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Reposted by Kelly Garcia

The People's Fabric @peoplesfabric.com · 7d

This is from a video on X, showing inside the Broadview ICE facility when Noem was in town on Fri.

For context, she's in the central room with 15 workstations setup to process detained individuals, whether they were arrested by immigration enforcement or at protests.

See the orange triangles?

Kristi Noem inside the ICE facility at 1930 Beach St. in Broadview, IL. She is standing near a white man, smiling at a desk with a computer monitor and printer. Behind her is a cell door with a man looking out a narrow slit window. Next to him, three or four other men are seen through a larger window in the cell.

Behind the white man are two upside down "demo bags" taped up over the windows to another cell.

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Reposted by Kelly Garcia

Dan Hinkel @danhinkel.bsky.social · 7d

Those 34 years would have been 26 years if the Cook County Conviction Integrity Unit had cleared Francisco Benitez instead of denying him in 2015. He's one of at least 21 people the group rejected who were later exonerated. You can read about it in my @injusticewatch.org series Denying Innocence.

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Kelly Garcia @kellygarcia.bsky.social · 7d

As a final update, Chapin Hall's current contract ended June 30 which means they will no longer be analyzing and publishing monthly reports on the use of confinement. Those reports will now be prepared by the Office of the Chief Judge.

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Kelly Garcia @kellygarcia.bsky.social · 7d

As the meeting wraps up, Commissioner Degnen asks about Superintendent Leonard Dixon — whose presence at the facility we raised questions about.

Deputy Superintendent William Steward says Dixon is present at the facility everyday, "boots on the ground."

www.injusticewatch.org/juvenile-cou...

Superintendent of Chicago’s youth jail might not live here, records show

Leonard Dixon has run the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center — one of the largest youth jails in the country — for a decade. Records and interviews suggest he might not live in Chicago an...

www.injusticewatch.org

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Kelly Garcia @kellygarcia.bsky.social · 7d

For the secure center of care, Chapin Hall says they will wait to meet with the new Chief Judge before developing those plans.

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Kelly Garcia @kellygarcia.bsky.social · 7d

Chapin Hall is also developing secure and non-secure "centers of care." The non-secure model will include two facilities, one operated by DCFS/DCFS-licensed providers and the other operated by OCJ using the county shelter care standards. A bidding process is underway for the DCFS-licensed facility.

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Kelly Garcia @kellygarcia.bsky.social · 7d

Moving along. Chapin Hall says they have convened a work group to design the new "assessment centers". The working group includes members from the JTDC, OCJ, State's Attorney's Office, Public Defender's Office, etc.

The assessment center(s?) will act as a screening tool to determine placement

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Kelly Garcia @kellygarcia.bsky.social · 7d

There's a question about how the job of an employee at the juvenile detention center (secure setting) will translate to a job at a non-secure setting. Chapin Hall says job descriptions for the positions at the Suara Center are still being developed but will include a trauma-informed approach.

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Kelly Garcia @kellygarcia.bsky.social · 7d

Before those plans are implemented, the board will need to vote on an amended contract with the Suara Center. Commissioner Degnen says there are lingering questions she would need answers to before she can vote on that including the breakdown of staff, clarity on which youth will be held there etc

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Kelly Garcia @kellygarcia.bsky.social · 7d

Current JTDC employees will be able to apply for open positions at the Suara Center once the shared model is implemented but there is no guarantee they will be hired.

Heartland Alliance will be responsible for food and health services, while OCJ will be responsible for programming.

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Kelly Garcia @kellygarcia.bsky.social · 7d

The Suara Center is currently under renovation and isn't holding any youth, but currently the facility is staffed and managed by Heartland Alliance. The plan is to move towards a shared model in which Heartland Alliance and the Office of the Chief Judge staff & manage the facility.

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Kelly Garcia @kellygarcia.bsky.social · 7d

There is some back and forth about the definition of secure/non-secure settings and whether the county anticipates using private vendors to operate those facilities. For example, the Suara Center is a DCFS-licensed facility that currently operates as a non-secure facility for court-involved youth.

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Kelly Garcia @kellygarcia.bsky.social · 7d

Degnen asks about the cooperation between the county and external vendors as it relates to the operation of the tentative "centers of care". Turpeau says the smaller centers are expected to be overseen and operated by the Office of the Chief Judge.

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Kelly Garcia @kellygarcia.bsky.social · 7d

One big lingering question is how the county plans to continue or discontinue the use of confinement at the new facilities. Commissioner Bridget Degnen, asks for clarification from JTDC staff.

"We don't use behavioral room confinement for discipline," says JTDC team leader Michael Fowlin.

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Kelly Garcia @kellygarcia.bsky.social · 7d

For updates on the plan, we'll be hearing from Chapin Hall which has a contract with the county to consult and provide technical assistance for reimagining juvenile detention. Antwan Turpeau, a policy fellow, says they recently completed a framework with input from various stakeholders.

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Kelly Garcia @kellygarcia.bsky.social · 7d

The Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center Advisory Board meeting (so many words...) is underway at 69 W. Washington. On the agenda: updates on plans to "reimagine" the facility.

I'll be live-tweeting so make sure to follow along 👇 @injusticewatch.org

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Reposted by Kelly Garcia

Katie Prout @katieprout.bsky.social · 8d

Bumping again--I'm back full time starting today. Am especially interested in hearing from unhoused people and advocates in Chicago who have been impacted by ICE and the now-looming National Guard deployment in our city. Signal is katie.507.

Katie Prout @katieprout.bsky.social · Aug 21

After taking some time away to have a dang baby, I'm back to work at the Chicago Reader. Have a question or tip about the state of harm reduction, homelessness, and/or drugs in Chicago? Send me a line at [email protected]. I also cover: cultural lore, ghosts of all kinds, & city characters.

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Reposted by Kelly Garcia

Chip Mitchell @chipmitchell1.bsky.social · 14d

Gregory Bovino, commander-at-large of the U.S. #BorderPatrol, claims a @wbez.org/@chicago.suntimes.com report about his comments Sunday in downtown #Chicago was "grossly inaccurate" and taken out of context. So we've posted the interview's unedited AUDIO and TRANSCRIPT:
www.wbez.org/immigration/...

Transcript: Gregory Bovino says arrestees in downtown Chicago chosen partly based on ‘how they look’

WBEZ reporter Chip Mitchell spoke with U.S. Border Patrol commander about a deportation blitz downtown and in the upscale River North neighborhood. Here is the transcript and unedited audio interview.

www.wbez.org

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Reposted by Kelly Garcia

Chip Mitchell @chipmitchell1.bsky.social · 15d

Today I spoke with Greg Bovino, a top U.S. Border Patrol chief, as he led dozens of feds in military gear through downtown Chicago.

He said they were arresting folks based on “how they look.”

“How do they look compared to, say, you?” he said, referring to me.

chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

Feds march into downtown Chicago; top border agent says people are arrested based on ‘how they look’

Immigration agents wearing tactical gear and carrying long guns made arrests in downtown Chicago and the River North neighborhood Sunday. “This is not making anybody safer — it’s a show of intimidatio...

chicago.suntimes.com

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Reposted by Kelly Garcia

Injustice Watch @injusticewatch.org · Sep 12

🎧 Reporter Kelly Garcia is a guest on the latest episode of City Cast Chicago, discussing her investigation of the head of Cook County’s juvenile detention center and the results of Cook County’s chief judge election. buff.ly/Rixw9wX

Operation Midway Blitz, Cook County's New Chief Judge, and Mexican Independence Day by City Cast Chicago

megaphone.link

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Reposted by Kelly Garcia

Madison Swart @madisonswart.bsky.social · Sep 11

After her hearing at 26 Federal Plaza, a woman was detained and escorted toward the stairwell. Her husband, confused and in shock, was guided toward the exit. Minutes later, he broke down in the elevator. They entered together, but he left alone. This happens here daily. #ICE

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Reposted by Kelly Garcia

Jonah Newman @jonahshai.bsky.social · Sep 11

I know there's a lot of news today, but in my neck of the woods, this is BIG news. Cook County hasn't had a new chief judge since Sept. 11, 2001 (yes, really). The chief judge might be the most consequential local public official you've probably never heard of. @mdoukmas.bsky.social with the story.

Injustice Watch @injusticewatch.org · Sep 11

Charles Beach, 55, was elected Cook County chief judge this evening, defeating 24-year incumbent Timothy Evans. He’ll take over control over a vast court bureaucracy as well as judicial assignments when his term starts Dec. 1. Story by @mdoukmas.bsky.social. www.injusticewatch.org/judges/court...

Charles Beach elected Cook County chief judge

Beach will be Cook County’s first new chief judge in 24 years, after defeating eight-term incumbent Timothy Evans.

www.injusticewatch.org

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Kelly Garcia @kellygarcia.bsky.social · Sep 11

Beach has not made any promises about the juvenile detention center as far as I know so it remains to be seen if the JTDC will get a new superintendent and if he’ll continue forward with Evans’ effort to drastically reduce the size of the facility in the coming years…

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Kelly Garcia @kellygarcia.bsky.social · Sep 11

This will have strong political implications for the Cook County juvenile detention center, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Chief Judge. The current superintendent was appointed by Evans in 2015 and, to the bewilderment of many, kept around despite persistent concerns about his leadership.

Maya Dukmasova @mdoukmas.bsky.social · Sep 10

BEAKING NEWS: COOK COUNTY HAS A NEW CHIEF JUDGE - Charles Beach

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Reposted by Kelly Garcia

Maya Dukmasova @mdoukmas.bsky.social · Sep 10

BEAKING NEWS: COOK COUNTY HAS A NEW CHIEF JUDGE - Charles Beach

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