-pandemic levels"
Reader: "Who is a political prisoner? We need to recognize just how outsize a role politics plays in excessive prison sentences"

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS/SAFE-T ACT
Illinois Times: "Elimination of cash bail seems to be working"
The Southern Illinoisian: "Community meeting provides clarity on SAFE-T Act"
Effingham Daily News: "County jail inmate population drops following end of cash bail"
Governing Magazine: "3 Months After Cash Bail Ended, County Jail Population Declines"
25 News: "Appeals court finds Central Illinois judge abused her discretion in pretrial detention ruling"
WREX: "New data released after Pretrial Fairness Act took effect in September"
News Channel 20: "First set of data released related to pretrial legislation"
Illinois State Bar Association: "Office of Statewide Pretrial Services Releases First Sets of Data Related To Pretrial Legislation"
WGLT: "Appeals court rules on test of pretrial release law"
The News-Gazette: "Appeals courts also dealing with release issues under SAFE-T Act"
Bloomberg Law: "End of Cash Bail Prompts Illinois Supreme Court Rule Updates"
Capitol Fax: "2022 called: It wants its SAFE-T Act talking points back"
Shaw Local: "Opinion | Eye On Illinois: More data on new pretrial release system only helps understanding"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Chicago Sun-Times: "Johnson launches community safety plan focused on investing in at-risk areas on South and West Sides"
CBS News Chicago: "Mayor Brandon Johnson's public safety plan focuses on outreach and intervention"
CBS News Chicago: "Experts express reservations about Mayor Brandon Johnson's public safety plan"
WGN Chicago: "What’s Mayor Brandon Johnson’s safety plan for Chicago?"
Fox32 Chicago: "Chicago unveils 'People's Plan for Community Safety' to combat crime"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Sex trafficking of Black girls demands more attention"
WBEZ Chicago: "In the global moral panic over drill, we’re ignoring the message behind the art"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Opinion: Do you feel safe in Chicago?"
BlockClub Chicago: "North Center Bank Building Could Become Housing For Domestic Violence Survivors"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Vaughn Bryant and Arne Duncan: Violence prevention work is reducing shootings in Chicago. Let’s scale it"

GUN VIOLENCE
The Trace: "Chicago Shooting Survivors, In Their Own Words"
Politico: "‘The Pain and the Trauma Lasts Longer Than a News Cycle’"

CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM
Bolts: "The Thousands of Local Elections That Will Shape Criminal Justice Policy in 2024”
Hyde Park Herald: "Clayton Harris III, former prosecutor and a Washington Park resident, is running for Cook County State’s Attorney"
WBEZ Chicago: "State’s attorney hopefuls back effort to require lawyers for kids in police interrogations”
The Center Square: "Former prosecutor argues for Chicago police to be able to pursue criminal suspects"
Injustice Watch: "Unsealed records reveal new details about Illinois appellate judge’s alleged role in decades-old fraud scheme"
The State Journal-Register: "'I miss him so much': Earl Moore Jr.'s mother grieves as anniversary of his death nears"
Lake County News Sun: "Law & Order column: Two court officials appointed to professional development committees"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Judge vacates murder conviction of Chicago man wrongfully imprisoned for 35 years"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Cousins who served longest wrongful conviction sentence in state history are exonerated after 42 years in prison"

YOUTH LEGAL SYSTEM
Pro Publica: "Michigan Enacts Laws to Reform Its Juvenile Justice System"
The Washington Post: "A D.C. teen lost two cousins to gun violence. Now she helps others"
The Sentencing Project: "Racial Disparities in Youth Incarceration Stagnate"
The Appeal: "LOW-QUALITY SCHOOLS ARE A DOUBLE PUNISHMENT FOR YOUTH IN PRISON"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
WTTW: "City Council Votes 16-31 to Reject Push to Ask Voters Whether Chicago Should Stay a Sanctuary City"
BlockClub Chicago: "City Paying Well More Than Typical Rent For Migrant Shelter Buildings — And Keeping Details Secret"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago’s migrant tent shelter plans on pause"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Shelved Brighton Park migrant camp cost city nearly $1 million"
Block Club Chicago: "Migrants At Last Police Station Want Jobs, Not A Spot In City Shelters: ‘Just Give Us Work’"

CHICAGO POLICE
Fox32 Chicago: "Chicago police superintendent lays out 2024 goals for department"
Chicago Tribune: "Public safety agencies address 2024 goals — including transparency — even as the public process for police discipline is threatened"
Chicago.gov: "Kyle Cooper Named President of the Police Board"
South Side Weekly: "City Council Rejects Arbitration for Police Discipline"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Police contract approved, arbitrator’s disciplinary ruling rejected at another stormy City Council meeting"
Reader: "New Chicago police contract includes protections for cops accused of misconduct, large raises"
WBEZ Chicago: "Investigative reporter Jamie Kalven talks about his work uncovering racist police"
CBS2 News: "Both from Colombia, an officer and migrant child bond at Shop With A Cop event"

POLICING
NBC Chicago: "Illinois bill will allow non-citizens to become police officers"
St. Louis Public Radio: "Illinois State Police: 'Clear and present danger' reports help prevent gun tragedies"
Herald-Whig: "Police, ambulance personnel train to provide faster help in critical moments"

GUN LAWS
The Center Square: "Full appeal expected after SCOTUS denies emergency injunction against Illinois’ gun ban"
The State Journal-Review: "U.S. Supreme Court refuses to block assault weapons ban as full legal challenges progress"
Chicago Sun-Times: "The NRA has a surprising defender in its free speech case before the Supreme Court: the ACLU"
WTTW: "As Deadline Looms, Assault Weapons Registration Rules Still Unresolved"

Dec. 5 - Dec. 11, 2023

INCARCERATION
Chicago Tribune: "At Stateville maximum security prison, first group of prisoners earns college degrees from Northwestern: ‘A place of second chances"
Chicago Sun-Times: "New state ID program for Cook County Jail detainees aims to ‘help people reintegrate’"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Obama’s massive prisoner release led to Jesse Webster’s Chicago success story and three failures"
South Side Weekly "ICE Detains Illinois Immigrants in Out-of-State Jails"
Brennan Center for Justice: "Justice Department Making Historic Investment in Prison and Jail Reform"
The Sentencing Project: "One in Five: Racial Disparity in Imprisonment — Causes and Remedies"

COMMUNITY SAFETY/PUBLIC HEALTH
The Crusader: "Black Chicagoans have hope for future, despite historic public safety difficulties"
Capitol News Illinois: "State health plan declares racism a public health crisis"
Illinois Times: "Healing racial divisions. United Way to award state-funded anti-racism grants to local nonprofits"
WTTW: "Committee Endorses Push to Expand Chicago’s Hate Crime Law"
Illinois Times: "Empowering the east side City awards grants to three organizations serving youth"
WBEZ Chicago: "Chicago’s armed robberies surge, in five charts"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago is seeing largest spike in robberies in over 20 years, analysis shows"
The Center Square: "Research shows link between strong families and less crime"
WGN Chicago: "Retail group retracts claim that half of losses were from theft"

CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM
AP: "AP Exclusive: America’s Black attorneys general discuss race, politics and the justice system”
Chicago Sun-Times: "Kim Foxx revamps Cook County wrongful conviction unit, names senior adviser as new head"
Chicago Tribune: "After controversy in Quincy, advocates question whether Illinois should require judges to undergo training on sexual assault cases"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Suspected Mexican cartel leader facing drug charges in Chicago sees Treasury Department freeze his assets"

YOUTH LEGAL SYSTEM
NPR Illinois: "Footage of Sangamon County Juvenile Detention Center shooting released"
The State Journal-Register: "Springfield Police releases body cam footage of Juvenile Detention Center shooting"

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS/SAFE-T ACT
Shaw Local News Network: "Pros, cons of SAFE-T Act to be discussed at La Grange League of Women Voters meeting"
Kane County Chronicle: "St. Charles committee recommends approval for new body cams, tasers, training facility"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
The Reader: "Johnson administration’s early days marked by lapses in transparency"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Johnson wants recommendations to 'streamline' city's development approval process"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Chicago Tribune: "Johnson administration begins filing lawsuits against operators of ‘rogue buses’ of migrants"
WBEZ Chicago: "Chicago blames state for not raising concerns about Brighton Park migrant site sooner"
NBC Chicago: "City releases statement after state halts plans for migrant site in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhoods"
ABC7: "Chicago City Council meeting to address migrant crisis amid fallout from scrapped Brighton Park camp"
BlockClub Chicago: "Where Will Migrants Go When Their 60-Day Shelter Stays Expire? Volunteers Blast City’s ‘Reckless’ Process"

CHICAGO POLICE
Chicago Tribune: "Family members of incarcerated people call on State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to investigate convictions related to former CPD detective"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago taxpayers have paid nearly $700 million since 2000 in lawsuits by people who say police framed them"
WBEZ Chicago: "Payouts tied to a corrupt police sergeant could cost Chicago taxpayers $80 million"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Split decision for FOP: City Council committee OKs CPD contract extension, rejects arbitrator’s ruling on police discipline"
WBEZ Chicago: "Chicago City Council to vote on who should decide the fate of the most serious police misconduct cases"
Chicago Sun-Times: "CPD urged to relax restrictions on vehicle chases"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago police Sgt. John Poulos, whose fatal shootings of 2 men led to about $2 million in City Hall payouts, now running for judge"

POLICING
Patch: "Aurora PD Awarded DOJ Grant for De-Escalation Training"
Chicago Tribune: "Man killed by Elk Grove police had history of calling police to help with mental health struggles, family says"
WGN News: "Family, friends ‘outraged’ after mother shot dead during mental health call in Morris; body cam released"
Illinois Times: "Police pay to increase. Union officers and command staff to receive raises, bonuses"
News Channel 20: "Officials hope increased salaries for Springfield Police Department will fix officer shortage"
The News-Gazette: "Council to hear Urbana police request for three new officers, new deputy chief position"
IPM News: "Urbana City Council delays decision to hire more police officers, facing resident pushback

GUN VIOLENCE
Chicago Tribune: "Merrillville toddler’s death one in a series involving kids, guns in the region over the past several months"
Mother Jones: "US Mass Shootings, 1982-2023: Data From Mother Jones’ Investigation"
New York Times: "The Guns Were Said to Be Destroyed. Instead, They Were Reborn"
ProPublica: "Inside the Notorious Gun Shop Linked to Hundreds of Chicago Guns"

GUN LAWS
The Center Square: "Revised gun ban rules to be reviewed as Jan. 1 deadline approaches"
NPR Illinois: "What to know about Illinois’ assault weapons ban"
Chicago Tribune: "The NRA has a surprising defender in its free speech case before the Supreme Court: the ACLU"
WGEM: "The rules are really unclear’: Why FOID card holders are hesitating to register assault weapons"

Nov. 28 - Dec. 5, 2023

INCARCERATION
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "David Olson and Don Stemen: Illinois counties have become less reliant on prison. Can we further improve that?"
Chicago Tribune: "Advocates, survivors of detainees mourn 16 who died in Cook County Jail"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Detainees who died at Cook County Jail in 2023 are remembered in vigil"
The Appeal: "HOW CHICAGO’S ELECTRONIC MONITORING PROGRAM FAILS WOMEN AND DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE SURVIVORS"
NPR Illinois: "Report finds Logan, Pontiac and Stateville prisons nearly inoperable"
NPR Illinois: "Hundreds released from prison during pandemic may be sent back under Senate proposal"
Vera: "How “Collateral Consequences” Keep People Trapped in the Legal System. The harms of mass incarceration extend far beyond courtrooms, jail cells, and prison beds"
The Hill: "This Giving Tuesday, look to formerly incarcerated leaders who are transforming communities"
The Crusader: "Rep. Ford calls for prison hearings after stabbing of Derek Chauvin"

COMMUNITY SAFETY/PUBLIC HEALTH
Chicago Tribune: "Chicago seeing a drop in homicides as 2023 nears end, but not in every neighborhood"
Milwaukee Community Journal: "Black community’s views on public safety (and what safety isn’t) highlighted in new report"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Her family called police for help, then her lease was terminated"
Chicago Tribune: "Foundation of late Chicago entrepreneur Sue Gin announces $21 million donation for nonprofit to fight gun violence in the city"
CU-Citizens Access: "Cannabis-related arrests in Urbana reach historic low; Black people still arrested more often after legalization"
Lake County News Sun: "Healing center opens in Waukegan for victims of trauma; ‘We want to show ... there is life after whatever you’ve been through"
WBEZ Chicago: "I’ve owned businesses in West Garfield Park for 60 years, and I’m not leaving"
South Side Weekly: "Activists Ask Congress to Treat Gun Violence as a Public Health Crisis"

HOUSING
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago wrongly limited affordable housing with aldermanic prerogative, HUD says"
Quad Cities NPR: "‘The Illinois State Police released its first ever guidebook for how officers should help people experiencing homelessness"
BlockClub Chicago: "As City Battles Housing Shortage, CHA Lets Hundreds Of Empty Homes Decay"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Two new East Garfield Park houses sold for upward of $950,000 each"

YOUTH
WCIA: "Champaign leaders aim to prevent juvenile offenders, sentencings"
BlockClub Chicago: "Why Does This West Side High School Have Only 33 Students?"

