Criminal Justice
The Kim Foxx effect: how prosecutions have changed in Cook County
The state’s attorney promised to transform the office. Data shows she’s dismissed thousands of felonies that would have been pursued in the past.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she’s ending poverty in a generation. Is it possible?
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The STEP summit dissected the scope of poverty in Chicago and examined policies that have been successful so far.
Criminal Justice
Black and brown men still being arrested for possession as marijuana legalization takes off
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While the Cook County state’s attorney’s office declined to charge two men in the first bond court hearing of the year for low-level marijuana possession, they still spent a night locked up.
Investigations
Economic Development
Alternative energy scams hit poor blacks and Latinos the hardest, complaints show
Thousands are misled into switching suppliers in the hopes of saving money but instead see their utility bills spike, sometimes driving them into debt.
Settling for Misconduct
Chicago police use ‘cover charges’ to justify excessive force
Our analysis shows a troubling pattern of officers charging alleged victims of police misconduct with aggravated battery or assault to a police officer or resisting arrest.
Unequal Discipline
Women in prison punished more harshly than men around the country
Female prison inmates are being disciplined at much higher rates than men for lower-level offenses in many states.