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No-show Cops and Dysfunctional Courts Keep Cook County Jail Prisoners Waiting Years for a Trial
by Spencer Woodman, Chicago Reader
June 25, 2012, was a terrible day for Jermaine Robinson. Overall, life was good – the 21-year-old Washington Park resident had been studying music management at Columbia College and was a few weeks into a job working as a janitor at a nearby …
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More from this issue:
- No-show Cops and Dysfunctional Courts Keep Cook County Jail Prisoners Waiting Years for a Trial, by Spencer Woodman
- Eighth Circuit Vacates Supervised Release Order Barring Wife from Contact with Husband, by Derek Gilna
- Victim-centered Sexual Abuse Investigations Abandon Concept of Neutrality, by David Reutter
- Study Shows “Ban-the-Box” Policies May Result in Racial Bias by Employers, by David Reutter
- Eleventh Circuit: Florida Prisoners Must be Provided Kosher Meals, by David Reutter
- Prisoner Labor Focus of Controversy in Texas, Alabama, by David Reutter
- Louisiana Parish Jails Lack HIV Treatment and Services
- Second Circuit: Ross Abrogates “Special Circumstances” Exhaustion Exception
- Seventh Circuit Dissent: “A Dog Would Have Deserved Better Treatment”, by Derek Gilna
- Prisoner Showed Good Cause for Extension of Time
- Seventh Circuit Reinstates Prisoner’s Lawsuit, Rejects District Court’s IFP Concerns, by Derek Gilna
- Eleventh Circuit: Procedural Dismissals do Not Count as Strikes Under the PLRA, by David Reutter
- Two Federal Courts Find Prison Gerrymandering Unconstitutional, by David Reutter
- South Carolina Prisoners’ Wage Grievances Not Subject to 15-day Deadline
- IRS Audit Prompts New Mexico County to Convert Bonds Used for ICE Facility, by Joe Watson
- Georgia Teen’s Suicide from Neglect Results in $1.7 Million Settlement
- Profiting Off Mass Incarceration: Detroit Pistons Owner Buys Private Prison Phone Company, by Brian Dolinar
- Private Probation Company Agrees to End Drug Testing Absent Court Order , by David Reutter
- Corizon Loses Indiana DOC Medical Contract Amid Lawsuits, by David Reutter
- Family Files Wrongful Death Suit Against County Jail in New York, by Derek Gilna
- Seattle Council Approves Protections for Renters with Criminal Records, by Nathalie Graham
- Louisiana Corrections Secretary: More Private Prisons Won’t Save Money
- Court Decision Favoring BOP Whistleblower Critical of BOP and OIG , by Derek Gilna
- State Closes Kentucky Jail for Failure to Properly Maintain Facility, by Derek Gilna
- Fourth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Prisoner’s Failure to Protect Claim, by Christopher Zoukis
- Seventh Circuit Upholds Jury Award for Illinois Prisoner Beaten by Guards , by Derek Gilna
- Eighth Circuit Greenlights Jail Detainee’s Excessive Force Claim, but Loss at Trial Affirmed on Appeal, by Christopher Zoukis
- $60,000 Settlement in GEO Group Employee’s Sexual Harassment Case
- $200,000 Settlement for Restraint of Pregnant Prisoner after Ninth Circuit Vacates Summary Judgment
- Virginia Governor Grants Full Pardons to the “Norfolk Four”, by Christopher Zoukis
- Prisons, Jails Combat Smuggling by Shredding Mail, Requiring Fresh Underwear, by Christopher Zoukis
- Waging War on the Poor: Unpaid Fines Lead to Jail, by Christopher Zoukis
- TV Production Company has Friends in Low Places, by Christopher Zoukis
- Parole Remains Elusive for Virginia Prisoners, by David Reutter
- Compensation for Wrongful Convictions in Massachusetts Not Easily Obtained, by Christopher Zoukis
- HRDC Lawsuit: Kentucky DOC Guilty of Censorship, Violations of Due Process and Equal Protection
- DOJ Audit Rips Privately-operated Federal Facility; Trump Administration Presses Forward, by Derek Gilna
- Environmental Protection Agency Finally Recognizes Prisons in Screening Tool, by Panagioti Tsolkas
- Seventh Circuit: Rodent Infestation Claims Survive Summary Judgment
- Vermont Supreme Court Invalidates Sex Offender Probation Conditions
- Correctional Health Report Suppressed by Bush Administration Finally Released
- Electronic Monitoring Becomes More Widespread, but Problems Persist, by Derek Gilna
- Florida Lawmaker Visits Prisons, Audits Private Prison Contracts, by David Reutter
- Kansas Supreme Court: Four Years of Pretrial Detention too Long
- Misdemeanor Trespassing Arrest Leads to Permanent Impairment, by Christopher Zoukis
- Tattoo Recognition: Law Enforcement’s Newest Identification Tool, by David Reutter
- Former Mississippi DOC Commissioner, Co-defendants Sentenced in Massive Bribery Scheme
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- News in Brief
More from Spencer Woodman:
More from these topics:
- GEO Group Funnels Millions to Trump PAC Following Windfall ICE Contracts, Oct. 1, 2026. GEO Group/Wackenhut, Contractor Misconduct, Government Misconduct, Bribery/Extortion/Theft, Immigration Detention.
- Jail Oversight Body Stalled by New York Governor, Aug. 1, 2026. Government Misconduct, Corrections Audits, Prison Reform, Public Records, State Legislation.
- Alabama Prison Warden Reportedly Arrested and Walked Off Job, June 1, 2026. Corrections Corporation of America/CoreCivic, Guard Misconduct, DOC/BOP misconduct, Government Misconduct.
- Former Georgia Prison Warden Indicted for Role in Smuggling Scheme, June 1, 2026. DOC/BOP misconduct, Government Misconduct, Prison/Jail Murders, RICO, Bribery/Extortion/Theft.
- Arkansas Supreme Court Bows to Governor’s Board of Correction Takeover, June 1, 2026. Government Misconduct, Cost of Prison Systems, Settlements, State Legislation, Authority and Jurisdiction.
- Oklahoma Governor Pressured DOC to Grant Preferential Treatment to Friend, June 1, 2026. DOC/BOP misconduct, Jail Misconduct, Government Misconduct, Wrongful Release.
- Washington Governor Fires Independent Prison Watchdog, May 1, 2026. DOC/BOP misconduct, Government Misconduct, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Restraints, Administrative Detention/Segregation.
- Arrests of Unhoused People Driving Albuquerque Jail Bookings, May 1, 2026. Government Misconduct, Statistics/Trends, Jail Specific, housing, Prior Conviction/Sentence/Incarceration.
- California Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Ripped Off Prisoner, Feb. 1, 2026. Attorney Misconduct, Court Appearances, Trials, Abuse of Discretion Standard, Access To Courts.
- New York City Mayor’s Order Opening Rikers Island to ICE Declared Illegal, Jan. 1, 2026. Government Misconduct, Prosecutor/Attorney General Misconduct, Injunctions, Deportation/Removal/Exclusion, Enforcement of Immigration Laws.