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS/SAFE-T ACT
My Journal Courier: "Greene County considering sales tax to make up for cash bail's end"
Newsbreak: "Kankakee County State’s Attorney Jim Rowe Sits Down To Discuss The Safe-T Act"
WCBU/WLPO: "Q&A: Peoria County Sheriff Watkins discusses no-cash bail’s impact, needed facility upgrades"
Rochelle News-Leader: "RPD hopes to implement body cameras by start of 2024"

CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM
Law360: "How Trauma-Informed Lawyering Can Help Clients Heal"
Law360: "A Mountain To Climb: The Inaccessibility Of Rural Courts"
Law360: "Gap In Access To Legal Assistance Remains Wide, ABA Finds"
ProPublica: "A Retired Detective Says He’s Too Sick to Testify at Murder Trials. Now Those Cases Are Falling Apart"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Chicago Tribune: "Editorial: Restricting Chicagoans from their own City Council chamber is a terrible Brandon Johnson move"
Chicago Sun-Times: "What defines Pritzker-Johnson relationship so far? Tension"
BlockClub Chicago "Progressives Were ‘Not Ready’ For Mayor’s Office, Ald. Taylor Says: ‘We Look Real Stupid Right Now’"

STATE GOVERNMENT
Illinois Times: "State releases revenue and spending forecast"
WBEZ Chicago: "Illinois residents can now report government corruption, online"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Chicago Sun-Times: "Brighton Park migrant site construction halted pending environmental review"
Reuters: "Chicago homeless migrants shelter faces backlash"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor Brandon Johnson announces new church-city partnership to house migrants"
Chicago Tribune: "Volunteer networks step up to provide health needs to migrants at police stations"
The Triibe: "OPINION: Blaming migrants for Chicago’s problems is a historical trend"

CHICAGO POLICE
ABC 7 News: "Chicago police officer arrested, relieved of powers after falsely claiming she was robbed, CPD says"
The Crusader: "10 Chicago cops with Oath Keepers ties barred from testifying"
Fox32 Chicago: "Chicago police face potential pay hikes that raise city budget concerns"
BGA Policy: "Johnson Proposes Historically Large Pay Raises for Police"
The Daily Line: "Proposal would raise maximum age for sworn police, uniformed fire employees to 65"
The Daily Line: "Council committees to vote on leasing space for police oversight commission, environment department; Veteran hiring preferences ordinance to be re-referred"
WTTW, Black Voices: "New Report Raises Questions Over CPD’s Approach to Missing Persons Cases"

POLICING
WCBU: "Peoria Police transparency dashboard is a developing data source"
The Center Square: "Some Illinois law enforcement say enforcing gun ban violations not a priority"
The News-Gazette: "Council to hear Urbana police request for three new officers, new deputy chief position"
Aurora Beacon-News: "Aurora looks to accept federal public safety grants"

GUN LAWS
KMOV: "Less than 1% of Illinois gun card holders registered assault weapons ahead of January deadline"
Capitol News Illinois: "Illinois Supreme Court: FOID records exempt from public disclosure"
WREX-13: "Illinois State Police's efforts to protect communities from gun violence"
Northest Herald-McHenry County: "Eye On Illinois: State Police gun violence prevention effort requires broad input"
The Daily Line: "Emergency appeal filed to U.S. Supreme Court in case questioning Illinois assault weapons ban"
The Center Square: "llinois has until Wednesday to respond to gun ban challenge in U.S. Supreme Court"

Nov. 21 - Nov. 27, 2023

PRISON SYSTEM
Illinois Public Media: "A reality check on Illinois prisons"
The Appeal: "A New Medicaid Program could dramatically improve healthcare for imprisoned people - if state uses it"
Herald News: "Stateville inmate earns bachelor’s degree and makes historic graduation"
The News-Gazette: "Cost of calls for Champaign County inmates to be cut in half under new contract"
NPR Illinois: "A novel prison program for pregnant women and their babies"
Truthout: "Private Equity Is Using Prison Phone, Food and Health Systems to Rack Up Profits"

CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM
Governing: "No, Criminal Justice Reform Isn’t Driving Rising Crime"
New York Times: "How 1.2 Million Marijuana Arrests Will Shape New York’s Legal Market
A new map illustrating 42 years of marijuana arrests documents the way that New York disproportionately targeted working-class, Black and Hispanic people for decades"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Justice reform groups partner with Vic Mensa’s pot company to provide care packages to people released from jail"
Chicago Tribune: "Candidates lining up to succeed Kim Foxx as Cook County state’s attorney"

COMMUNITY SAFETY/PUBLIC HEALTH
Chicago Tribune: "The siblings of children killed by gun violence and how they cope: ‘I just feel alone’"
Chicago Sun-Times, opinion: "From the South Side to Senegal to build a school.
Keianti Darling, Durrail Williams and Joseph Thomas are members of Chicago CRED, a group that works to reduce gun violence. Recently, they traveled to Senegal on a service trip to build a school"
The Daily Line: "Alderperson continues push to establish permanent guaranteed basic income program following expiration of 1-year pilot"
Chicago Sun-Times: "CHA mounts $50 million program to fix up scattered sites"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Harris Poll: Increased public safety could draw more local tourists to Chicago attractions"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Slain drill rapper King Von looms on King Drive.
King Von’s controversial mural near Parkway Gardens symbolizes not only the birthplace of drill, which boasts a global reach, but the neglect and violence troubling the community"
Truthout: "Chicago Gangs Emerge From Deprivation. To End the Violence, End the Deprivation"

YOUTH
The Fulcrum: "How reforming felony murder laws can reduce juvenile justice harms"
WGLT: "Q&A: New grants will help Project Oz provide housing and divert youth from justice system"

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS/SAFE-T ACT
103.9 WLPO: "La Salle County Jailer Paints Actual Picture of SAFE-T Act in Practice"
Naperville Community Television: "DuPage County State’s Attorney talks SAFE-T Act, crime trends during public safety update"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
The Triibe: "An Open Letter on Chicago’s 2024 Police Budget"
Chicago Tribune: "Mayor Johnson’s budget relies on tens of millions in additional fines"
ABC7: "Organization urging Mayor Brandon Johnson to stop spending millions pursuing wrongfully convicted"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Chicago Sun-Times, opinion: "Giving thanks for new neighbors — migrants — who are becoming part of Chicago and America"
Chicago Sun-Times: "City changing migrant arrivals playbook"
BlockClub Chicago: "Brighton Park Tent Camp Construction Not Starting Yet, City Says"
Chicago Tribune: "Pritzker administration sought migrant tent camp proposals before Mayor Brandon Johnson took office, records show"

SPRINGFIELD/POLITICS
Crain's Chicago Business: "Illinois is back, Pritzker declares in message that could go national"
Illinois.gov: "Gov. Pritzker Announces Ten Appointments to Boards and Commissions"
Chicago Tribune: "James ‘Pate’ Philip, former Illinois Senate president who once symbolized suburban Republicanism, dies"
Chicago Tribune: "‘Marijuana Moms’ take on prosecutor ‘Dad’ in controversy over mental health effects of cannabis"
WTTW: "Under New Illinois Law, Those Convicted of a Felony or Crimes Like Bribery and Perjury Barred From Holding Elected State Office"
The State Journal-Register: "McCann, former state senator and gubernatorial candidate, appearing before judge Monday"

CHICAGO POLICE
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Carlton T. Mayers II: Decertification is an underused lever for Chicago police accountability"
Chicago Tribune: "Brandon Johnson won office with a nontraditional vision for policing. Does his first CPD budget line up?"
Streets Blog Chicago: "Free 2 Move Coalition presents plan to eliminate pretextual stops, while increasing traffic safety"

POLICING
Our QuadCities: "Woman makes history in Illinois State Police as first female First Deputy Director"
Capitol News: "State high court skeptical municipal police and fire pension consolidation hurt retirees’ voting rights"
Patch: "Elmhurst Notes Spike In Police Chases"
Fox32 Chicago: "Gary's cutting-edge Real Time Crime Center revolutionizes city safety measures"

GUN LAWS
The Washington Post: "Federal judges overturn Maryland handgun licensing law"
Daily Chronicle Dekalb County.: "Sycamore firearms instructor charged with forging concealed carry licenses"
Chicago Tribune: "With less than 6 weeks before deadline, 3,400 gun owners have registered guns covered by state ban"

Nov. 14 - Nov. 20, 2023

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS /SAFE-T ACT
The Nation: "How We Ended Cash Bail in Illinois"
Law360: "The Meaning Of 'Bail' Has Strayed Far From Its Legal Roots"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Pretrial Fairness Act is shifting the scales of justice for Illinois"
KWQC: "2 months of no-cash bail in Illinois: How a local courtroom is handling the new law"
Herald-Review: "Appellate court: Coles County defendants improperly detained under SAFE-T Act"
Northwest Herald: "McHenry County jail could soon take in detainees from Lake County under proposed agreement"

LEGAL SYSTEM
Chicago Tribune: "A deadly arson in 1988 sets 2 men on divergent paths through the tangled Cook County justice system"
Capitol News Illinois: "State Supreme Court weighs constitutionality of lifetime restrictions on child sex offenders"
WBEZ Chicago: "Column: Racial profiling isn’t just a traffic thing. For Black people, it’s everywhere"
Chicago Sun-Times: "‘Your debt to society is not fully paid,’ mother tells son’s killer after his release on appeal"

PRISON SYSTEM
Law360: "Justices Split In Denial Of Solitary Confinement Challenge"
Reuters: "US Supreme Court liberals dissent in 'unusually severe' solitary confinement case"
The Marshall Project: "A Warden Tried to Fix an Abusive Prison. He Faced Death Threats"
New York Times, opinion: "Something Wonderful Is Happening in American Prisons. Really"
WBEZ's Reset: "Chicago launches collaborative reentry program"
The News-Gazette: "Inmates' mental issues present problem with no solution"
Northwestern Now: "Northwestern Prison Education Program students first incarcerated people to graduate from a top 10 university"
Diverse Issues in Higher Education: "Incarcerated Students in Northwestern Prison Education Program Earn Bachelor's Degrees"
The Daily Illini: "Education Justice Project uplifts incarcerated individuals through academia"

YOUTH
Youth Today: "Public Welfare Foundation’s Candice Jones debunks the latest tough-on-crime rhetoric"
Chicago Tribune, history: "Chicago’s trailblazing first female judge known for looking after juveniles, stating, ‘There are no bad children’"

COMMUNITY SAFETY / PUBLIC HEALTH
WGLT: "Illinois homelessness chief says new state funds will produce more shelter, affordable housing"
Austin Weekly News: "How does housing impact health on the West Side? Experts weigh in"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Chicago rolling out vending machines with naloxone to combat opioid overdoses"
Chicago Maroon: "Community Relations Council Tries to Tackle Public Safety and Displacement"
The Triibe: "Crime and DV survivors may be at risk with Johnson’s proposed CPD budget increase, advocates say"
Jacobin: "Chicago Has a Plan to Revolutionize Community Mental Health and End Police Violence"
Reader: "R. Brent Decker, Racetraitor bassist and anti-violence worker"
Lake County News-Sun: "First gun violence prevention town hall is set: ‘We want to hear from everybody, from all walks of life’"

CHICAGO POLICE
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago police unit that reviews cops’ use of force ‘critically understaffed,’ Illinois attorney general’s office says"
South Side Weekly: "Op-Ed: The CPD Budget Has Grown for Decades. It’s Time to Rein It In"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Policy barring Chicago cops from joining hate groups OK’d by civilian oversight panel"
WTTW: "Police Commission Votes to Ban Chicago Police Officers from Joining Extremist Groups"
Fox32 Chicago: "Chicago police under scrutiny for alleged racist and transphobic incidents"
Chicago Tribune: "Chicago Police Board votes to fire officer allegedly involved in dragging woman from car at Northwest Side strip mall during 2020 unrest"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago Police Board votes to fire cop who dragged woman by her hair and knelt on her neck"
WTTW: "Suspended CPS Security Guard is 3rd Fired Chicago Cop Hired by District After Being on City’s Do-Not-Hire List"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Bill to boost pensions for retired Chicago cops will cost city $60M"
WTTW: "CPD Consent Decree Monitor Holding Public Hearings to Build Transparency, Improve Compliance"
Reader: "What happens when your loved one goes missing?
A history of neglect, botched investigations, and flawed data reveal systemic issues with the way police treat missing person cases"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
WGN Chicago: "WGN Exclusive: Migrants, crime, investment in people: Brandon Johnson’s first 6 months as mayor "
Chicago Tribune: "‘Bring Chicago Home’ proposal aims to boost funding for homeless services. But a similar measure in LA slowed real estate sales"
Block Club Chicago: "City Council Passes Mayor Brandon Johnson’s First Budget, Avoiding Property Tax Hike"
CBS 2: "Mayor Brandon Johnson's first budget easily passes Chicago City Council"
WTTW: "Chicago City Council Approves Johnson’s $16.6B Budget Amid Fractious Debate Over Costs to Care for Migrants"
Chicago Tribune: "Mayor Brandon Johnson deflects questions over proposal tying homeless tent removal to City Council votes"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
WBEZ Chicago: "Chicago begins 60-day limits in shelters for asylum seekers"
Chicago Tribune: "State pouring $160 million more for Chicago asylum-seeker relief efforts as winter approaches"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Editorial: Faced with a growing migrant crisis in Chicago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker rides to the city’s rescue"

Nov. 7 -13, 2023

YOUTH
ProPublica: "Inside Illinois’ Youth Lockups, Children Go Without Basic Services and Face “Excessive” Punishments"
Injustice Watch: "Most juvenile detention centers in Illinois are failing to meet state standards"
The Sentencing Project: "System Reforms to Reduce Youth Incarceration: Why We Must Explore Every Option Before Removing Any Young Person from Home"

PRISON SYSTEM
WTTW: "Johnson’s Spending Plan Set to Create Department of Reentry With $5M Budget"
Fox32: "Illinois prison officer admits failure to stop brutal inmate beating"
WTTW: "Paper Restrictions at Cook County Jail Signal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Concerns"
Chicago Magazine: "Who deserves to be paroled and who doesn’t? Deciding that is an imprecise process, one that grapples with our fundamental approach to incarceration, as this excerpt from the new book Correction shows"
New York Times: "Can the Parole Process Make Prison Sentences More Just?
In “Correction,” Ben Austen investigates a system meant to promote rehabilitation, and reward prisoners who change, but that no longer seems to work the way it was intended"
NBC5 Chicago: "Formerly incarcerated individuals get back on track with employment at Chicago hospital"
The Appeal: "Prison Telecom Giant Deletes Months of Incarcerated Writers Work"
The Athletic: "Steeled by lessons off the field, C.J. Stroud is taking the NFL by storm"

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS /SAFE-T ACT
Sojourners: "By Eliminating Cash Bail, Illinois is Setting the Captives Free"
WAND: "Macon County Jail numbers drop in the wake of no cash bail law"
KZIM/KSIM: "Carbondale’s police department officers are now equipped with body cameras"
lllinois Public Media: "Cash bail is over but the practice still continues to affect Black and Brown communities"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Block Club Chicago: "Illinois Gun Shops Lead in Providing Guns Used In State And City Crimes, Data Shows"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Biden offers $334 million to states and cities for crime crackdown"
NPR Illinois: "'Just say no' didn't actually protect students from drugs. Here's what could"
Block Club Chicago "Music Nonprofit To Open West Side Headquarters And Performing Arts Center"
The News-Gazette: "Round 2: Champaign council OKs $2.3 million in anti-violence funding for nine organizations"
Smile Politely: "The Champaign City Council has allocated more funding for gun violence prevention"
Block Club Chicago: "After Daytime Shooting At Northwest Side Park, Neighbors Unite To Stop Gang Activity"

GUN VIOLENCE
New York Times: "Army Ammunition Plant Is Tied to Mass Shootings Across the U.S."
Axios: "Kids who survive shootings — and their families — face greater health burdens"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Opinion: We're having the wrong conversations about mental health and mass shootings"
Austin Weekly News: "Amid the city’s mass shootings, community groups work to prevent more bloodshed"
The Appeal: "Breaking the False Victim-Perpetrator Binary on Gun Violence"

GUN LEGISLATION/LAWS
Capitol News Illinois: "Gun rights groups to seek Supreme Court ruling on assault weapons"
Capitol News Illinois: "ISP still drafting assault weapons registration rules as deadline nears"
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin: "Citing Bruen, judge tosses felon-in-possession charges"
CBS 2 News: "Chicago victim advocates await U.S. Supreme Court decision on domestic abusers, gun rights"
New York Times: "Supreme Court Seems Likely to Uphold Law Disarming Domestic Abusers"
WTTW: "Gun Owners in Illinois Are Now Required to Register Assault Weapons. What Happens if They Don’t?"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Advocates angered by delay in passing ‘Karina’s Bill,’ aimed at taking guns from those accused of domestic violence"

