Cook County Jail Sees Tenth Death from COVID-19
On Sunday, January 17th, Jose Villa died after contracting COVID-19 in Cook County Jail. Mr. Villa, who was 84 years old, tried to have his bail reduced in April 2020, as the jail became one of [...]
Cook County Jail Sees Ninth Death from COVID-19
On December 23, 2020, Theodore Becker died after contracting COVID-19 inside of Cook County Jail. He was 64 years old and, and is now the ninth person to die from COVID-19 while in the custody of [...]
As COVID Rates Rise Again, Lives at Cook County Jail Are at Risk
Today, Cook County begins a stay-at-home advisory, and Illinois’ COVID-19 positivity rate is nearly 15%. Meanwhile, the number of people incarcerated in Cook County Jail has climbed almost back [...]
Over 2,500 People Call on Cook County State’s Attorney Foxx to Enact Policies to Prevent Increased Admissions to Cook County Jail
Today, Chicago Community Bond Fund delivered a petition signed by more than 2,500 people calling on Cook County State’s Attorney Kimberly Foxx to implement four specific policies in response to [...]
Call Mayor Lightfoot and State’s Attorney Foxx to Demand that they Release Protesters and Drop the Charges!
Hundreds of protesters are being held after they were arrested in a crackdown where police brutally arrested people and violated the rights of people across the city. On Saturday evening, [...]
Another Life Needlessly Lost to COVID-19 at Cook County Jail
William Sobczyk has become the seventh person to die from COVID-19 while in the custody of Cook County Jail (CCJ). Prior to being hospitalized, Mr. Sobczyk was incarcerated in the Cermak Health [...]
Third Life Lost: Announcing the “Decarcerate Now: Virtual Quilt” Honoring People who Died of COVID-19 while in Cook County Custody
Chicago Community Bond Fund and For the People Artists Collective are working together to curate a virtual quilt in remembrance of each individual lost to COVID-19 while incarcerated in Cook [...]
Second Person Dies from COVID-19 in Cook County Jail
Leslie Pieroni is the second person to die of COVID-19 while in the custody Cook County Jail. Mr. Pieroni was 51 years old and had been incarcerated in the jail since December 2018. We are [...]
Federal Court Affirms Government’s Responsibility to Protect Incarcerated People from COVID-19
Judge Kennelly rules that Sheriff Dart must implement policies ensuring sanitation, testing, social distancing at intake and the distribution of personal protective equipment. A federal judge in [...]
Flo’s Call to Action: Release People from Jail to Protect Public Health
Flo spent 52 in cook County Jail in 2016 because he couldn’t afford to pay his bond. He recorded this message, steeped in his personal experience, speaking to the urgent need to release [...]