Following a highly contentious election cycle last year in which Republicans used the Pretrial Fairness Act to decry Democrats as being “soft on crime,” a series of legal challenges from state’s attorneys and sheriffs delayed the law’s implementation while the Illinois Supreme Court weighed its constitutionality. In a partisan 5-2 decision in July, the court’s The post No Cash Bail in Illinois:  Pretrial Fairness Act in Effect, Abolishing Cash Bail.  Here’s How the Cash Bail System has Changed, and What that Means for the Accused Awaiting Trial. appeared first on The Chicago Reporter.

The first article in this series on financial disparities in Cook County, “Wealth Inequality and the Racial Wealth Gap,” discussed the extent of contemporary racial inequities in the County. Black and Latinx Cook County residents are more likely to be financially vulnerable than Black and Latinx individuals elsewhere in the country, and significantly less likely The post Chicago’s 250 Year History of Segregation appeared first on The Chicago Reporter.

The saying made famous by influential philosopher and essayist George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” has, itself, been repeated for more than a century. However, it is hard to see these words as anything less than prophetic when looking at the current state of civil rights in the The post The Florida State Board of Education Seeks to Uphold an Illusion appeared first on The Chicago Reporter.

The Chicago Reporter is thrilled to announce that Cecilia Milmoe is taking on a new role as investigations editor, a position in which she will help launch and elevate some of our most consequential work. Cecilia has fearlessly taken on a non-trivial challenge: To improve on The Chicago Reporter’s  tremendous work and 50-year legacy of The post Cecilia Milmoe Named Investigations Editor. appeared first on The Chicago Reporter.

Illinois becomes the first state in the nation to eliminate cash bail. The Illinois Supreme Court today upheld the state law ending cash bail, also known as the SAFE-T Act. The law will take effect on Sept. 18, giving local authorities two months to prepare for the changes.  Based on the 5-2 decision, defendants will no longer The post Illinois Supreme Court Upholds Safe-T Act, Elimination of Cash Bail appeared first on The Chicago Reporter.