SPRINGFIELD
Capitol News Illinois: "State gets 9th recent credit upgrade as administration faces scrutiny for pandemic unemployment handling"
The State Journal-Register: "Elections in-mind, lawmakers conclude low-thrills veto session"

LEGAL SYSTEM
AP: "Commission weighs whether to discipline Illinois judge who reversed rape conviction"
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin: "Attorneys describe trial-setting struggles in Cook County Law Division"
Block Club Chicago: "At Restorative Justice Court Graduation,Young Men Caught In The System Get A Second Chance"

CHICAGO POLICE
Chicago Tribune: "Chicago police officer charged with felony aggravated battery after video shows him hitting 8th grader"
South Side Weekly: "No Cop Academy: The Documentary Screens to Enthusiastic Audience Support"
Chicago Tribune: "Ex-CPD sergeant guilty of misdemeanor civil rights violation in sex assault case"

POLICING
WGLT: "Alan Beaman's civil case against Town of Normal and former officers is set for trial"
IPM News: "Emails reveal UIPD’s plan to use surveillance to monitor campus crime in real time"
Reason: "Illinois Family Files Lawsuit After Police Execute Wrong-Door Raid and Allegedly Detain Them for 6 Hours"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
WTTW: "Push for Reparations in Chicago Gets New Life as Johnson Earmarks $500K for New Panel"
Chicago Tribune: "Mayor Brandon Johnson names Chicago Health commissioner"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
The Triibe, opinion: "OPINION: a call for reparations and solutions to the migrant crisis in Chicago"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Paul Vallas: Gov. J.B. Pritzker should use executive powers to take action on migrant crisis"
Fox News: "Chicago residents explode with anger over migrants, sanctuary policies: 'They are not listening"
CBS 2 Chicago: "Pilot program helps migrants get jobs"
The Economist: "Chicago’s progressive coalition is struggling with migration"

Oct. 30 - Nov. 6, 2023

PRISONS
Chicago Tribune: "Illinois man serving life for drug conviction under ‘three-strikes’ law is granted clemency, arrives in Chicago"
WTTW: "Obtaining Legal Representation While Wrongfully Incarcerated is a Difficult, Lengthy Process"

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT
Shaw Local News Network: "La Salle County jail population down but layoffs averted with out-of-county inmates. A month into no-cash bail, most high-risk suspects remain held"
Rochelle News-Leader: "Transforming pretrial justice for people, systems and communities"
WTTW: "Kim Foxx on the Elimination of Cash Bail. In the month since Illinois eliminated cash bail, 649 detention hearings were requested in Cook County. Requests were granted in 60% of those cases"
My SuburbanLife: "Civic Awareness Series continues Nov. 16 with update from DuPage County State’s Attorney"
The State Journal-Register: "Emergency medical worker accused in patient's death seeks pre-trial release"

SAFE-T ACT
7 KHQA: "Illinois law enforcement gears up for mandatory body cams: Overcoming product shortage and training challenges"

SPRINGFIELD
Chicago Tribune: "Proposal to extend stiffer gun offense penalty joins school tax credit, end to nuke moratorium on agenda of Illinois legislature’s final week"
Capitol News Illinois: "Scholarship tax credit program among issues still on the table with 3 legislative days remaining"
Capitol News Illinois: "Capitol News Illinois expansion continues with addition of digital team, videographer"

GUN VIOLENCE
The Marshall Project: "Yes, It’s Getting Worse: New Data Shows Mass Shootings Are More Frequent"
WBEZ Chicago: "Six plays written by teens take a hard look at gun violence a year before the elections"
Chicago Tribune: "Father of alleged Highland Park parade shooter pleads guilty to reckless conduct, sentenced to 60 days in jail"
WGLT: "Gun violence is the top resident concern in Bloomington police survey"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
The News-Gazette: "Champaign County officials looking at how to put opioid settlement money to use to fight abuse"
Lake County News-Sun: "Law & Order column: Lake County mental health-law enforcement collaboration reaches milestone"
The Marshall Project "New Data Shows Violent Crime Is Up… And Also Down.
Property crime and violence against young people are both up, recent federal data shows, but other crime trends are murkier"
Herald-Whig: "QPD report shows violent crime down, property crime up in 2022"
WBEZ Chicago: "FBG Duck trial highlights links between Chicago’s gang and rap cultures"

GUN LEGISLATION
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Rep. Bob Morgan: Extreme court case shows we must reform the US Supreme Court to tackle gun violence"
Chicago Tribune: "Federal appeals court upholds sweeping Illinois gun ban"
Capitol News Illinois: "Federal appeals court upholds Illinois’ assault weapons ban"
The Center Square: "Despite appeals court ruling, legal cases against Illinois’ gun ban continue"
WGLT: "Gun rights groups to seek Supreme Court ruling on assault weapons"
NPR Illinois: "Gun rights advocates question proposed assault weapons registration rules"
The Center Square: "Final gun ban registry hearing has some looking for committee to block rules"

POLICING
The Marshall Project: "One City’s Surprising Tactic to Reduce Gun Violence: Solving More Nonfatal Shootings"
Chicago Tribune: "Calumet City officials ticket Daily Southtown reporter for ‘hampering’ city employees with questions"

LEGAL SYSTEM
Muddy River News: "Attorney shortage, large caseloads force Adams County Public Defender’s office to turn down new felony cases"
Rockford Register Star: "Pay hikes of up to 44% used to recruit lawyers in Rockford area"
Rockford Register Star: "Rockford city attorney to be on next year's ballot"

CHICAGO POLICE
Chicago Sun-Times: "Top cop’s public commitment to transparency could lead to long-sought Chicago Police reforms, independent monitor suggests"
WTTW: "Despite Lingering Concerns, Consent Decree Monitoring Team Hopeful New Top Cop Can Spur Progress as Full Compliance Stands at 6%"
Chicago Reader: "Arbitrating police terminations could result in a ‘decade of police impunity’"
BlockClub Chicago: "Police Tout New Training Academy As Monitor Says Reforms ‘Continue To Lag’"
WTTW: "Man Killed, Chicago Police Officer Wounded in South Shore Shooting Monday"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Chicago Sun-Times: "In Washington, Mayor Brandon Johnson pushes for more federal help to deal with migrant crisis"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Civic Federation urges City Council to devise contingency plan for migrant funding"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
BlockClub Chicago: "Plan To Raise Real Estate Taxes For Homelessness Prevention Advances To Full City Council"
WBEZ Chicago: "Chicago releases its first city racial equity report"

Oct. 24-Oct. 30, 2023

PRISONS
The News-Gazette: "Jim Dey | Prison mental health care case on its death bed"
WTTW; "With Few Granted, Time Is Fleeting for People in Illinois Prisons Hoping for Medical Release: ‘My Hope Is Waning’"
PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT
Fox28: "New SAFE-T-Act enhances protection for domestic violence victims in Illinois"
WRAM: "Warren County Sheriff Martin Edwards Comments on Effects of SAFE-T Act Locally"
Rockford Register Star "Illinois jail numbers were supposed to drop with the end of cash bail. Did they?"
The Reader: "The end of money bond hasn’t led to an electronic monitoring spike in Chicago—for now"
COMMUNITY SAFETY
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Chicago doctors: Survivors of gun violence critically need attention from policymakers"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Faith leaders: The subminimum tipped wage and Chicago’s recent robberies are linked to a deeper issue: Poverty"
New York Times, opinion : "This Is Your Brain on Crime"
WTTW: "Chicago Program That Encourages Drug Treatment Over Arrest Shows Signs of Success, Research Says"
Chicago Tribune: "Pain, frustration linger a year after Halloween mass shooting in East Garfield Park"
Chicago Sun-Times: "15 shot at unsanctioned Halloween party in North Lawndale; suspect in custody"
Block Club Chicago: "Englewood Activist Jumps Into Illinois House Race To Represent South Side District"
YOUTH SYSTEMS/YOUTH SAFETY
Imprint News, Youth Voice: "Positive Role Models for Juvenile Justice-Impacted Youth"
Chicago Defender: "YR Media Comes to Chicago, Shifting Media Landscape for BIPOC Youth"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Harris Poll: Chicago is the epicenter of the youth mental health crisis"
HOUSING
Crain's Chicago Business: "Pressure rises on both sides of anti-homelessness tax plan"
FIREARMS
ABC 7: "Maine mass shooting reignites debate over 'Red Flag' gun control laws in Illinois"
Edwardsville Intelligencer: "Tiny fraction of gun owners registering items with state police"
Chicago Sun-Times, Editorial: "After Lewiston shooting, Americans must insist on laws to limit AR-15 style weapons in civilian hands"
Center Square: "Illinois bill requiring police to confiscate guns in orders of protection debated"
CHICAGO POLICE
Chicago Tribune: "Mayor Brandon Johnson to split Chicago police union contract into two votes, citing issue with disciplinary provisions"
Chicago Tribune: "David Greising: Maintaining Chicago police accountability in new contract will require a tricky legal maneuver"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Craig B. Futterman and Jamie Kalven: Chicago police’s pending contract will subvert advances in accountability"
Chicago Tribune: "Pilot program would give CPD detectives ownership of cases, may radically change how police handle homicide investigations"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago police oversight panel to push new outside investigation into cops with extremist ties"
WTTW: "Top Cop Vows to Rid Chicago Police Department of Officers Tied to Proud Boys, Oath Keepers"
WGN: "Cops with extremist ties loom over City Council’s review of CPD budget plan"
CBS News: "Deep dive: A look at the proposed 2024 Chicago police budget"
WTTW: "Chicago Residents Detail Their Priorities for City’s Next Police Budget"
CBS 2: "Chicago police plan to add 2 helicopters to small, aging aircraft fleet"
NBC 5: "CPD Supt. asks for budget increase as department faces more retirements"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Exodus of Chicago cops from the force has slowed, Supt. Larry Snelling tells City Council"
POLICING
WBEZ Chicago: "Illinois sheriff says cop signed up for Oath Keepers, but now renounces the extremist group"
Rockford Register Star: "Rockford places four more intersections under surveillance"
MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Block Club Chicago: "More Than 3,400 Migrants Have Been Flown Into Chicago Since June, City Data Shows"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Editorial: What these key picks say about Johnson's governing style"

Oct. 17 - Oct. 23

PRISON SYSTEM
Chicago Tribune: "Judge clears way for release of man who spent more than 45 years in prison for killing Chicago police officer"
WGLT: "Judge plans to dismiss landmark Illinois prison mental health lawsuit"
The Marshall Project: "Many Prisons Restrict Books to Stop Drug Smuggling. Critics Say It Doesn’t Work"
BlockClub Chicago: "A North Side Group Is Sending Books To Incarcerated Women And Trans People. Here’s How You Can Help"
The Marshall Project: "Here’s How I Use My Story to Teach Incarcerated Kids That Writing Matters"
Vera: "Prisons and Jails are Violent; They Don’t Have to Be ... Incarcerated people endure violence that makes us all less safe—but proven solutions centered on human dignity exist"
KWOC: "Labor leaders urge keeping pay incentives at Thomson prison"
NWI.com: "Nicor Gas Foundation pledges $100,000 to South Holland causes"

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT
CI Proud: "One month in, No Cash Bail seems to be not as bad as some thought, officials say"
Rockford Register Star: "Meet the Judge Presiding over Rockfords new pretrial release court
Fox32 Chicago: "Illinois SAFE-T Act: Kim Foxx touts successes one month after implementation"
25 News: "Tazewell County shares how the new no-cash bail is working a month after"
Ogle County Life: "Hopes and fears about ending cash bail"
MyJournal Courier: "Jail populations fluctuate, release requests rise following justice reform"
The Marshall Project: "Justice Says Mississippi Court Rule to Give Poor Defendants Lawyers Isn’t Working"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Illinois Times: "City disburses $3 million grant to address homelessness"
NPR Illinois: "4 key takeaways from the FBI's annual crime report"
Chicago Sun-Times, opinion: "Guns are leading cause of death for kids. We have tools to help end this crisis"
STAT: "How an ER doctor in Chicago is tackling trauma from gun violence"
ABC 7: "Vigil against gun violence held at Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church"
ABC 7: "UChicago's Community Safety Leadership Academy seen as 'game-changer' in fight against gun violence"

YOUTH SYSTEMS/YOUTH SAFETY
BlockClub Chicago: "New Austin Mural Builds On Nonprofit’s Mission To Prevent Youth Violence"
Imprint News: "A New Case Against Family Courts"
The Trace: "Violence Prevention Programs Aim to Reach Young People. They Have to Earn Their Trust First"
Chicago Sun-Times: "After latest ‘street takeover’ on Lower Wacker, alderperson says it’s time to hold parents responsible for their kids"

FIREARMS
Capitol News Illinois: "Assault weapon registration period remains open as Illinois State Police seeks further input"
My Stateline: "Only 0.07% of Illinois gun owners have registered banned ‘assault-style’ weapons so far"
WCIA: "Illinois State Police holding public meetings to address gun registration confusion"
NPR Illinois: "Supreme Court tells 5th Circuit to stop its defiance in ghost gun case"
Fox Business: "Illinois company recalls 61,000 biometric gun safes over potentially deadly malfunction"
WREX: "Illinois lawmakers respond to lack of registration for assault weapons"

CHICAGO POLICE
BlockClub Chicago: "Chicago Top Cop Larry Snelling Says Technology Is ‘No. 1 Way’ To Fix Crime"
Chicago Tribune: "New CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling looks back at lessons learned from his own disciplinary cases as he takes department helm"
Chicago Tribune: "New CPD boss promises to balance reform and aggressive policing through transparency"
NBC Chicago: "Supt. Snelling discusses state of Chicago Police Department"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Johnson, CPD union reach contract deal doubling pay raises for most police officers"
Chicago Tribune: "FOP and city reach tentative contract deal that provides 20% raises over four years"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Outgoing Police Board president urges City Council to reject arbitrator’s ruling, says it would undermine police reform"
WTTW: "Johnson Asks City Council to Reject Deal He Inked with Police Union Amid Uproar Over Discipline Change"
Chicago Sun-Times/WBEZ Chicago: "EXTREMISM IN THE RANKS
Chicago police with extremist ties have troubling records
An investigation by WBEZ, Chicago Sun-Times and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project found allegations of excessive force, improper searches and racist comments on the job"

POLICING
Chicago Maroon:"Crime Lab Study Reveals Benefits of Situational Decision-Making Police Training"

