Results tagged “cookcountyjail”

We don't know what it is about Chicago that the Discovery Channel loves so much, but we're not complaining. Both Liar's Club and the Metro have been featured recently on the show Ghost Labs and Dirty Jobs was recently in town as well. Now, part of Chicago is getting the limelight all to itself. The channel will debut a new three-part series tomorrow night called Cook County Jail, which focuses on...well, do we have to spell it out for you? Parts one ("Brains & Brawn") and two ("Gang Ties") air tomorrow night, starting at 8:00 p.m.

The last three jurors and six alternates were selected in the trial of a man charged with the rape and murder of 11 South Side women in the 90s on Friday at the Criminal Courts Building, according to Chicago Breaking News.

Inmates at Cook County Jail's oldest maximum-security prison often resort to using toothpaste caps and toilet paper to jam their jail cell doors and sneak out, but recently it seems the old locks on the doors have rendered their extra efforts unnecessary. "Some of them are so bad they can literally slide the door, give the door a little jiggle, and it will slide open," a Cook County sheriff's correctional officer said to the Chicago Sun-Times. According to an investigation conducted by the Chicago Sun-Times/Better Government Association, there have been at least 288 problems with cell doors in the 608-cell prison called Division 1, between February 2007 and last May.

On Thursday, a federal jury ruled against the Cook County Jail in regards to inmates' complaints of illegal strip searches and behavior by the sheriff's department staff was "sexually degrading." While a Cook County Sheriff's spokesman said, "correctional officers and staff acted appropriately and did not violate constitutional rights,' the jury thought otherwise. But Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is already planning an appeal. Said Dart, "We have to do everything physically possible to make sure people aren't bringing weapons into the jail or bringing narcotics into the jail, so we do that. With that in mind, are there times when strip searching is a necessity? Absolutely. Anyone who would tell you otherwise is out of their mind."

An early morning fight during breakfast at the Cook County Jail has left 11 inmates injured from stab wounds. No guards were hurt during the melee, which occurred around 4:30 a.m. Five inmates were treated for non-life-threatening injuries at nearby hospitals while six were treated at the on-site hospital. [Tribune]

Probable cases of the swine flu (H1N1 Influenza A) in the state of Illinois have increased to 85 with 3 more cases confirmed. The Illinois Department of Public Health also confirmed that the first cases in Central Illinois have surfaced. Until now, the cases were confined to the greater Chicagoland area, but now probable cases have popped up in Sangamon County and Winnebago County. State Health Director Dr. Damon Arnold said in a statement, "We anticipated seeing cases of the H1N1 flu virus across Illinois, and we expect to see more. However, there is no need to be alarmed."

An inmate in the Cook County Jail managed to sneak a loaded gun in with him - even though he was searched four times - by tying the gun to the drawstring of his shorts and allowing it to dangle between his legs. Bennie Ellison, 39, was arrested on drug charges on March 18 and searched multiple times by police and Cook County sheriff deputies, but the gun was never discovered. When Ellison realized he'd have to change clothes for a bond hearing, he abandoned the gun in the jail laundry room where another inmate discovered it. Ellison has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon, a felony, for the incident. [WGN Radio]

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly sided with several thousand former Cook County Jail inmates in a lawsuit against the jail, claiming the strip searches they were subjected to upon entering the jail were humiliating and often done in deplorable conditions. The suit was officially brought by former inmates Kim Young, Ronald Johnson, and William Jones on behalf of themselves and numerous other prisoners against Cook County Sheriff Michael Sheahan and Sheriff’s employees Callie Baird, Scott Kurtovich, and Salvador Godinez (collectively the Sheriff Defendants) for violating their rights with these searches upon their arrival at the jail.

William Balfour, the man accused of killing three family members or actress/singer Jennifer Hudson - including seven-year-old Julian King - has been moved from Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet to Cook County Jail. The request was made by his lawyer so it would be easier to consult with Balfour and a judge approved. However, Balfour will be subject to the same 10-day limit the Cook County Jail imposes on holding all parole violators, which means Balfour could soon wind up back at SCC.

A brawl in a maximum security wing at Cook County Jail is on lockdown after a fight Tuesday night injured seven inmates. Several inmates suffered non-life threatening "puncture" wounds from shanks and a few suffered some head injuries. The brawl broke out in a room where inmates are allowed to watch television. A jail spokesman said a search of cells for more weapons is ongoing.

Following his arrest early Friday morning on suspicion of DUI, the Bears waived Tank Johnson on Monday. In the team's release to the media, GM Jerry Angelo said, "We are upset and embarrassed by Tank's actions last week. He compromised the credibility of our organization." So what great crime ultimately lead to Tank's dismissal from the Bears? He was stopped for driving 40 mph in a 25mph zone at 3:30am in Gilbert, Arizona and cited...

