Nearly two years after the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted to make more money available for H.I.V. and AIDS testing for detainees entering the Cook County Jail, most of the men coming into jail are not being tested because of a lengthy delay in hiring a phlebotomist to do the job.
The number of suspects booked into the Cook County Jail has fallen in the last five years, but detainees on average are staying a week longer behind bars because of court delays, local law enforcement officials said Tuesday.
The United States’ Attorney’s office announced today announced the resolution of a long-standing lawsuit against the Cook County Sheriff’s Office that sought to remedy a series of constitutional rights violations.
A year-long investigation beginning in 2007 found systematic violations of inmates’ rights in which correctional officers used excessive force, inmates were not adequately protected from one another, a lack of medical and mental health care and inadequate fire safety and sanitation.Aramark Correctional Services is a Chicago-based company that provides food services for inmates at Cook County Jail. It rakes in about $1 million a month, or roughly $180,000 to $195,000 a week.
But if you were to examine the county’s new online check register, you wouldn’t know that. In fact, you might think Aramark was fleecing the county, providing “miscellaneous services” and “computer accessories and supplies.”She still has to win an election, but Alderman Toni Preckwinkle is already preparing to take over as Cook County Board president.
In remarks today to the City Club of Chicago, Preckwinkle said she has been forming teams to prepare for her coronation as leader of the County Board.
"We’re not taking anything for granted, knock on wood, but we’re starting now to address some of the tough issues that the county faces," she said. "We definitely have our work cut out for us." Read more...