SPRINGFIELD
Capitol News Illinois: "Lawmakers return to consider governor’s vetoes, new legislation in year’s final session"
Chicago Tribune: "Measures to extend private school tax credit, lift nuclear plant moratorium top agenda of state legislature’s end-of-year session"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Pritzker urges residents to unite ‘across religions, across ethnicities to renounce hatred’ and ‘alarming increase’ in hate crimes"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
WTTW: "Ald. Julia Ramirez, Aide Battered by Crowd of Protesters Outside Brighton Park Vacant Lot Set to be ‘Winterized Base Camp’ for Migrants"
Chicago Tribune: "Ald. Julia Ramirez issues statement ahead of meeting on potential migrant camp: ‘the mayor’s office did not consult with me"

Oct. 10 - Oct. 16

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT
Chicago Tribune: "First month of bail reform: Challenges, benefits and a reduced jail population in Cook County"
WBEZ Chicago: "With cash bail eliminated in Illinois, the Cook County Jail population shrinks"

PRISON SYSTEM
News-Gazette "19-year-old Champaign woman gets 52 years for role in 2020 murder"

LEGAL SYSTEM
WTTW: "Man Who Spent 16 Years in Prison for Rolling Meadows Killing Set for Release After Murder Charges Dropped"
Chicago Tribune: "Trial opens for 2 ex-assistant state’s attorneys charged in fallout over infamous Jackie Wilson case"
ProPublica: "Police Resistance and Politics Undercut the Authority of Prosecutors Trying to Reform the Justice System"
Chicago Tribune: "In what may be state’s first conviction of its kind, ex-DCFS worker guilty of endangerment in death of AJ Freund; supervisor not guilty"
Chicago Tribune, Opinion: "Laura Washington: Despite Barack Obama’s legislation, the scourge of driving while Black remains"
Edgar County Watchdogs: "Boone County Clerk Indicted On 26 Felony Counts; Could Face More Than 100 Years In Prison"
Rockford Registar Star: "Rockford-area official faces more than 100 years in prison on several charges"
The State Journal-Register: "Dan Wright appointed as Seventh Judicial Circuit associate judge"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
BlockClub Chicago: "Basketball Hoops Were Ripped Out Of Beverly Decades Ago. Now, A Push To Bring Them Back"
Chicago Tribune: "Four months later, DuPage County mass shooting puts spotlight on ‘lost community"
BlockClub Chicago: "Proposed Law Named For Slain Little Village Mom Would Better Protect Domestic Violence Victims"
NBC Chicago: "Is Chicago doing enough for public safety? Mayor Johnson says the city is responding in ‘bold and audacious' ways"

YOUTH SYSTEMS/YOUTH SAFETY
WGLT: "Community members dedicated to expanding, improving restorative practices for McLean County" 
Chicago Tribune, Opinion: "Aaron Goldstein: Illinois DCFS needs transformational change to end harmful family separations"

GUN VIOLENCE
Capitol News: "Advocates push for guns to be taken from domestic abusers when order of protection served"
The Center Square: "After vagueness hearing, federal judge could strike down Illinois’ gun ban"
The Trace: "Illinois Legislators Introduce Karina’s Bill to Remove Guns from Abusers"

POLICING
The Reader: "Judges challenge police credibility in court"
Daily Herald: "Two years after uproar, Mount Prospect Police choose new patch"
Illinois Times: "Police misconduct lawsuit ends in mistrial"
ProPublica/Riverfront Times: "‘A Detective Sabotaged His Own Cases Because He Didn’t Like the Prosecutor. The Police Department Did Nothing to Stop Him."

POLITICAL SYSTEMS
NPR Illinois: The 21st, Oct. 11, 2023: "Dulce Quintero makes history as new IL Dept. of Human Service Secretary"
Chicago Tribune: "City settlement deal demands silence from whistleblowers fired by Chicago Treasurer Conyears-Ervin"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Pritzker says he would veto any Chicago financial transaction tax"

MAYOR JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
WTTW: "Mayor Brandon Johnson Proposes $16.6B Spending Plan That Closes Budget Gap, Expands Mental Health Services"
The Daily Line: "Johnson proposes $16.6B spending plan without property tax hike"
Chicago Tribune: "Digging into the numbers in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Editorial: Johnson's budget plan shows he's listening to biz — at least for now"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Chicago Sun-Times: "Venezuelan migrant shot while holding her son outside South Side police station"
WTTW: "Mayor Brandon Johnson Scraps Plan to Travel to the Southern Border; Small City Delegation Will Go"
Chicago Tribune: "City considers Brighton Park vacant lot as a possible site for migrant tent encampment"

Oct. 3 - Oct. 9

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT
WSPY News "16th Judicial Circuit launches Pretrial Fairness Act dashboard"
Dispatch / The Argus: "Pretrial Fairness Act: Rock Island public defender has appealed 20-25 detention rulings in first two weeks"
The Progressive Magazine: "Cash Bail Ends in Illinois, How Will Things Change?"
The Ogle County Life: "Sheriff details operations since SAFE-T Act changes took effect Sept. 18"
Center Square: "Former prosecutor says Illinois’ SAFE-T Act an 'experiment"
Illinois Times, letters to editor: "SAFE-T Act impacts agency financially"

YOUTH SYSTEMS/YOUTH SAFETY
Rockford Register Star: "Illinois DCFS chief to resign from the embattled child welfare agency"
ABC 7 Eyewitness News: "Marc Smith, DCFS Illinois director, will step down at end of year, Gov. Pritzker announces"
The State Journal-Register: "Eight juveniles transferred from detention center as shooting investigation continues"
News Channel ABC 20: "Active shooter at Sangamon County Juvenile Center was an inmate, said SPD chief of police"
Effingham Daily News: "Illinois youth program offers a place where kids can belong, lead, learn"
Hyde Park Herald: "‘Collabooration’ gears up for another teen-friendly Halloween night

PRISONS/JAILS
Northern Star: "Illinois prison libraries to receive grant"
WGEM: "Illinois secretary of state announces $420K grant to prison libraries"
The State Journal-Register: "Five county inmates face delayed transfers to mental health treatment centers: What to know"
Marshall Project: "How to Report on Banned Books in Prisons in Your State"
Fox32 Chicago: "Inside Cook County Jail's battle against drug-soaked paper trade"

CHICAGO POLICE
CBS News Chicago: "Once again, activists call for Mayor Johnson to get rid of ShotSpotter"
Chicago Tribune: "Changes continue on Chicago Police Board in ongoing shake-up"
NBC 5 Chicago: "New efforts to boost officer morale in CPD gives time back to officers"
WTTW: "Stops by Chicago Police Create Fear and Sow Distrust, Finds Survey Conducted by Federal Court Monitor"
WTTW: "‘CPS Suspended 2 Security Guards Last Month. Both Were Previously Fired Police Officers and Named on Chicago’s Do-Not-Hire List"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
BlockClub Chicago: "As Bomb Threats Reach Libraries, Chicago Public Library Must Do More To Protect Workers, Advocates Say’"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Sheriff's office turns to old-school tactics to combat Mag Mile retail theft"
25 News: "Up to $45K available for victims, families of crimes. How you can qualify and apply for reimbursement"
25 News: "U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen announces funding of over $130k to reduce crime in Central Illinois"
Chicago Tribune: "Domestic violence survivor wants to honor women’s resilience with Burr Ridge gala. ‘These women are champions'"
Chicago Tribune: "Police order River North bar to close after 8 people shot during exchange of gunfire nearby early Sunday morning"
Chicago Sun-Times: "FBG Duck murder trial expected to spotlight Chicago’s gang, rap ties"
Chicago Tribune, Opinion: "Paul Vallas: Here’s what the City Council can do to help the police superintendent reverse the tide of crime"

BRANDON JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Chicago Tribune: "Mayor Brandon Johnson beats back opposition, moves forward with plans to end lower minimum wage and for homeless services"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Small steps, slight delay for key parts of Johnson’s progressive agenda"
Chicago Tribune: "Chicago becomes largest US city to independently abolish subminimum wage for tipped workers"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor Brandon Johnson creates post for city’s first chief homelessness officer"
State Journal Register: "Ordinance that would end tipped minimum wage in Chicago restaurants could ripple downstate"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Chicago Sun-Times: "As migrant crisis grows will faith groups step up and offer unused buildings?"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor Johnson to visit US-Mexico border, assess migrant situation" 
Chicago Tribune: "Laura Washington: Instead of going to the border, Mayor Brandon Johnson should head to a community meeting"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Lawsuit seeks to stop Chicago from using public buildings to house migrants"
Capitol News: "Pritzker urges Biden to intervene amid ‘untenable’ pace of migrant arrivals"
Chicago Tribune, Opinion: "Paul Vallas: The sanctuary city program threatens Chicago’s future"

LEGAL SYSTEM/COURTS
Chicago Tribune: "Stalled Justice update: Notoriously slow Cook County courts will begin tracking why cases are delayed"
Chicago Tribune: "The frightened witness and the long-hidden memo: Plea deal in murder case has startling back story"
WGLT: "Jamie Snow's lawyers: Police had doubts about witness ID, statements" 
WCIA: "Illinois awarded $2.5 million grant to improve adult treatment courts" 
CBS News Chicago: "Case of Rico Clark, who says he was wrongfully convicted, in front of Illinois Prisoner Review Board"
Reason Magazine: "Weed Is Legal in Illinois. Police Searched His Car Anyway"

GUN VIOLENCE
The Trace: "The Gun Industry’s Trade Group Is Using Flimsy Data in Big Court Cases"
ABC 7 Eyewitness News: "Geneva woman to run in Chicago Marathon to raise money for gun violence prevention"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Millions in PPP, other COVID-19 relief funds went to gangs, fueled Chicago’s illegal gun market"

POLICING
Illinois Public Media: "Champaign Police investigate ‘agency culture’ of not following domestic violence reporting laws" 
WGN 9 Chicago: "FBI Springfield office warns of cyberattacks, crime in Illinois"
WREX: "Rockford receives grant to improve safety through radio, communications upgrades"
Belleville News-Democrat: "East St. Louis police union wants judge to rule on back pay dispute dating to 2015"

Sept. 26 - Oct. 2

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT
Marshall Project: "Should Money Decide Who is Kept in Jail? More Locations Are Saying No"
South Side Weekly: "Bond Court “The Way it Should Be” as the Pretrial Fairness Act Takes Effect"
Northwest Herald: "10 inmates granted release from McHenry County Jail in 1st week of cashless bail reforms"
My Stateline.com: "Boone County, a week into the SAFE-T Act"
WCBU: "Peoria-area officials assess first week of new no-cash bail system"
Kane County Chronicle: "Kane felony domestic abuse defendant released on electronic monitoring"
Rockford Register Star: "Panelists: End of cash bail strains Rockford's criminal justice system"
WAND: "SAFE-T Act impacts agency financially"
News Max: "Illinois' Cashless Bail Keeps Criminals on Streets"

YOUTH JUSTICE
Chalkbeat Chicago: "Is Chicago’s shift to restorative justice and fewer school police working? Some say yes."
The Daily Northwestern: "Illinois legislation first to protect the children of influencers"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Teach the real legacy of Fred Hampton and the Black Panthers to inspire our youth"
The Center Square: "Illinois' child welfare agency late reporting abuse to authorities, audit finds"
The News-Gazette: "Teen to be tried as adult for his friend's murder and remain locked up until trial"
The State Journal-Register: "Sangamon County coroner expected to name teen who died in police shooting at juvenile center"
NPR Illinois: "Springfield police fatally shoot 17 year old at detention center"

REENTRY/PRISONS
Chicago Tribune: "Jury awards $19 million to woman who says counselor sexually assaulted her in downstate prison"
Injustice Watch: "Chicago man becomes first in Illinois to get reduced sentence under new law"
Illinois Times: "Pritzker defends denials of medical release requests"
Smile Politely: "Securus is charging families six dollars for phone calls from jail"
Chicago Reporter: "Cook County Jail’s ‘Start Early’ doula program addresses the needs of its pregnant population"
The Center Square: "Illinois Department of Corrections audit shows lack of sex offender oversight"
The Chicago Sun-Times: "Former Chicago gang kingpin Jeff Fort loses First Step Act bid for freedom after 40 years in prison"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Chicago Tribune: "Republicans in US House hold hearing on Chicago violence that State’s Attorney Kim Foxx called a ‘clown show’"
Chicago Sun-Times: "‘Is Chicago savable?’ GOP congressional hearing in Chicago marked by partisan attacks, false claims"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "David Greising: Civic leaders seek sincere solutions while GOP stunt exploits Chicago violence"
Hyde Park Herald: "Local leaders attend White House launch of gun violence prevention office"
The Trace: "The White House Launched an Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Here’s What We Know"
NBC5 Chicago: "DePaul University ups security measures after multiple robberies"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Surge of brutal robberies has Bucktown neighbors demanding action: ‘It feels like we are under attack’"
Chicago Tribune: "‘Everyone is so freaked out’: Armed robbery crews sweep city as Chicago police task forces struggle with brazen crimes"
News Channel 20: "Domestic Violence homicides remain high in Illinois"
Fox32 Chicago: "Activists urge Kim Foxx, Mayor Brandon Johnson to enforce laws against violence"
Crain's Chicago Business: "State's attorney candidates walk the same tightrope on crime and reform"

CHICAGO POLICE
Chicago Sun-Times: "Police board rejects push to move misconduct cases behind closed doors after arbitrator’s decision"
BlockClub Chicago: "‘Larry Snelling Confirmed As Next Chicago Police Superintendent"
Then Daily Line: "City Council approves Snelling as CPD superintendent"
NBC 5 Chicago: "There's a new top cop in Chicago. City Council chooses ex-counterterrorism head"
Chicago Sun-Times: "City Council unanimously confirms Snelling as city’s top cop. Now the hard part"
Chicago Tribune: "Chicago man sues city, police after exoneration for 1989 murder, alleging officers framed him"
WTTW: "Lee Harris, Who Spent More Than 30 Years in Prison Before Murder Conviction Vacated, Suing City of Chicago"
WBEZ Chicago: "Black drivers ‘stay ready,’ navigating low-level traffic stops"
Chicago Tribune: "Prosecutors: Chicago police officers lied about on-duty shooting"
Chicago Tribune: "Judge finds two police officers not guilty in on-duty Pilsen shooting"
CBS News: "Victim of botched Chicago police raid in 2017 expected to get $300,000 settlement"

BRANDON JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Chicago Tribune: "Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ‘Treatment Not Trauma’ initiative takes step forward as fiscal questions remain" 
BlockClub Chicago: "‘South Side Alderman, Activists Call On Mayor To Help Pass South Shore Housing Protections"
Chicago Tribune: "Will Mayor Brandon Johnson’s transfer tax plan deliver for the homeless amid a real estate downturn?"
The Triibe: "Explainer: Here’s what you need to know about the 2024 budget season in Chicago"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Chicago Sun-Times: "How much have volunteers been spending to help ease the migrant crisis at police stations?"
Chicago Tribune: "Chicago expecting even higher pace of migrant arrivals as mayor, governor press White House for more help"
ABC7 Chicago: "Chicago police investigating after person breaks into Gage Park migrant shelter"
WTTW: "Probe into Allegations of Sexual Misconduct by Chicago Police Officers at Police Stations Home to Migrants Closed"

