What does the science say about ShotSpotter?
In a first-of-its-kind independent analysis of the effectiveness of ShotSpotter, the science says the technology does not lead to more arrests and convictions for gun crimes and does not reduce these crimes in the areas where it is deployed. The study examined the impact of ShotSpotter in Chicago and Kansas City. To understand the science […]
Trying to Erase History is Purposeful
On today’s show, we discuss the connection between racialized policing in the US and the efforts by the right-wing to erase slavery from America’s history. We discuss this with Joseph Flynn, the Executive Director for Equity and Inclusion in the Division of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and an associate professor of curriculum and instruction […]
Mismanagement & Abuse at JTDC
Today’s episode discusses the long history of abuse and mismanagement at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) with Injustice Watch reporters Kelly Garcia and Carlos Ballesteros. The JTDC has long been a dumping ground for clouted workers in Cook County government who were too incompetent for any other job in the county. This, […]
CPD Doesn’t Take Lying Seriously
Despite promises to the contrary by the Chicago Police Department and the agencies that make up the police accountability system in Chicago, lying while undertaking your official duties as an officer isn’t taken all that seriously. The CPD’s rule 14 bars any officer from knowingly submitting a written or oral false report. In other words, […]
Kareem Butler – Truth About Electronic Monitoring
On today’s show we attempt to bring facts and science to the discuss around the Pre-Trail Fairness Act (PTFA) and the state of electronic monitoring (EM) in the Cook County criminal justice system. We were honored to sit down with Kareem Butler, a pretrial justice fellow at the Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts, to […]
A Little Bit of Time in Jail
An interesting piece of research documenting in their own words how some practitioners in Illinois’ justice system use jail. While the research on the uses of jail throughout Illinois vary there seems to be a thread that the use is regularly extrajudicial and goes well beyond the legal purposes of jail and bail. The goal […]
Alderwoman Rodriguez Sanchez on Crisis Response
On today’s show we sit down with 33rd Ward Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez to discuss her efforts to get Chicago to implement true crisis response that doesn’t involve the Chicago Police Department. While focusing mainly on her ordinance we also get a little politics in given it is the season as Chicago’s elections will be […]
Susan Lee on Chicago Crime
On today’s episode we sit down with Susan Lee who is currently Chief of Strategy and Policy at Chicago CRED but was previously Deputy Mayor for Public Safety under the Lightfoot administration. Lee is known as an expert on violence prevention and was doing this same work in Los Angeles before coming to Chicago. Lee […]
Discussion with Inspector General Witzburg
Today we feature a discussion with newly appointed Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg. Witzburg previously held a variety of positions within the office including most recently being the Deputy Inspector General for Public Safety. It is in this role she was able to drive the activities of the office and have the office start actually […]
Campaign to Close IL Juvenile Youth Centers
Today we focus on the work of the Final 5 Campaign as they push to force the closure of Illinois’ juvenile youth centers. According to the Campaign’s website 10 years ago the centers across the state used to house as many as 1,200 youths in their 10 facilities. The reductions in the number of youths […]