You deserve the nicer weather this week, Chicago. Before you put away your winter jacket, check out these stories from WTTW News.
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(WTTW News)
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As Illinois’ prison population sits at a near 30-year low, the Illinois Department of Corrections has put out a bid to build two new 1,500-single-celled facilities.
That bid is part of a $900 million plan to close Stateville and Logan Correctional Centers, both of which are in dismal condition.
Illinois’ prison population continues to shrink, with facilities now having a 26% vacancy rate, leading some of those inside and their advocates to question the state’s plan to build two new prisons. The state is pitching the rebuilding plan as necessary due to the high amount of deferred maintenance on existing buildings and the need for a modern, rehabilitative design.
More context:
Last March, Pritzker announced the closures of Logan and Stateville because the prisons are both more than 100 years old and repairs are too costly.
Both new facilities have been pitched to be built on Stateville’s south suburban Crest Hill property; the proximity of the rebuilds to Chicago is crucial. Those incarcerated would be close to loved ones in the city for visits. The location could also be a selling point for staff, as Pritzker said it’s difficult to attract corrections officers in some parts of the state.
According to January data from the Illinois Department of Corrections, state facilities are currently at a 26% vacancy rate, with 26,580 people incarcerated in a system built for 35,786 people. In female facilities, the vacancy rate is nearly half.
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Chicago police officers approach Timothy Glaze moments before shots are fired on Jan. 3, 2025. (Civilian Office of Police Accountability)
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Two Chicago police officers shot 58-year-old Timothy Glaze 16 times as he walked toward them carrying a knife, according to the Little Village man’s autopsy conducted by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office and obtained by WTTW News through a Freedom of Information Act request. Glaze suffered wounds in his chest, abdomen, torso, thighs, buttock and arms, according to the autopsy.
What happened:
Charlotta Pritchett, Glaze’s partner of seven years told WTTW News she regrets calling 911 in the early morning hours of Jan. 3 after becoming alarmed that Glaze, who she said was suffering from three different kinds of cancer, was carrying around a knife and refusing her requests to leave her apartment.
Pritchett said she had an order of protection against Glaze that was in effect at the time of his death but nevertheless chose to celebrate the New Year’s holiday and her birthday with him. Glaze was convicted in 2006 of domestic battery and in 2014 of trespassing at a North Side grocery store, according to court records.
Glaze’s encounter with the two officers was captured on their body-worn cameras. After a verbal exchange with the officers, he emerges through the apartment door and raises the knife, which is now in his right hand. Both officers opened fire, hitting him 16 times and grazing him once.
What's next:
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, known as COPA, is probing the shooting, and has yet to determine whether the actions of the two officers were justified. Both officers have returned to patrol after spending 30 days assigned to administrative duties, as required after a fatal shooting, according to a department spokesperson.
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Volunteers work at Nourishing Hope’s headquarters on Aug. 17, 2023. (Courtesy of Alyssa Schukar for Nourishing Hope)
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Potential cuts to federal social safety net programs and uncertainty about how new trade policies might impact already high food costs are among concerns food pantry leaders are navigating amid policy shifts and funding cuts by the Trump administration.
“We’re reading the writing on the wall,” Greater Chicago Food Depository Director of Communications Man-Yee Lee said. “Cuts to programs like SNAP, Medicaid would be disastrous. Food insecurity would skyrocket.”
Some background:
A recently passed House GOP budget plan asks the agriculture committee, which funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to cut $230 billion over 10 years. The energy and commerce committee, responsible for health care spending like Medicaid, was asked to cut $880 billion over the decade.
The Greater Chicago Food Depository distributes food to 850 food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters across Chicago and the Cook County area.
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More From WTTW News
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Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined a wide-ranging lawsuit that seeks to halt the mass layoffs of federal probationary employees under President Donald Trump’s administration and the reinstatement of those who have already been terminated.
Businessman George Johnson created Afro Sheen in 1954 on Chicago’s South Side. Now, Johnson and writer Hilary Beard are telling the story of how he built his business from scratch in a new book called “Afro Sheen: How I Revolutionized an Industry With the Golden Rule, From Soul Train to Wall
Street.”
The Field Museum is showcasing Africa’s colorful world of high fashion in a new exhibit aptly titled “Africa Fashion,” celebrating the continent’s layered history of style and creativity.
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Back in the Day: March 10, 2006 - 100,000 Chicagoans Protest Anti-Immigration Bill
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On this day 19 years ago, more than 100,000 people marched in Chicago's streets to protest the Border Protection, Anti-terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005, which would build a border fence, drastically strengthen enforcement, electronically surveil workers to verify their legal status, and increase punishments for those aiding undocumented people. The mostly Latino crowd carried signs that said "No human being is illegal." Local politicians like then-U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez said in a speech, “This is our country, and this is where we will stay.” Democrat Gov. Rod Blagojevich addressed the crowd in Spanish, saying, “You are not criminals, You are
workers.” After demonstrations nationwide, that particular bill ultimately failed.
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The Week’s Civic Events and Meetings
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Every Monday, WTTW News highlights the best ways to get involved with local government.
City Council
The Chicago City Council is set to meet Wednesday at 10 a.m. Here's a look at the agenda.
CPS
Chicago Public Schools is holding a public budget hearing, giving residents a chance to have their voices heard on Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
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What is the first thing you want to do in Chicago when the weather gets warm again?
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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