POLICING
News Channel 20: "Starting salaries for Springfield officers running $15,000 below other major Central Illinois departments"
WCIA.com: "Budzinski announces $322k for Illinois police departments"

HOUSING
The Daily Line: "‘Total blank check’: Commercial housing providers, alderperson voice opposition to Bring Chicago Home proposal during panel"
Rockford Register Star: "Rockford residents oppose 'outrageous' expansion of group homes for recovering addicts"

GUN VIOLENCE
Bloomberg Law: "Illinois Gun ID Law Withstands Supreme Court Test, State Rules"
Chicago Tribune: "Registration of high-powered guns owned before Illinois ban took effect begins this month"

LEGAL SYSTEM/COURTS
Chicago Sun-Times: "Confirmation for next U.S. attorney in Chicago gets tougher with anonymous senator blocking vote" 
Illinois Times: "State’s Attorney Dan Wright a candidate for judge" 
Sauk Valley.com: "Lee County Drug Court wins $1 million, three-year grant" 

Sept. 19 - Sept. 25

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT
Time Magazine: "What the Rest of America Can Learn From Illinois on Criminal Justice Reform"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Cook County judges talk about their first week without cash bail: ‘The world is looking at us’"
WBEZ: "Courts in counties across Illinois take first steps into a world without cash bail"
Belleville News-Democrat: "Chief judge in St. Clair County gives verdict on first wave of hearings after cash bail system ends"
The Griffin Daily News: "St. Clair Chief Judge on No Cash Bail"
WTTW: "A Look Inside Cook County Courtrooms on the Day Cash Bail Ends in Illinois"
KSDK-TV St. Louis: "County jails begin releasing defendants after Illinois ends cash bail"
Chicago Sun-Times: In Domestic Violence Court, promising first day of bail reform as judge works ‘few kinks out of the system’
Chicago Sun Times: "Many Illinois counties don’t have the resources to meet demands of SAFE-T Act"
IPM News 217 Today: "Illinois no longer has cash bail. Are courts ready?"
Daily Herald: " 'It went well': As cashless bail starts in suburban courts, who was detained, who wasn't"
WSPY-FM: "SAFE-T Act implementation smooth in Kendall County"
Quad City Times: "Rock Island County navigates first day without cash bail"
Rockford Register Star "Most Rockford area defendants go free on first day of no cash bail in Illinois"
Northern Public Radio: “End of no cash bail ushered in Winnebago County with no major glitches”
Internewscast Journal: “Macon County navigates first day of no cash bail system”
ABC 20 WCCU: “Champaign County adjusts to new no-cash bail law: State's attorney confident in justice system”
Shaw Local News Network: "SAFE-T Act’s cashless bail provision begins in McHenry County, across Illinois, despite controversy"
Illinois Times: “Cash bail comes to an end”
Effingham Daily News: “AMANDA PYRON, Guest Columnist: Court actors must implement SAFE-T Act for crime survivors”
Illinois Public Media: “Cash bail in Illinois is over”
Shaw Local News Network: "SAFE-T Act test case: Brito fails to win release in La Salle County"
ABC7: "Illinois no cash bail: After Safe-T Act takes effect, states attorneys voice concerns"
Illinois Times: “Small counties struggle to implement SAFE-T Act”
25 News: "Justice system professionals describe the transition out of cash bail as smooth"
My Stateline: “Man, accused of stealing $68K worth of merchandise in smash-and-grab robbery, released under new Illinois SAFE-T Act”
ABC 7 - Cook County Sheriff busts man accused of smuggling guns into Chicago only for him to get out on bond"

GUN VIOLENCE/GUN REFORM
MSNBC: “Biden announces White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention”
The Trace: “Public Libraries Can Play a Role in Gun Violence Prevention”
Chicago Sun Times: “Trauma-healing ‘toolkit’ offered to area residents impacted by gun violence: ‘It gave us a moment of peace’”
Block Club Chicago: “Garfield Park Church Opening Gun Violence Resource Center”
Center Square: “Chicago police union president criticizes prosecutor’s decision-making”
Newswires: “Inaugural Chicagoland Gun Violence Awareness Walk to Benefit Chicago Survivors”

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Illinois Policy: “Vallas: Chicago Can Use Home Rule Powers To Curb Crime”
ABC 7: "Republican-controlled House committee to hold hearing on Chicago crime at FOP headquarters"
Fox 32: "Activists urge Kim Foxx, Mayor Brandon Johnson to enforce laws against violence"

REENTRY
Hyde Park Herald: “Cook County launches rental assistance program for returning citizens”

YOUTH
The Telegraph: “What happens when children commit crimes?”
The Marshall Project: “Juvenile Detention Centers Face One Scandal After Another”

LEGAL SYSTEMS, COURTS AND PRISONS
WBEZ: “What’s the future of parole and clemency in Illinois?"
South Side Weekly: “Dying and Disabled Illinois Prisoners Kept Behind Bars”
Chicago Sun Times: “Too few dying and disabled inmates being released? Victims’ families might disagree”
Block Club Chicago: “Appellate Court Throws Out ‘Excessive Sentence’ For Chicago Man Denied Parole Over 30 Times”
Chicago Sun Times: “‘King Rudy’ walks free after helping feds nab ex-state Sen. Martin Sandoval, dozens of others”

CHICAGO POLICE
Chicago Sun Times: “Attacks on police officers are rising. The lawlessness must end.” 
Block Club Chicago: “Chicago Police Officer’s West Side Garden Helps Him Find Solace And Connection To His Family”
Chicago Tribune: “Two Chicago police officers on trial on charges stemming from a 2022 shooting in Pilsen” 
Chicago Tribune: "After 2 months, COPA unable to find witnesses in CPD Ogden District migrant sex misconduct investigation, council member says" 

Sept. 12 - Sept. 19

PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT
WTTW: "Cash Bail Officially Ends in Illinois Monday. Here’s What You Need to Know” Joining “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” are Ahmadou Dramé, director of the Illinois Justice Project; Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell Jr.; and the Rev. Charles Straight of East Side United Methodist Church

Chicago Tribune: "After years of debate and preparation, elimination of cash bail begins in Illinois"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Illinois becomes first state in nation to eliminate cash bail: Here’s how it will work"
The State Journal-Register: "Cash bail ends in Illinois but further reform is still a possibility"
AP: "Cash bail disproportionately impacts communities of color. Illinois is the first state to abolish it"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Bail reform can protect victims of domestic, sexual violence, activists say"
Chicago Tribune: "New bail reform ‘isn’t going to be perfect,’ court players and advocates say as changes are set to take effect"
NBC Nightly News: "Illinois ends cash bail requirement in major criminal justice reform"
WRAM: "Knox County State’s Attorney Jeremy Karlin Breaks Down SAFE-T Act and Local Law Enforcement Application"
WGN 9: "No cash bail set to start Monday in Illinois: Here’s what you need to know"
Northern Public Radio: "Officials say major changes are underway with the end of cash bail, but they’ll adjust"
Bolts Magazine: "‘Court Watchers Prepare For the End of Cash Bail in Illinois"
The Paducah Sun: "Prosecutor offers clarification on Illinois' SAFE-T Act"
The Bar News: "‘Illinois Supreme Court’s Comprehensive Preparations for the End of Cash Bail"
Fox2 Now: "‘Concerns as cash bail ban starts Monday in Illinois"
NBC 5 Chicago: "Cash bail ends in Illinois Monday: here's what it will look like"
KWQC "No more cash bail beginning Monday in Illinois"
CBS KMOV4: "Illinois jails preparing for cash bail to end in the coming days"
St. Louis Public Radio: "Illinois will no longer have cash bail on Monday. What does that mean in the Metro East?"
WBEZ: "Cash bail’s end next week could spark an electronic monitoring surge, backers fear"
WBBM News Radio "Activists urge courts not to over-use electronic monitoring when cash bail ends in Illinois"
Chicago Tribune: "South and southwest suburban police chiefs, officials prepare for Monday’s start of cashless bail"
WCSJ News: "Grundy Co. Sheriff Provides Update Regarding Elimination of Cash Bail in Illinois"
25 News: "Local state’s attorneys say they’re ready for end of cash bail starting Monday"
My Quad Cities: "How will no cash bail affect Illinois court system?"
WBEZ: "Downstate leaders say they will need help handling the historic end to cash bail"
Beloit Daily News: "Panel to discuss end of cash bail in Illinois"
WCBU: "‘Where Do We Go From Here?’: Illinois Counties Prep For Massive Changes To Courts And Jails"
Muddy River News: "Disparately resourced public defenders prepare for end of cash bail in Illinois"

The Center Square: "Debate continues whether abolishment of cash bail will help victims of crime
MyStateline: "Dangerous criminals could be released after new Illinois law goes into effect, warns State’s Attorney"
River County 101.7: "Lee County Sheriff Fears a Spike in Crime Following Parts of the Safe-T Act Going in Effect on Monday"
MyStateline.com "DeSantis urges Illinois police to ‘make the smart move’ to Florida after state abolishes cash bail"
Herald-Whig: "Manpower, burden of proof concerns remain as cash bond ends Monday"
Rockford Register Star: "Your turn: Nothing in Illinois' SAFE-T Act improves public safety"

PRISON SYSTEM/REENTRY
Chicago Tribune: "After complaints about Pritzker’s Prisoner Review Board, advocates say it’s become too strict"
Smile Politely: "Check out this community event with Renaldo Hudson"
PEN America: "2023 PEN America Prison Writing Contest Winners Announced"
WBEZ: "Why inflation price hikes are even worse behind bars"
Riverfront Times: "I Made Peace With My Dad's Record — By Changing My Name"
WAND: "Senate eyes abuse at Thomson, Illinois prison"

YOUTH
Shaw Local News Network: "Youth Service Bureau Helps Reduce Number of Incarcerated Youths in the Illinois Valley"
UIC Today: "Chicago youth discover their passions, potential at College of Education summer camps"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Chicago Sun-Times: "Robberies in Chicago are at 6-year high, surpassing prepandemic levels"
The74: "Video Campaign Gives Chicago Teens a Voice against Gun Violence"
BlockClub Chicago: "Mayor Says ‘Strategic Plan’ Is In Place To Battle Surge Of Robberies"
Illinois.gov: "Gov. Pritzker Appoints Quiwana Bell as Assistant Secretary of Firearm Violence Prevention"
The Trace: "Public Libraries Can Play a Role in Gun Violence Prevention"

BRANDON JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Chicago Sun-Times: "Proposed rewrite of Chicago’s hate crime ordinance would create new category called ‘hate incidents’" 
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago faces 2024 budget shortfall of $538 million — more than a third of it tied to migrant crisis"
The Daily Line: "City Council accepts $33M in federal grants to help migrants, approves measure to buy Northwest Side property to house migrants"
WBBM News Radio: "Bring Chicago Home ordinance gets another chance at City Hall: ‘We can transform our city for the better’"
CBS News Chicago: "Mayor Brandon Johnson explores opening city-owned grocery stores in food deserts"
NBC 5 Chicago: "Worst-case scenario: Chicago budget gap could reach $1.9 billion by 2026" 

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Axios: "Texas, Denver using federal funds to send migrants to Chicago"
WTTW: "As Tensions Run High at Police Station Migrant Shelters, Volunteers Speak Out on Shelter Conditions"

CHICAGO POLICE
ABC 7 Eyewitness News: "CPD officers warned of hand-held radio thefts from district station lobbies: internal memo"
WTTW: "Behavioral Science-Based Police Training Program Led to Drops in Use of Force, Discretionary Arrests in Chicago: Study"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Incoming top cop Snelling is right: ‘We can’t do this unless we do it together’"
Chicago Tribune: "Letters: Police officers in my family have died by suicide. Its time Chicago confronts the issue"
Fight Back! News: "Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression on the Removal of the Gang Database"

LEGAL SYSTEM
Chicago Tribune: "‘US Senate confirms Illinois judge to the federal trial bench"
St. Louis Public Radio: "Former Illinois trooper again seeks drivers license after 2007 fatal Metro East crash"

POLICING
Fox Illinois: "Springfield city council debates over increased healthcare costs for retired police officers: Implications on officer retention and recruitment"
Muddy River News: "JWCC criminal justice program collaborates with local law enforcement to help attract new officers"

Sept. 5 - Sept. 11

PRISON SYSTEM
Truthout: "E-Carceration” Is the Newest Surveillance Trend Spreading Across the Globe"
The Patch: "25 Graduate From Will County Problem Solving Courts: Glasgow"
Illinois Times: "Unjust sentencing U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin hopes to alleviate inequality in penalties for crack and powder cocaine"

YOUTH LEGAL SYSTEMS
ABA Journal: "Passion for Justice: Northwestern law prof fights for juvenile rights armed with research"
The Washington Post: "A program to cut school suspensions in Chicago worked very, very well. Here’s how"
The Trace: "Chicago Youth Programs Often End With the Summer. Young People Want More"
The Trace: "After-School Programs Could Reduce Gun Violence Among Young People. Why Aren’t There More of Them?"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
WTTW: "Chicago Has Seen 418 Homicides and 1,988 People Shot This Year, Lowest Numbers Since 2019: Police"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago-area expressway shootings down sharply this year"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Two execs to pick up where Jim Crown left off on biz community's public safety push"

SAFE-T ACT
Chicago Tribune: "With historic bail reform measures set to take effect, Cook County officials detail court changes"
My Journal Courier: "End of cash bail hanging over Illinois county officials"
The Illinoize: "How Courts are Preparing for the End of Cash Bail"
WBEZ Chicago: "What to expect now that cash bail in Illinois is ending"
Rockford Register Star: "The end of cash bail is coming. Here's how Rockford area court systems are preparing"

LEGAL SYSTEM
Chicago Tribune: "‘Black and brown tension’ evident in Democratic contest for Illinois Supreme Court seat"
Daily Herald: "Medical marijuana users push back on McHenry County state's attorney's stance"

CHICAGO POLICE
WTTW: "Police Oversight Board Votes to Permanently Scrap New Chicago Gang Database"
CBS News: "Oversight commission shuts down Chicago Police gang database"
BlockClub Chicago: "‘Top Cop Nominee Larry Snelling Grilled By Residents At Public Forum"
Chicago Tribune: "‘We have to be partners in this’: Larry Snelling, selected to lead CPD, takes public questions for first time"
WBEZ Chicago: "‘Chicago public safety commission against private police discipline cases"
NBC 5 Chicago: "City's office of inspector general can't examine CPD 911 response times due to data ‘substantially missing"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Nearly half the time, Chicago cops don’t record time of arrival at emergency scenes"
Chicago Tribune: "Daywatch: Chicago bars may feature cops working security"
WBEZ Chicago: "Nearly five years after pleading guilty to a felony, a Chicago cop remains on the force"
NBC 5 Chicago: "Center aims to help Chicago police officers cope with trauma, stress"
Chicago Tribune: "Chicago City Council to take up $25 million settlement in controversial wrongful conviction case"
WTTW: "Wrongful Convictions Cost Chicago Taxpayers $153M from 2019 to 2023: Analysis"

