A small group of detainees are learning how to make biodiesel fuel from reclaimed cooking oil. Hundreds of gallons have so far been produced – and thousands of dollars saved – but officials also tout the program’s rehabilitative value.
Cook County Jail
Behind barbed wire fences, Cook County Jail inmates grow vegetables, flowers, herbs, and – as of May – they’re harvesting honey from two beehives provided by a former inmate.
Last year, about 5,400 detainees at Cook County Jail received treatment for opioid use – an average of 375-400 each month. The county will be able to expand its services for opioid use disorder, thanks to a new grant.
“Doing what was done to these kids is just not something you’re supposed to do to kids in a juvenile detention setting,” an attorney for the juveniles said Monday.
The suspended Chicago police officer, who was convicted last week in the shooting death of Laquan McDonald, is being sent to Rock Island County Jail nearly three hours away.
Cook County Jail officials say the Chicago cop recently convicted of second-degree murder is being housed in a single cell and closely monitored for his safety and security.
Cook County Jail detainees will train dogs from the city shelter as part of a new program aimed at preparing for adoption larger dogs that often struggle to find permanent homes.
“This crisis touches the lives of so many – almost everyone knows someone struggling with an opioid addiction,” said Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. “I hope this podcast opens eyes and minds to how easily an opioid addiction can happen and how hard it can be to stop.”
Inside the Cook County jail is a full-fledged medical center that treats every one of the 6,000-7,000 detainees housed there on a daily basis. We get an exclusive tour.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart drew national attention when he appointed a psychologist to be the jail’s executive director. After almost three years on the job, Nneka Jones Tapia is moving on.
A new bill would turn Cook County Jail into a temporary polling site and require that jails across the state provide detainees with voter registration applications.
While the overall population in Cook County Jail is on the decline, one group of detainees is growing: opioid addicts.
Reforms to Cook County’s bond system have led to a 15-percent decrease in the county’s jail population. “Our judges are in fact not setting bonds higher than people can afford,” said Chief Judge Tim Evans.
Carol Marin discusses a court appearance by attorneys for Cook County public defenders who filed suit over detainees exposing themselves.
Michael Borys was in jail for less than a day when he had a seizure and fell from his bunk, resulting in vision loss and multiple brain surgeries. Three years later, Cook County has agreed to settle a federal lawsuit
CPS inspector general standing by initial report, calls board review “unprecedented”
A Chicago Public Schools watchdog report recommended her termination just two months ago, but on Thursday, York Alternative High School Principal Sharnette Sims received an apology from the district and was told she’ll be reinstated to her position, effective immediately.