After serving 60 days of his 120-day sentence, the Bears' Tank Johnson was released from Cook County Jail early Sunday morning. His sentence was reduced for "good behavior" during his time incarcerated, which included a private cell and nearly 100 visits from family, friends and teammates. Maybe Tank could call up Paris Hilton and tell her jail ain't so bad! While serving his time for probation violations, Johnson pleaded guilty to the gun charges that...

"walk16" via bluekale.

In the latest episode of the ongoing Tank Johnson saga, the Bears' defensive tackle finally went before a Lake County judge on the gun-related charges that stemmed from the December raid on his Gurnee home and subsequent arrest. Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm without an owner's identification and was sentenced to 45 days in jail. However, the presiding judge will allow Johnson to serve the sentence concurrently with the four-month...

Mike Quigley would have you believe that he supports good government for Cook County. He came into office in 1998, the lone reformer on the bloated and corrupt board. By his second term, he found brotherhood: joining forces with Forrest Claypool, Larry Suffriden, and Tony Peraica, they managed to form an alliance and win some victories against John Stroger's Machine. In 2005 he threw his hat in the ring to challenge the former County Board...

Having plead guilty to probation violations last month stemming from his December arrest on guns charges, Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson faced sentencing on Thursday. In a Skokie courtroom, Cook County Circuit Court Judge John Moran sentenced Johnson to 120 days in jail and fined him $2,500. Bears head coach Lovie Smith and Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher spoke on Johnson's behalf prior to sentencing. Imagine how long he'd be incarcerated if they hadn't! Speaking...

Despite what some people think, we've lived here long enough to know when a cabbie is starting to give us the runaround. And now we just nip it in the bud. We call out the Lower Wacker route before they start to pull some other crap. We tell them to take Ashland instead of going all the way east to Lake Shore Drive. But there's one thing we have never been really strong on —...

Here's the scenario: Cook County's in the hole by about $500 million. Infamous Board President Todd Stroger wants to slash jobs without raising taxes, which has many people up in arms, including newly elected Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. Stroger wants to dispose of some of Dart's courtroom staff and police force. What's a rookie sheriff of the most populated county in Illinois to do?

"Chicago Couple" via Insomnia Jones.

How would you like to have an authentic gallows to call your own? The current owner of the old Cook County gallows, Mike Donley of Donley's Wild West Town in northwest-suburban Union, is selling the platform, scaffolding, and hanging beams that helped execute 86 inmates between 1887 and 1927. Donley originally bought the gallows in 1977 when he owned a museum of Chicago artifacts, but lately he has been using them as a prop in...

A lot has happened since last week when we talked about a politically misguided Cook County jail guard, Darin Gater, who helped six inmates escape in an attempt to help out sheriff candidate Richard Remus.

After a robust week of posting and rocking here at the Chicagoist offices, the week seems like a blur. Was it really only a week ago that “Tank” Johnson was charged with assault and resisting arrest (incidentally, aren’t you glad you live in a city that has a guy named after an armored fighting vehicle on its football team?)? Of course, Mr. Johnson (if you’re nasty) wasn’t the only one causing trouble last week. Just...

This past weekend six inmates escaped from Cook County Jail, the second successful escape in as many days. Luckily all six were recaptured by early Monday morning. From the start it appeared the inmates had some help from the inside. But why would a guard help the inmates escape? Was he promised money? Was he a friend of the escapees?

Image courtesy of ABC7Chicago

The news was a little light on stupidity this week, but we were still able to find a few gems: On Wednesday, two men tried to rob two others sitting in a parked car in the South Shore area, but ended up getting shot. Turns out the intended victims were undercover cops on a stakeout. On Thursday, a fired employee of the Loop Old Navy store had to be taken in handcuffs after she showed...

The population of Cook County Jail is increasing, and there are not enough guards to serve the inmates. A 1982 federal decree set minimum staffing levels for the jail, but yesterday US District Judge George Marovich told Cook County commissioners that they need to do more to make sure these staffing levels are met. Sheriff Michael Sheahan says the 2006 Cook County budget sets aside no money for new guards, which Judge Marovich called...

A vehicular theme this week, plus a pistol-packin' mama, really expensive lettuce, an unfortunate time for a heart attack, and stoned dogs? Two suspects were being held for questioning as of Tuesday after somebody rammed a rental van into the front of a fur store and tried to rob the place. Someone had already stolen over 60 furs from the store on Saturday, but this time the would-be robbers were foiled by an off-duty police...

It sounds like a Johnny Cash song: a convicted felon, escaped from prison and wanted for a string of bank robberies, walks into a bar to have a few drinks, then lays his gun on the bar and turns himself in. Randy Rencher did just that, giving himself up four months after escaping the Cook County Jail. He had been watching a news report about himself on the bar's television, and asked a stunned waitress to call the TV station and alert the authorities. The kept him calm by talking to him and serving him drinks until the FBI led him away.