Justice
Read more about the article Central Illinois county jails continue to lack respiratory illness isolation cells, but Champaign jail renovations add twoDarrell Hoemann
Satellite Jail exterior on Wednesday, December 15, 2021. photo by Darrell Hoemann/C-U Citizen Access

Central Illinois county jails continue to lack respiratory illness isolation cells, but Champaign jail renovations add two

Six of nine central Illinois county jails fail to meet state standards for a respiratory illness isolation cell, state records show.  A review of…

Continue ReadingCentral Illinois county jails continue to lack respiratory illness isolation cells, but Champaign jail renovations add two
Read more about the article Racial disparities persist in Champaign County jail bookingsDarrell Hoemann
Satellite Jail exterior on Wednesday, December 15, 2021. photo by Darrell Hoemann/C-U Citizen Access

Racial disparities persist in Champaign County jail bookings

From 2012 to 2023, for every 10 white people booked at the Champaign County jail, 17 nonwhite people were booked.   CU-CitizenAccess.org obtained years of…

Continue ReadingRacial disparities persist in Champaign County jail bookings
Read more about the article Pretrial investigations mount in Champaign as public defender caseloads rise in first year of Pretrial Fairness Act
The Champaign County Courthouse. Screenshot from Google Street View.

Pretrial investigations mount in Champaign as public defender caseloads rise in first year of Pretrial Fairness Act

One year after the passage of the Pretrial Fairness Act, state data shows the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court, which includes Champaign, recorded one of…

Continue ReadingPretrial investigations mount in Champaign as public defender caseloads rise in first year of Pretrial Fairness Act
Read more about the article Deputy accused of killing Sonya Massey in Springfield was discharged from Army for serious misconductFarrah Anderson
Former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson, who is now charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, was previously discharged from the U.S. Army for serious misconduct — and still hired at six police departments in Central Illinois.

Deputy accused of killing Sonya Massey in Springfield was discharged from Army for serious misconduct

This article was originally published by IPM Newsroom on July 24, 2024. This article was updated with additional reporting about Grayson’s claims to have…

Continue ReadingDeputy accused of killing Sonya Massey in Springfield was discharged from Army for serious misconduct
Read more about the article Urbana activists want more police oversight. But local laws hold the civilian review board hostage
Ricardo Diaz, the most recent chair of the Civilian Police Review Board, stepped down in May. Diaz said local activists were frustrated by the slow pace of reforms and how local ordinances curtail the power of the CPRB to provide more powerful oversight of Urbana police. Photo by Farrah Anderson.

Urbana activists want more police oversight. But local laws hold the civilian review board hostage

This story was originally published on IPM Newsroom on July 8, 2024. This story is part of a partnership focusing on police misconduct in…

Continue ReadingUrbana activists want more police oversight. But local laws hold the civilian review board hostage
Read more about the article Champaign County jail bookings remain stable while public defender workload triples to keep clients out of jail under SAFE-T ActDarrell Hoemann
Satellite Jail exterior on Wednesday, December 15, 2021. photo by Darrell Hoemann/C-U Citizen Access

Champaign County jail bookings remain stable while public defender workload triples to keep clients out of jail under SAFE-T Act

A recent sweeping state criminal justice reform bill was intended to keep people out of jail if they could not afford bail. But while…

Continue ReadingChampaign County jail bookings remain stable while public defender workload triples to keep clients out of jail under SAFE-T Act
Read more about the article Champaign County suffers chronically high number of domestic violence calls and cases
The Champaign County Courthouse. Screenshot from Google Street View.

Champaign County suffers chronically high number of domestic violence calls and cases

In the first two months of this year, there were around 10 calls per day to emergency services regarding domestic violence and disputes in…

Continue ReadingChampaign County suffers chronically high number of domestic violence calls and cases
Read more about the article After fatal shootings, Rantoul police recommended more training. They just sent one officer to a gun range
The Rantoul Police Department failed to follow through on recommendations to further train officers on how to use force after the city’s first two fatal shootings. Photo by Farrah Anderson, Invisible Institute/Illinois Public Media

After fatal shootings, Rantoul police recommended more training. They just sent one officer to a gun range

This story is part of a partnership focusing on police misconduct in Champaign County between the Champaign-Urbana Civic Police Data Project of the Invisible Institute, a Chicago-based…

Continue ReadingAfter fatal shootings, Rantoul police recommended more training. They just sent one officer to a gun range
Read more about the article Champaign hired Police Chief Timothy Tyler despite disciplinary past and allegations of misconductFarrah Anderson, Invisible Institute/Illinois Public Media
In 2022, Timothy Tyler was chosen to lead the Champaign Police Department — despite a string of misconduct allegations from his first policing job in the south Chicago suburb of Markham through his time at the Illinois State Police.

Champaign hired Police Chief Timothy Tyler despite disciplinary past and allegations of misconduct

This article originally appeared on IPM Newsroom on January 29, 2024. This story is part of a partnership focusing on police misconduct in Champaign…

Continue ReadingChampaign hired Police Chief Timothy Tyler despite disciplinary past and allegations of misconduct
Read more about the article Accidents and emergency calls mount at Archer Daniels Midland plants in Decatur in past year; Employee dies in rail accident, multiple employees injured in explosionsADM
Archer Daniels Midland headquarters in Decatur, Illinois. Photo from ADM's website.

Accidents and emergency calls mount at Archer Daniels Midland plants in Decatur in past year; Employee dies in rail accident, multiple employees injured in explosions

Listen to WILL's coverage for interview audio and hear from the reporters on The 21st Show. Just months before he planned to retire, 66-year-old…

Continue ReadingAccidents and emergency calls mount at Archer Daniels Midland plants in Decatur in past year; Employee dies in rail accident, multiple employees injured in explosions