BRANDON JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor Brandon Johnson says he’ll run for reelection, says youth are the key to Chicago’s success" 

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Chicago Tribune: "Migrant mother charged with felonies over bathroom dispute with Chicago police speaks out"
BlockClub Chicago: "‘Chicago’s ‘Migrant Camps’ Will Be Modeled After New York City’s Tent Shelters"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Response to migrant crisis could cost over $300 million by end of year"

GUN VIOLENCE
NPR Illinois: "Storing guns away from home could reduce suicides, but there are legal hurdles"
Center Square: "Illinois gun owners await firearm registry rules from state police"
Chicago Tribune: "Judge to set trial date in December for alleged Highland Park parade shooter"

POLICING
WGLT: "Bloomington Police reduce racial disparities in traffic stops; ACLU says the data is still unacceptable"
CI Proud: "PPS and PPD working together to ensure school safety"

Aug. 29 - Sept. 4, 2023

PRISONS
Injustice Watch: "Dying and disabled Illinois prisoners kept behind bars, despite new medical release law"
WBEZ Chicago: "Gov. JB Pritzker defends denials of medical release requests from dying and disabled prisoners"
Daily Herald: "'A passion project for us': Kane County jail's Recovery Pod makes Amazon Prime time in documentary"
Daily Chronicle, Opinion: "Eye On Illinois: Failures in Thomson should inform future IDOC strategies"
The Appeal: "Extreme Heat is Killing People in Prison. What's Being Done About it"
ABC News: "Minnesota prison reaches resolution with inmates who refused to return to their cells in heat wave"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Students at Stateville prison find empowerment, hope in arts education"

YOUTH JUSTICE
NPR Illinois: "Cities move to enact juvenile curfews to curb crime"

PUBLIC HEALTH
U.S. News & World Report: "Segregation Has Close Ties With Lead Poisoning in Black American Kids"

LEGAL SYSTEM
Chicago Sun-Times: "Ex-Chicago cop offers rare testimony for man whose double-murder conviction was then vacated"
Kane County Chronicle: "Kane County’s new DUI Problem-Solving court now accepting applications"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Felony charges dropped against man found with guns at Chicago hotel — 2 years after Lightfoot, top cop suggested he planned mass attack"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
WBEZ Chicago: "At summer’s end, Chicago murders are down 21% from horrendous 2021"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Hate crimes in Chicago last year reached highest number since 1994, according to national report"
Austin Weekly News: "Garfield Park “Peace Runner” trailblazes a wellness program on the West Side"
IPN Newsroom: "5 people shot and wounded, 2 critically, in Illinois city, as gun violence cancels school events"

SAFE-T ACT
WAND: "Macon Probation staff providing pretrial services ahead of SAFE-T Act implementation"
The Telegraph: "County gearing up for end of bail"
Effingham Radio: "SAFE-T Act Details Explained In Interview With Effingham County Sheriff Paul Kuhns"
My Wabash Valley.com "IL Supreme Court prepares for no-cash bail with new Committee on Pretrial Education"
The Daily Line: "State moving toward end of cash bail later this month"
Riverside-Brookfield Landmar. letter to editor: "State board needs to recertify police officer"
WBEZ Chicago, The Rundown: "Bus service lacking, electronic monitoring changes, big bonus for CSU president"

CHICAGO POLICE
Chicago Tribune: "Chicago police union dedicates memorial to officers who have died by suicide"
South Side Weekly: "‘Doesn’t Make it Wrong’
CPD Chief Larry Snelling testified in 2015 that an officer’s use of force was appropriate, but IPRA and the then-superintendent found otherwise" 
CBS News Chicago: "Larry Snelling, pick for next Chicago police superintendent, to attend public hearing"
South Side Weekly: "Chicago Cops Accused of Domestic Violence are Rarely Disciplined"
BlockClub Chicago: "At Fiesta Boricua, Champion Fighters Want To Use Boxing To Combat Youth Violence"
WBEZ Chicago: "Head of Chicago public safety commission warns against making police discipline cases secret"

MIGRANT RESPONSE
Chicago Sun-Times: "‘I am absolutely livid’: Kenwood residents decry plan to turn hotel into migrant shelter"
BlockClub Chicago: "Kenwood Migrant Shelter Will Bring Families Out Of Police Stations, But Some Neighbors Fiercely Oppose Plan"
WTTW: "As Migrants Continue to Arrive in Chicago, Officials Call for Collaboration Across Levels of Government"
Chicago Tribune: "A year in, Chicago’s migrant crisis exacerbated by City Hall and state delays, hefty contracts and questionable decisions"

Aug. 22 - August 28, 2023

PRISONS/REENTRY
Chicago Law Bulletin: "Stateville inmate awarded $2.95M for mistreatment by prison staff"
The Daily Line "Lawmakers pushing legislation to give convicted prisons voting rights"
CI Proud: "Female inmates are getting ready for re-entry into society"
Quad City Times: "USP Thomson names new warden, permanently becomes low-security prison"

YOUTH JUSTICE
Illinois.gov: "Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice wins national award for family engagement"
The Telegraph: "Grafton youth facility earns national honor’"
The 21st: "Unveiling the treatment inside juvenile detention centers"
NPR Illinois: "Statewide: Calls are growing to require attorneys for minors during police interrogations"
Rockford Register Star: "Rockford police: Juveniles have turned car theft into a game"

LEGAL SYSTEM
Chicago Tribune: "Lone defendant left in case of the killing of off-duty Chicago police officer Clifton Lewis denied a new trial"
The Appeal: "New Jersey took a big step toward eliminating public defender fees, but some costs remain"
The Quad City Times: "Villarreal announces reelection campaign"
Lake County News Sun: "Former Gurnee man exonerated after decades in prison for murder files suit against law enforcement officials"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Austin Weekly News: "West Side Group’s short film aims to change the narrative about the community"
NPR Illinois: "'All we want is revenge': How social media fuels gun violence among teens"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Greg Hinz: Is the CTA finally getting on the right track?"
WBEZ Chicago: "The CTA says crime is down and service is more reliable this year"
WTTW: "With Carjackings on the Rise, Illinois Looks to Curb the Growing Crime"
WTTW: "Chicago Files Lawsuit Against Kia and Hyundai, Which Account for More Than Half of City’s 2023 Car Thefts"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Johnson's plan to tackle soaring car thefts: Sue the automakers"
Capitol News Illinois: "Illinois looks to curb vehicle theft with grants to police task forces"
The Telegraph: "Alton boxing club has new home
"We're losing our youth to gun violence and we wanted to do something that would bring our kids back home" -- Kaletha Anderson"
WTTW: "Retail Theft Costing Illinois Businesses Billions as Efforts to Steal Become More Organized"
WTTW: "As Research Grows Around How to Stop Gun Violence, One City in Tennessee Looks to Science for Help"

SAFE-T ACT
Riverside-Brookside Landmark: "Pritzker calls on state to reinstate Riverside decertified police officer"
Daily Herald: "Safe-T Act causes reasonable fears"
WAND: "SAFE-T Act takes effect in less than a month"
Ogle County Life: "Local law enforcement reacts to ruling officially eliminating cash bail"

HOUSING
Chicago Sun-Times: "Homelessness in Chicago surged in 2021, new report says"
WBEZ Chicago: "Chicago’s homeless living on streets and in shelters sharply increased in 2021"
Chicago Tribune: "Aurora City Council approves affordable housing amendment for projects at two former school buildings"
The Daily Line: "OIG report finds DFSS is successful in helping Chicagoans living in encampments find permanent housing"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Independent migrant shelter aims to house remaining residents, close by September"
The Daily Line: "Bring Chicago Home proposal expected to be introduced next month would raise real estate transfer tax for some properties lower it for sales under $1m"
Center Square: "Chicago mayor seeks to implement a tax on homes over $1 million"
WBEZ Chicago: "Mayor Johnson supports a plan to raise a tax on high-end properties to help the homeless"

JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor Johnson is behind the curve in naming top leaders for key city departments"
The Triibe: "How Chicago’s new progressive leadership is navigating political power and pressure for immediate change’"
WBEZ Chicago: "How Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has prioritized his first 100 days
Johnson’s appeals to be a mayor “for all of Chicago” may be expanding his base, but some progressives worry his early efforts lack boldness.’"
Chicago Reader: "Brandon Johnson’s first hundred days as Chicago mayor’"
WTTW: "Chicago Police Department Staffing Steady During Johnson’s First 100 Days: Data"
The Daily Line: "Johnson: City leadership that listens to residents, alderpersons fosters ‘entire collaborative spirit’ across departments"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Health of thousands of migrants at Chicago police stations is in the hands of volunteer Mobile Migrant Health Team"

CHICAGO POLICE
ProPublica: "A Chicago Cop Is Accused of Lying Under Oath 44 Times. Now Prosecutors Are Dropping Cases That Relied on His Testimony"
WTTW: "Repeated Police Misconduct by 116 Officers Cost Chicago Taxpayers $91.3M Over 3 Years: Analysis"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Jury awards $10.5 million to family of man killed in 2018 Rogers Park crash during police chase"
Chicago Sun-Times: "House migrants at City Hall, police union president says"
South Side Weekly: "Larry Snelling Was Implicated in ’97 Corruption Scheme"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Anjanette Young, handcuffed naked, recalls decision to allow footage of botched CPD raid on her home to be released
Anjanette Young received the Ida’s Legacy award for displaying ‘selfless courage’ in sharing her pain in public"
Chicago Law Bulletin: "‘Cook County jury awards $10.5M in fatal police chase"

PUBLIC HEALTH
WSIL-TV: "Southern Illinois organization focuses on recovery support"

FIREARMS
The Center Square: "This Is the Largest Gunmaker in Illinois" 

CIVIL RIGHTS
Springfield Journal-Register: "Proposed CWLP storage facility draws ire of group for its proximity to 1908 race riot site"
Springfield Journal-Register: "Martin Luther King Jr’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech turns 60 as fresh civil rights battles emerge"

Aug. 15 - Aug. 21, 2023

YOUTH JUSTICE
NPR Illinois: "A planned Illinois bill would require lawyers for kids in police interrogations"
WGN-TV: "College-bound, South Side entrepreneur to host back-to-school giveaway for Chicago youth"
Crain's Chicago Business: "ERs lack youth mental health resources, advocates say"
Youth Today: "From the mouth of babes: Letting young people lead us to a new vision of justice"
CBS News Chicago: "New Boys & Girls Club facility opens on West Side"
CBS News Chicago: "Cook County Redeploy program works to break the cycle for underage criminal offenders"
NPR Illinois: "Judge in Louisiana will consider moving teens out of Angola state penitentiary"

REENTRY
CBS News Chicago: ""Project Hired" job fair aims to help formerly incarcerated find employment"
Play Illinois: "Gov. Pritzker Signs Law Allowing Illinois Casinos To Hire Convicted Felons"
Chicago Tribune: "People convicted of felonies can apply for nongaming hospitality jobs at Illinois casinos under new law"
The State Journal-Register: "How Illinois uses Prison Labor"
The News-Gazette: "Inmates need free calls"
The Daily Herald: "Eliminating permanent punishments should be a public safety priority"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
NPR Illinois: "Real time crime centers, which started in bigger cities, spread across the U.S."
CBS News Chicago: "Ukrainian Village residents scared and frustrated by crime; some want old police district reopened"
ABC-7: "Safe Passage workers help Chicago Public Schools students get to campus safely"

JOHNSON ADMINSTRATION
Chicago Sun-Times: "Johnson on his first 100 days: It’ll take time ‘to right this ship in its entirety'"
Block Club Chicago: "Mayor Brandon Johnson Promises More Help For Migrants And Homeless — But Offers Few Specifics"
Illinois Policy: "Brandon Johnson's First 100 Days"
WBEZ: "How Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has prioritized his first 100 days"

CHICAGO POLICE
WTTW "Residents React to Chicago Top Cop Selection, Share Hopes for Community Engagement: ‘It’s a Two-Way Street"
Illinois Policy: "Vallas: Chicago has a new police chief, what's his plan to fix the city's crime problem"
Crain's Chicago Business: "How Englewood shaped Chief Larry Snelling"
Chicago Tribune: "City ‘will suffer’ if officer disciplinary hearings are held out of public view, police board president says"
WTTW: "Johnson’s Pick for Top Cop Served as Go-To Expert Witness in Police Misconduct Trials"
The Daily Line: "Snelling plans to prioritize officer wellness and training, curbing violence if approved as CPD superintendent" 
Chicago Sun-Times: "2 former Chicago police officers charged in $2 million COVID-19 relief fraud"
Center Square: "Chicago police looking for safer conditions around migrant housing"

POLICING
WJOL: "Illinois State Police Opens New Technology Center in Lockport To Combat Violence Crime"
The Highland County Press: "Illinois joins California in offering law enforcement jobs to noncitizens"
The Daily Herald: "Why is there a police officer shortage, and what are the solutions?"
Shaw Local: "How drones help McHenry County police: ‘This is the future’"

GUN VIOLENCE / GUN CONTROL
WAND TV: "National gun trade association sues Raoul over new Illinois law holding industry accountable"
KPVI: "Federal judge assigned in lawsuit over Illinois' firearms industry liability law"
Effingham Radio: "FOP Statement Regarding Illinois Supreme Court Decision On Semi-Automatic Weapons Law"

CRIMINAL COURT SYSTEMS, JAILS AND PRISONS
Block Club Chicago: "Cook County Public Defender Launching Far South Side Legal, Social Services Center"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Alleged gunman in cop murder wants prosecutors’ actions scrutinized"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Cook County Dems pick their favorite to replace Kim Foxx"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Preckwinkle’s pick slated by Cook County Democratic Party to replace Kim Foxx"
Central Illinois Proud: "Tribal courts across the country are expanding holistic alternatives to the criminal justice system"

SAFE-T ACT
Non Profit Quarterly: "Abolishing Cash Bail: Illinois Paves a New Way"
NY Post: "Ending cash bail in Illinois won’t solve crime"
Chicago Tribune: "DuPage County ‘absolutely prepared’ after amendments added to state cash bail law"
Effingham Daily News: "Effingham County prepares for end of cash bail"
WGLT: "Two McLean County murder cases illustrate changes and challenges of no-cash bail"
NBC Chicago: "Illinois to eliminate cash bail next month. Here's what to expect"
Capitol Fax: "Always read the bill"

Aug. 8 - Aug. 14, 2023

FIREARMS
The State Journal-Register: "Illinois Supreme Court upholds assault-style weapons ban, more challenges to follow"
Chicago Tribune: "Here’s where challenges to Illinois’ gun ban cases stand in state and federal court"
The Center Square: "Illinois' firearms industry vulnerable to lawsuits under new law"
AP: "Illinois governor signs ban on firearms advertising allegedly marketed to kids and militants"
Chicago Tribune: "Gun rights group files federal lawsuit against firearm manufacturer liability measure signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker over weekend"
New York Times: "By 5-4 Vote, Supreme Court Revives Biden’s Regulation of ‘Ghost Guns’"

PRISONS/REENTRY/JAILS
Public News Service: "Federal Funding Restored to Educate People in Prison"
Capitol Fax: "Pritzker pushes back against idea that state should be closing prisons"
Truthout: "New Book Edited by Incarcerated Writers Explores Oppression Beyond Prison Walls"

YOUTH JUSTICE
Chicago Tribune: "‘Justice is done’: Former Naperville student wins her legal battle over AirPods theft ticket’"
National Endowment for the Arts: "‘Back to School Grant Spotlight: Storycatchers Theatre"

LEGAL SYSTEM
Sixth Amendment Center: "Revised ABA Ten Principles: A new public defense roadmap for policymakers"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Greg Hinz: The race to replace Kim Foxx will be a referendum on her legacy"

HOUSING
Illinois Answers Project: "City Has Spent Only 15% of $52M in Federal Money Dedicated for Homeless Programs"
State Journal-Register: "Sabo: Helping Hands will most likely open shelter on Dirksen after New Year's"

SPRINGFIELD
Springfield Journal-Register: "Hundreds of bill signings: What still awaits on Gov. Pritzker's desk?"

