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US Attorney, DOJ Blast Conditions at Cook County Jail in Chicago

Posted Jul 18, 2008, 11:21 am CDT
By Martha Neil

Conditions at a Chicago jail run by Cook County are so substandard that prisoners are at risk of physical abuse and even death, a federal prosecutor and the Department of Justice say in a report released yesterday.

Long criticized as overcrowded and understaffed, the huge facility is also characterized by the use of excessive force against inmates by jail staff, including beatings that have caused serious injuries and, in at least one case, left the inmate on a respirator, according to the report. Substandard medical care, in violation of inmates' constitutional rights, is also a serious problem, the report says, and some inmates have died needlessly as a result, writes the Chicago Tribune.

Sheriff Tom Dart, who… Continue reading...

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Title: US Attorney, DOJ Blast Conditions at Cook County Jail in Chicago



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