Chicago, Illinois

Feature December 15

Cops Could Use First Aid to Save Lives. Many Never Try.

Most officers get training to respond to injuries, but are often not required to use it.

Coronavirus November 22

Where Coronavirus Is Surging—And Electronic Surveillance, Too

In Chicago and elsewhere, the number of people wearing an ankle monitor has jumped in recent months due to the pandemic.

By Eli Hager

Life Inside November 20

I Wasn’t a Superpredator. I Was a Kid Who Made a Terrible Decision.

In 1994, at age 14, Derrick Hardaway took part in the murder of an 11-year-old. The media used the crime to build the myth of the superpredator—and stuck him with a label he’s still trying to shed.

By Derrick Hardaway as told to Carroll Bogert

Justice Lab October 28, 2020

When Does Murder Make The News? It Depends On The Victim’s Race.

Mainstream media is less likely to cover Black homicide victims and less likely to portray them as complex human beings, a new study shows.

By Beth Schwartzapfel

Feature August 20

Two Families, Two Fates: When the Misdiagnosis Is Child Abuse

The power of child-abuse pediatric specialists and parents’ unequal journey toward justice

By Stephanie Clifford

News July 31

As More Federal Agents Enter American Cities, Local Leaders Can’t Keep Them In Line

Critics say mayors should be wary as the Justice Department expands law-enforcement task forces.

By Simone Weichselbaum

Coronavirus April 22

Is Domestic Violence Rising During the Coronavirus Shutdown? Here’s What the Data Shows.

Reports of domestic abuse in three cities have dropped. But police and experts say that may be a problem.

By Weihua Li and Beth Schwartzapfel

Southside November 2, 2018

Cellmates

Lee Harris spent years in prison without hope, until an unlikely friendship led to a years-long crusade to prove his innocence.

By Tori Marlan

Southside November 1, 2018

The Gun King

A middle-class college student from the Chicago suburbs used Facebook to sell firearms to gangsters. But was he a kingpin or a scapegoat?

By John H. Richardson

Southside October 31, 2018

The Waiting Room

For many released into the harsh environment outside Chicago’s Cook County Jail, it can be impossible to find their way home.

By Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve