New developments in the Chicago torture cases

On October 29, in the wake of the arrest and indictment of Chicago police torturer Jon Burge, a group of 250 local and national organizations and individuals, including attorneys, torture victims and their families, academics, advocates, civic leaders and community activists, released their report “Torture in Chicago: A Supplementary Report on the On-going Failure of Government Officials to Adequately Deal With the Scandal.”

The Supplementary Report documents that more than $52 million in taxpayer’s money has already been spent by the City of Chicago and the County of Cook to pay for legal fees and costs to defend Burge and other Area 2 and 3 police detectives in civil rights cases accusing them of torture: to pay for Burge’s and other officers’ pensions and medical benefits; and for Special Prosecutor’s thoroughly inadequate investigation. Meanwhile, the vast majority of the 110 torture victims either remain in prison due to wrongful convictions based in whole or in part on their tortured confessions or are on the streets without compensation or treatment for their grievous injuries. The report demands that the City of Chicago, Cook County, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the United State’s Attorney and the Fraternal Order of Police finally take action.

To read the Supplementary Report click here

To read the initial Report click here

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