SAFE-T ACT
Chicago Tribune Letter: "How to truly aid crime victims’"
WCSJ News: "Grundy Co. Officials Provide Feedback on Safe-T Act"
WMix-94 "Confusion remains surrounding Safe-T Act"
New York Post: "Ending cash bail in Illinois won’t solve crime"
Ogle County Life: "Local law enforcement reacts to ruling officially eliminating cash bail"

CHICAGO POLICE
Chicago Sun-Times: "New top cop in waiting vows to have officers’ backs" 
Chicago Tribune: "Mayor Brandon Johnson introduces CPD Chief Larry Snelling as pick for next top cop"
Chicago Tribune: "Mayor selects CPD chief Larry Snelling to be next superintendent, capping the South Sider’s rapid rise through the ranks"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago’s new police superintendent inherits a department notoriously slow to enact reforms"
WBBM News Radio 780: "Federal judge hears testimony about Chicago police use of 'stop-and- frisk' tactics"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago police policies on searching pedestrians, vehicles need a new review, activists say"
Chicago Tribune: "Chicago police officer and sister found guilty of breaching the Capitol on Jan. 6"
Chicago Tribune: "A Chicago man has been in prison 20 years for murder though 6 witnesses said he didn’t do it. His lawyers allege police misconduct"
WGN-TV: "Officer Ella French scholarship gives ‘life to a legacy’"
CBS News: "Chicago police officer sees Austin teen off to college after years of friendship"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Charges dropped against former Chicago cop seen in viral video confronting dog walker at beach"

JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Crain's Chicago Business: "Greg Hinz: The top cop pick is a decision Johnson — and the city he runs — can't afford to blow"
Chicago Tribune: "Mayor Johnson on firing Allison Arwady: ‘Transition is difficult for everyone’"

MIGRANTS
New York Times: "3-Year-Old Migrant Dies During Trip to Chicago on Bus Sponsored by Texas"
The Center Square: "Texas responds to migrant child dying on bus transport to Chicago"
Chicago Sun-Times, opinion: "No, law does not allow ‘illegal immigrants’ to become cops"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Chicago Sun-Times: "Vice President Harris tells young activists in Chicago they can end gun violence: ‘Your generation is critical’"
BlockClub Chicago: "Police Are Launching A Nightlife Patrol In The West Loop And West Town"
The Trace: "As Gun Deaths Slowly Decline, Chicagoans Continue Searching for Stability"
WTTW: "Chicago-Area Groups Work to Support, Aid Domestic Violence Survivors Amid Surge"
Chicago Sun-Times: "FBG Duck’s Gold Coast killing followed yearslong gang war involving girl gang assassin, other rapper, feds say"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Portage Park community shaken by ‘heartbreaking’ shooting death of 9-year-old girl"
ABC 7: "Off-duty Cook County Sheriff's officer shot on Southwest Side near Midway Airport, CFD says"
Washington Post: "Cop-watchers are now YouTube celebrities. They’ve changed how police work."
ProPublica: "How Social Media Apps Could Be Fueling Homicides Among Young Americans"
The Southern "Violence interrupters Carbondale group working to stop the chain of violence in town"
BlockClub Chicago: "West Side Nonprofit That Teaches Teens Urban Design Needs Help Recovering From Flooding"

PUBLIC HEALTH
BlockClub Chicago: "Free Food From A Grocery Store? Englewood Nonprofit Launches Innovative Lockers To Serve Neighbors"
WTTW: "Cook County Sees Opioid Overdose Record in 2022 With Fentanyl Contributing to 90% of Deaths"

POLICING
Rockford Register Star: "Illinois State Police release 3 videos from in-custody death of Rockford man"
Central Illinois Proud: "Canton police officers to begin wearing body cameras this week"
Rockford Register Star: "Illinois State Police exempt from state's in-custody death rule"
IPM News NPR: "Danville school board votes to add fourth police officer next year"
Elgin Courier-News: "Campton Hills police chief probe includes missing guns in evidence room, records show"

Aug. 1 - Aug. 7, 2023

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Chicago Tribune, Opinion: "Letters: Op-ed attacking Kim Foxx’s tenure as Cook County lacks logic and relies on lazy arguments"
WTTW: "Chicago Street Outreach Workers Use Own Experiences to Reach Others in Their Neighborhoods"
BlockClub Chicago: "1-Day West Side Crisis Support Center Opens After Mass Shooting"
Truthout: "Abolition Doesn’t Undermine Safety — Its Goal Is Safety for Everyone"
 
YOUTH JUSTICE
BGA Policy: "Sophia Van Pelt: Illinois Juvenile Detention Centers Can Hide Mistreatment Behind FOIA Exclusion"
The Center Square: "New Illinois law will require school districts to address student trauma"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Laura Washington: Don’t demonize young people who go to the Loop for fun. But violence must have consequences"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Letters: The depiction of offenders as victims is a problem"

HOUSING
The Daily Line: "Addressing Housing Affordability: A Concern Over Proposed Transfer Tax Increase"
The Daily Line: "Lead sponsor of Bring Chicago Home referendum proposal confident it will pass by January deadline"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Editorial: The last thing downtown Chicago needs"

PRISONS/REENTRY/JAILS
WGLT: "What is needed to get more special needs housing at the county jail"

CHICAGO POLICE
WTTW: "Chicago Police Department Must Improve Methods, Clarify Rules for Reporting Officer Misconduct, Watchdog Report Finds"
Hyde Park Herald: "Former U. of C. police officer included on list of cops who cannot testify at trial"
The Daily Line: "IG finds Chicago Police rules for reporting misconduct leave employees vulnerable to retaliation"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago police officer, his sister accused of entering U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 face trial"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago Police Board’s disciplinary power undercut by arbitrator’s ruling"
WBEZ Chicago: "Chicago’s gender-based violence task force is “deeply concerned” about abuse allegations against top cop Fred Waller"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Nearly 40 teens charged after they ‘crossed the line’ during ‘disorderly’ gathering in South Loop, top cop says"

JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Chicago Tribune: "Mayor Brandon Johnson defends response to teen gatherings, migrant crisis: ‘My administration is different’
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor praises Chicago police restraint after teens trash South Loop convenience store"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Hundreds of migrants moved from temporary shelters, South Loop police station ahead of Lollapalooza"

CHICAGO POLITICS
WGN News: "One on One with Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Joe Ferguson and Seth Limmer: How do we change the Chicago Way? The city needs a municipal constitution"

POLICING
Illinois Newsroom: "Marchers protest killings of two Black men in Rantoul"
Big Muddy News: "Quincy City Council approves state mandated body cam purchase"
CBS 2: "Police in Chicago, suburbs welcome community at National Night Out events"
CBS 2 "Illinois legislation would allow non-U.S. citizens to become police officers"
Aurora Beacon-News: "Aurora comes together for National Night Out"

CIVIL RIGHTS
Chicago Sun-Times: "Now a national monument, Bronzeville church where Emmett Till’s casket lay open gets official sign"

FIREARMS
Chicago Tribune: "Diversion program for people caught with illegal guns for the first time is expanded, extended"
WTTW: "Illinois to Ban Advertising for Guns Allegedly Marketed to Kids and Militants"
WBEZ Chicago: "Father charged with helping suspect in July 4 shooting obtain gun license to ask judge to toss case"

SAFE-T ACT
The Daily Line: "How pre-trial detention and release will work following Supreme Court ruling "
Chicago Tribune: "Letters: Despite Paul Vallas’ claims in his op-ed, Cook County courts are ready for the end to cash bail"
The Intelligencer: "Cash bail to end in Illinois: Madison County officials prepared for SAFE-T Act"
WSPY: "Davis thinks that SAFE-T is done deal"

SAFE-T ACT OPPOSITION
The Center Square: "Expert warns of consequences as Illinois drops cash bail"
Vandalia Radio: "A bail expert says there will be serious offenders freed now that cash bail has been abolished in Illinois"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Terri Bryant: The SAFE-T Act leaves victim resources from bond revenue in limbo"
My StateLine: “Illinois Sheriff: Eliminating cash bail a ‘backdoor way of defunding the police’"
WVIK: "Illinois Supreme Court Upholds SAFE-T Act; Ruling Criticized in Western Illinois"
Rockford Register Star: "Your turn: Can we have confidence in the Illinois Supreme Court?"

July 25 - July 31, 2023

PRISONS/REENTRY
Reset WBEZ Chicago: "Navigating the rental market in Chicago"
WTTW: "Pritzker Signs Bill Overhauling Mandatory Supervised Release"
Chicago Tribune: "New law loosening post-prison conditions is latest criminal justice change under Gov. J.B. Pritzker"
South Side Weekly: "Illinois Outlaws Book Bans—But Not for Incarcerated People"
WBEZ Chicago: "Illinois prisons need $2.5 billion in repairs, and that’s just the beginning"
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin: "Prisoner can’t pursue religious protection claims over forced haircut"
Slate: "Connecticut Has Done Something Remarkable With Crime
The state cut incarceration in half, while crime plummeted."
25 News: "Lawmakers to tour Pontiac Prison next week, says Sen. Bennett"
New York Times: "Parental Incarceration Is a Silent American Epidemic More Common Than Childhood Asthma"

HOUSING
Chicago Tribune: "Backers of Chicago real estate transfer tax hike aim to take measure to voters; money would fight homelessness"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor’s allies prep for referendum on ‘mansion tax’ to aid city’s unhoused people"
Crain's Chicago Business: “Greg Hinz: Good intentions aren't enough to shape smart tax policy"
Capitol News Illinois: "Pritzker signs bill aimed at ending homelessness"

SAFE-T ACT
WPJF: "Newsradio WJPF Interview with Patrick Windhorst"
Capitol Fax: "A look at the Illinois Supreme Court’s SAFE-T Act decision"
Dewitt Daily News: "Sheriff Walker Weighs In On Supreme Court 'Safe-T' Decision"
Now Decatur: "LISTEN: Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe talks SAFE-T Act and more on Byers & Co."
Chicago Tribune, Opinion: "Paul Vallas: Here’s how to save the SAFE-T Act from its flaws and protect public safety"
WCJS News: "Rep Bennett Displeased With Safe-T Act Ruling"
Republic-Times: "Local Safe-T Act Reactions"
River County News: "Sheriff addresses Safe-T Act"
Rochelle News Leader: "Ogle County Sheriff’s Office implements body cameras"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
WTTW: "Collaborative, Community-Based Violence Prevention Effort Aims to Professionalize the Field of Street Outreach"
BlockClub Chicago: "West Siders Impacted By Gun Violence Find ‘Community Healing’ At New Resource Center"
The Southern Illinoisan: "SIU’s Simon Institute virtual talk to look at racial, economic and educational justice"
Chicago Tribune: "Cecilia Rodhe — through son Joakim Noah’s foundation — offers art therapy to mothers who lost a child to violence"
WBEZ Chicago: "Chicago’s street vendors want the city to address licensing and crime"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Editorial: For those working so hard to turn the tide on gun violence, we offer our gratitude"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Esther Franco-Payne and Gillian Darlow: It’s time to bring community violence intervention to scale in Chicago"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "John Schmidt: The new police superintendent must connect with Chicago communities to do the job"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Tom Vanden Berk: How the modern gun safety movement is breaking the cycle of violence"
Truthout: "How an Illinois City Council Passed Unprecedented Local Human Rights Protections"

GUN INDUSTRY
New York Times: "The Secret History of Gun Rights: How Lawmakers Armed the N.R.A."
Chicago Sun-Times: "Fatal shooting of Karina Gonzalez once again highlights difficulty of seizing guns from spouse accused of abuse"

JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Chicago Tribune: "Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first big fiscal test: How to translate campaign promises into dollars and cents"
Chalk Beat: "Mayor Johnson asked Chicago youth for budget feedback. Hundreds showed up"
Chicago Tribune: "For interim Chicago police Superintendent Fred Waller, stepping in to help new mayor pays off in salary-pension double dip"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mayor Brandon Johnson: Parents and students should make their voices heard this year"

LEGAL SYSTEM
WGN-9: "O’Neill Burke latest to throw hat into race to replace Kim Foxx"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Greg Hinz: Kim Foxx quiet on key detail of her job in mid-year report"
ProPublica: "Illinois Officials Will Try a Second Time to Make Good on Pledge to Reform Student Ticketing"
St. Louis Post Dispatch: "Letter: Public Defender Services Should be Next Up for Reform"
Chicago Sun-Times: "State Supreme Court rules man who pleaded guilty to murder he didn’t commit can get certificate of innocence"
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin: "Illinois Defense Counsel president Tracy Stevenson strives to bring people back"
Chicago Tribune: "‘A judge’s judge’: Michael Toomin, who presided over major trials and juvenile court, dies after retiring from Cook County bench"
 
CHICAGO POLICE  
Chicago Tribune: "As Black leaders pushed for ‘community control of police’ 50 years ago, one activist cop was assigned to patrol an alley"
WBEZ Chicago: "Chicagoans remember trailblazing cop Renault Robinson"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago cop shot fellow officer while firing at fleeing car in Englewood, investigation finds"
Chicago Tribune: "Marilyn Mulero — once sent to death row without a trial — sues Chicago after her conviction is overturned"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Former CPD official accuses top cop of retaliating against her after she headed investigation that led to his suspension"
Courthouse News Service: "Brothers sue Chicago after enduring police torture and decades of false imprisonment"
WTTW: "Chicago Taxpayers Spent $280M to Resolve Police Misconduct Lawsuits from 2019 to 2023: Analysis"

