Escapes. Fires. Rebellions. Trove of records reveals chaos inside Illinois county jails.
Illinois county jails report thousands of “extraordinary or unusual” incidents every year, but the state doesn’t keep track.
Grace Hauck is an investigative reporter with Illinois Answers Project’s State Investigations Team. Before joining Illinois Answers, she worked for USA TODAY in Chicago in various roles, including breaking news, enterprise and criminal justice reporting. She grew up in New Jersey and is a graduate of the University of Chicago.
Illinois county jails report thousands of “extraordinary or unusual” incidents every year, but the state doesn’t keep track.
The courts offer an alternative to incarceration. Outcomes depend heavily on local services.
A man settled his civil rights case with Williamson County for $27,500 after he was restrained in a chair for...