A new investigation by Injustice Watch, a nonprofit newsroom focused on the Cook County court system, revealed that Cook County prosecutors are challenging efforts by wrongfully convicted individuals to clear their names and secure compensation.

Under two different Illinois laws, people charged with sex offenses are subject to indefinite detention. Some people who’ve only been charged with a crime — never convicted or sentenced — can spend the rest of their lives at a correctional center.

Under two different Illinois laws, people charged with sex offenses are subject to indefinite detention. Some people who’ve already finished serving their sentences can spend the rest of their lives at a correctional center.

Illinois will begin a process to automatically seal criminal records for millions of adults in the state, after Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Clean Slate Act on Friday.

More than 2 million people in Illinois are eligible to have their records sealed but haven’t acted on what is currently a cumbersome, lengthy process.

Illinois in 2023 became the first state to fully eliminate the use of cash bail with the Pretrial Fairness Act. Proponents said the law is intended to address equity issues. The president claims such policies allow “dangerous individuals to immediately return to the streets and further endanger law-abiding Americans.”

Chicago Police Department data shows that compared to last year, violent crime in the city is down 22% through the end of July. There have been 36% fewer shootings, and homicides are down 32%.

Many public defender offices in Illinois, especially in rural areas, are in desperate need of resources to provide adequate defense services.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office is ending its decades-old electronic monitoring program, giving the Chief Judge’s Office sole responsibility for managing its cases.

Some officials are pushing for policies to address root causes of violence and help offenders repair their relationships with their communities.

Sonya Massey was killed July 6 after two Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies responded to her 911 call about a possible prowler at her home. She was shot and killed following a dispute with one of the responding deputies involving a pot of boiling water in her kitchen, body camera footage showed.

A Chicago Police Department spokesperson told WTTW News in a statement the department does not “utilize quotas” for traffic stops.

To reduce the number of formerly incarcerated citizens returning to prison, some communities are turning to restorative justice — a practice promoting accountability and healing for all parties affected by crime.

The Chicago City Council’s Finance Committee is set on Monday to consider the proposed settlement, which would add to the toll of Jon Burge’s legacy of torture and misconduct more than 30 years after he was fired. A final vote of the City Council could come Wednesday.

If approved, it would be the seventh lawsuit filed by Chicagoans who said they were the victims of Reynaldo Guevara’s misconduct to be resolved, at a cost of $78 million to Chicago taxpayers.

Joseph “JoJo” Mapp promised to serve as a “bridge” between community organizations working to help those returning to Chicago from jail or prison and the city.