POLICING
Chicago Tribune: "Naperville police mid-year crime data shows big spike in overdoses, sextortion cases over 2022"
Rockford Register: "Retired Rockford police chief recalls dark day in Rockford history in new book"
WGLT: "Bloomington-McLean County tactical squad agreement could expand emergency capacity"

CIVIL RIGHTS
Chicago Sun-Times: "A race riot broke out in Springfield in 1908. It should be recognized with a national monument"
Chicago Sun-Times: "National monument honoring Emmett Till and his mother will strike a blow for historical truth"

SPRINGFIELD
The State Journal-Register: "Pritzker, AFSCME reach contract agreement: What to know"

July 18 -24, 2023

YOUTH JUSTICE
Public News Service: “IL Works to Take Youth into Account in Life Sentences”
Center Square: “Chicago to host young residents for budget roundtable discussions”
WBUR: “Chicago launches new program to reengage youth who are not in school or the workforce”
WTTW: “Teen Summer Jobs a Public Safety Priority, Johnson Administration Says”
Chicago Sun-Times: “New law on youth sentencing will protect child sex trafficking victims”
WTTW: “These Young People Are Taking the Lead on Anti-Violence Efforts in Chicago”
Smile Politely: “The revolving door of incarceration: A crisis for our youth”
Block Club Chicago: "Obama Foundation Gives $1 Million To Prevent Summer Violence By Funding Safe Spaces For Young Black And Brown Men”
 
REENTRY
WCIA: “Champaign organization excited over Safe-T Act ruling, feels it will support those in jail”
Austin Weekly News: “A play written and performed by men in prison hopes to change state’s parole laws”
Chicago Defender: “Illinois Housing Development Authority Announces Funding Opportunity for Permanent Supportive Housing”
 
COMMUNITY SAFETY
WBBM News Radio: Treatment Not Trauma ordinance faces important vote Monday
Austin Weekly News: “Want to improve public safety? Beat facilitators needed”
Central Illinois Proud: “New report points to homicide rate declines in U.S. cities after pandemic-era spike”
Chicago Tribune, opinion: “Cully Stimson and Zack Smith: Kim Foxx’s pro-criminal policies are to blame for Chicago’s rising violence”
Chicago Tribune, opinion: “Village president: Oak Brook’s strong stance against crime is the answer to creating a thriving community”
Community Colleges Daily: “Building interest in criminal justice”

JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Chicago Tribune: “David Greising: How will Mayor Brandon Johnson handle the limits of his power?”
CBS News: “Mayor Johnson, other officials hear from public at first budget hearing

CHICAGO POLICE
WTTW: Chicago Spent $126.5M on Police Overtime in 6 Months, an Almost 50% Jump Over Last Year: Records
The Guardian: “Progressives press Chicago mayor over pledge to end controversial policing tool”
WTTW: “How a Group of Community Leaders Worked to Choose 3 Finalists for Chicago’s Next Police Superintendent”
CBS News: “City Council votes down $2 million settlement with family of man shot and killed by police in 2014”
Center Square: “Chicago City Council votes against settlement in police misconduct case”
Chicago Tribune: “Chicago aldermen reject $2 million settlement for fatal police shooting; man slammed to ground by cop in viral video to get $750,000”
Chicago Tribune, opinion: “Paul Vallas: Our next police superintendent must prioritize dealing with the violent crime that’s happening now”
 
POLICING
My Journal Courier: “Bill would allow non-citizens to join Illinois law enforcement agencies”
Patch: “Buffalo Grove Police Will Begin Wearing Body-Worn Cameras In August"
 
GUN VIOLENCE / GUN CONTROL
My Stateline: “Illinois judge rules in favor of gun control act, opponents plan to challenge”
Center Square: “Plaintiffs challenging Illinois’ gun owner ID law plan to appeal ruling”
WAND: “Sangamon County judge declares FOID card constitutional, siding with Illinois State Police”
 
CRIMINAL COURT SYSTEMS, JAILS AND PRISONS
WBEZ: “Illinois prisons need $2.5 billion in repairs, and that’s just the beginning”
Chicago Tribune, opinion: “Rev. Otis Moss III: The Pretrial Fairness Act is constitutional. It’s time for justice to prevail”
Courthouse News Service: “Illinois Supreme Court upholds abolition of cash bail”
Injustice Watch: “Cook County’s former top public defender ‘misused confidential information,’ report says”
Chicago Sun Times, opinion: “Latinos deserve a seat on Illinois Supreme Court”
Shaw Local News: “Illinois SAFE-T Act ruling: What northern Illinois politicians are saying”
Belleville News-Democrat: “What public officials are saying about Illinois Supreme Court ruling on SAFE-T Act”
Crain’s Chicago Business: “Black, Latino Dems may clash over Illinois Supreme Court seat”
 
CIVIL RIGHTS
WBEZ: “President Biden will establish a national monument honoring Emmett Till”

July 11 - July 18, 2023

EXPECTED ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT SAFE-T ACT DECISION
Crain's Chicago Business: "The Week Ahead: State Supreme Court preps SAFE-T Act cash bail ruling"
CBS Chicago: "Illinois Supreme Court to rule on law ending cash bail next week"
WAND TV: "Illinois Supreme Court to announce opinion in SAFE-T Act case next week"

SAFE-T ACT IMPLEMENTATION
WCIA: "‘I feel really good about this’: New technology could be on the way for Champaign Police" 
 
REENTRY/INCARCERATION
Chicago Tribune: "Chicago aims to turn Diplomat Motel into ‘healthy housing’ for homeless people — with much more than a roof overhead"
Hyde Park Herald: "New Logan Center exhibition confronts mass incarceration"

YOUTH JUSTICE
WBEZ Chicago: "Who’s behind the so-called ‘teen takeovers’ downtown?"
Chalkbeat: "Calling all youth: Chicago’s Mayor Johnson wants your ideas for his first city budget"
Truthout: "Kids Awaiting Foster Care Placement Are Being “Housed” in Jails and Offices"

CHICAGO POLICE
Chicago Sun-Times: "3 finalists picked for job of Chicago police superintendent"
Chicago Tribune: "3 finalists for Chicago police superintendent named by civilian-led commission; next move is Mayor Johnson’s"
The Triibe: "Who will lead CPD? Here’s a look at the three candidates "
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Laura Washington: As Brandon Johnson mulls choices for Chicago’s top cop, we need far more transparency"
Chicago Sun-Times: "West Side activists slam investigation of alleged Chicago police sexual misconduct involving migrants"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago cops sidelined for allegedly seizing guns without making arrests, then lying about it"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Chicago police union vows court fight after mayor rejects demand for 12 weeks of paid parental leave"
Fox 32 Chicago: "Chicago police collaborate with youth to address community challenges"
The Daily LIne: "Finance Committee to consider more than $7M in police misconduct settlements"
WTTW: "Pay $2M to Family of Man Shot and Killed After 2014 Foot Chase, Chicago Alderpeople Agree"
Daily Law Bulletin: "Claim that police targeted Black driver survives motion to dismiss"
Chicago Sun-Times :$4.98 million CPD settlement tied to traffic stops clears Council committee"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Vaughn Bryant: What is community violence intervention?"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Jason Little: A shooting upended my life. Now I help young Chicagoans build futures beyond gun violence"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Tio Hardiman: The keys to stopping violence in Chicago are relationships and respect"
Chicago Tribune, opinion: "Andrew Papachristos: Targeted violence prevention is working in Chicago. Workers need to reach more people"
WTTW: ‘Light in the Night’ Events Aim to Reclaim Safe Public Space for Chicagoans"
Truthout: "How Do We Prevent Gun Violence Without Police? Look to Abolitionists"
WTTW: "Chicago Violence Prevention Program Targets Those Who Are Most At Risk: ‘I’m Doing the Healing’"
WTTW: "Hidden Scars of Violence: How Exposure Impacts Mental Health"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Neighborhood gallery to close with exhibition offering sneak peek of memorials commemorating 1919 race riots"
Chicago Tribune: "Illinois awards 55 social equity marijuana store licenses, though previous winners have struggled to open"

MIGRANT SUPPORT SERVICES
Chicago Tribune: "Moving migrants from police stations is ‘top priority,’ Mayor Johnson says on tour of new welcome center at Clemente high school"
WBEZ Chicago: "A day with Chicago migrants: Sleeping in tents, hoping for progress"
South Side Weekly: "CPD Sergeant Accused of Threatening Asylum Seekers With Dog"

JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
Crain's Chicago Business: "Opinion: It's an extremely difficult environment for affordable housing. Here's how Mayor Johnson can make it better"
Chicago Sun-Times: "One of the stars of Lightfoot’s Cabinet is moving on"
Chicago Tribune: "As progressives gather in Chicago, Brandon Johnson’s election and state’s social policies celebrated"
In These Times: "Meet the New Leader of Chicago’s Progressive Political Powerhouse"

POLICING
The News Gazette: "Police departments working to end staffing shortages"
The Telegraph: "Crime science center OK'd for SIUE"

CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM
Chicago Tribune: "Second candidate joining race to replace Kim Foxx as Cook County state’s attorney"
Herald & Review: "Former assistant state's attorney pleads not guilty to misconduct charges"
South Side Weekly: "Restorative Justice Court Promises an Alternative for Young Adults"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Ex-Cook County Public Defender Amy Campanelli ‘misused confidential information,’ inspector general finds"
WTTW: "Kim Foxx Releases ‘Do Not Call’ List of Officers Who Won’t Be Used as Witnesses at Trial"

SPRINGFIELD
Chicago Tribune: "Bribery count against ComEd dismissed three years after agreement blew Michael Madigan probe wide open"
Chicago Tribune: "Feds call defense efforts to gut racketeering case against Michael Madigan ‘flimsy’"
The Daily Line: "Illinois’ youngest lawmaker settling into job after first session"
State Journal-Register: "UIS launches institute for race, gender, sexuality and social justice"

July 4 - July 10, 2023

YOUTH JUSTICE
Block Club Chicago: "Hundreds Of Chicago Youth Gather For My Block My Hood My City’s Successful Downtown Day"
Chicago Defender: "Sims Ends Youth Solitary Confinement"
CBS Chicago: "Change Makers: Nonprofit mentoring Chicago’s Youth"
WSIU: "IL Sees Significant Long-Term Decline in Youth Incarcerations"
SIU: "SIU researcher’s team advocates for new assessment, treatment approach for juvenile sex offenders"
Juvenile Justice Information Exchange: "Children face solitary confinement in cells at Illinois juvenile detention facility, ACLU says"
Youth Today: "How a partisan budget battle worsened Illinois’ foster care crisis"
NBC Today: "Chicago couple creates gardens and jobs for at-risk youth"

REENTRY
NPR Illinois: "Reentry simulation program shows reality of life after prison"
The Pantagraph: "A 2nd chance for prisoners who committed crimes before age 21? Some Illinois legislators say yes"
The Marshall Project: "Students Behind Bars Regain Access to College Financial Aid"

COMMUNITY SAFETY
Chicago Tribune: "David Olson and Don Stemen: Gun violence dominates the news, but is crime out of control in Chicago?"
WBEZ: "Leaders of Chicago’s violence prevention movement weigh in on summer violence"
CBS: "Chicago uses teams of crisis responders to prevent violence. Is it working?"
WTTW: "Chicago Police Reflect on Public Safety Efforts During Fourth of July Holiday Weekend That Saw 57 Shot Over 4 Days"
WTTW: "Chicago Records 301 Murders in Six Months, Down 6% Since 2022: Police Data"

JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION
WGN: "Mayor Johnson’s transition committee releases 200-plus page report on how to improve Chicago"
PBS: "Chicago's New Deputy Mayor of Community Safety"

CHICAGO POLICE REFORM
Chicago Sun-Times: "Mass traffic stops that don’t stop crime show Chicago sorely needs policing reform"
WTTW: "Federal Court Monitor: We Have ‘Significant Concerns’ About Commitment of Chicago Police to Reform'"
WTTW: "Agency Charged with Probing Chicago Police Misconduct Set to Close Hundreds of Old Cases to Clear Backlog, Chief Says"

CHICAGO POLICE 
Chicago Tribune: "CPD investigating claims of at least one officer having sexual relations with migrants housed in West Side police station"
Chicago Sun-Times: "Sexual misconduct’ claims involving Chicago cops, immigrants is underway"
WBEZ: "Calls grow for housing migrants in Chicago police stations to end"
Crain's Chicago Business: "Greg Hinz: With Chicago's top cop search now down to three picks, here's what's next"
WTTW: "Panel Set to Unveil 3 Finalists This Week in Search for Chicago's Next Top Cop"
Truthout: "Chicago Is Building a Police Torture Memorial, But Police Violence Continues"
WGN9: "Jury rules against civil suit over deadly 2018 Chicago police shooting"
The Center Square: "Chicago police union questions legitimacy of migrant sexual misconduct allegations"

POLICING
ABC20: "Illinois bill would allow noncitizens to become police officers"
The Edwardsville Intelligencer: "Crime science center OK'd for SIUE"
WGEM: "New Illinois law expands police use of drones"
Elgin Courier News: "Elgin police officer holds police academy just for Judson University’s special needs students"
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Police bills advance in St. Louis. One requires officers to give out business cards"
Illinois Newsroom: "A “Pattern of Problematic Conduct”: Urbana Officer Tests Police Accountability"
Fox32: "State police launch new website with public access to Illinois crime statistics"

GUN LEGISLATION/GUN VIOLENCE
Chicago Tribune: "Highland Park, a year later: Use of state’s ‘red flag’ gun laws jumps in wake of parade killings"
CBS News: "Are ghost guns legal in Illinois?"
Illinois Times: "Black children face highest risk of being gun victims"
Lake County News-Sun: "Law & Order column: Law enforcement officials learn how to use ‘red flag’ laws to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people"
WBEZ: "Highland Park shooting one year later: The mayor reflects on that traumatic day, and her anti-gun activism." 
Chicago Tribune: "Records show Cook County joined trend of law enforcement using firearms restraining orders after Highland Park parade shooting"
The Center Square: "Pritzker pushes for nationwide gun ban while Illinois’ law challenged in courts"

CRIMINAL COURT SYSTEMS, JAILS AND PRISONS
South Side Weekly: "Op-ed: Sheriff Dart and Sun-Times Board are Wrong to Advocate for Ending Essential Movement of the Electronically Monitored"
Chicago Tribune: "As Cook County courts fail to address delays that erode justice, a neighboring system shows reform is possible"
News Gazette: "Re-elected judge's job now in commission's hands"
The Marshall Project: "‘This is Major Trauma’: New Accounts of Abuse at Federal Prison Prompt Calls for Investigations"
WBEZ: "Despite horror stories and deaths, will Illinois keep expensive prison health care company?"
WKMS: "Illinois State Police launch investigation of inmate death at Massac County Jail"