Archive
“Hidden in Plain Sight”: Hundreds of Immigrant Children and Teens Housed in Opaque Network of Chicago-Area Shelters
Documents and interviews reveal allegations of abuse, threats and inappropriate relationships.
Afraid of “Political Repercussions,” HUD Delayed Action on Crumbling Public Housing
As residents in Cairo, Illinois, dealt with mice, toxic mold and lead paint, HUD officials waited to step in, according to a report from the agency’s inspector general. HUD “could and should have done more to oversee it,” a new report says.
Chicago Hiked the Cost of Vehicle City Sticker Violations to Boost Revenue. But It’s Driven More Low-Income, Black Motorists Into Debt.
Now, a former official regrets the move and wants the city to revisit it. Some policies, she said, are “terrible.”
Download the Gang Databases We Got From Illinois State Police, Cook County Sheriff’s Office and Chicago Police Department
There’s info that’s unverified, subjective and simply wrong, yet government officials can access and use it, with potentially troubling consequences.
Like Chicago Police, Cook County and Illinois Officials Track Thousands of People in Gang Databases
Gang files at other agencies include missing information and dead people.
All the Ways You Can Help Our Reporting Right Now
We’ve got a lot of stories in the works. Here are the questions we’re putting to you.
How to Find Out About Hot Dogs, Puppy Names and Parking Tickets
FOIA is the all-purpose journalism weapon of choice.
How ProPublica Illinois Uses GNU Make to Load 1.4GB of Data Every Day
We’ve open-sourced our code for loading Illinois campaign finance data. The process used to take hours. Learn how Make helped cut that down to less than 30 minutes.
How ProPublica Illinois and WBEZ Worked Together to Find Thousands of Duplicate Tickets in Chicago
We heard from you about how ticket debt, especially from $200 city sticker citations, has affected you. And we would like your help as we continue our reporting.
Documents Raise New Concerns About Lithium Study on Children
Prominent University of Illinois at Chicago psychiatrist enrolled her young sons as healthy control subjects in troubled study.
I Went in Search of Abandoned African-American Cemeteries
I found a couple, and some fascinating history, too.
Three City Sticker Tickets on the Same Car in 90 Minutes?
Chicago has issued 20,000 duplicate city sticker tickets since 2007. City officials are now looking at whether this violates a city ordinance and say motorists might be in for a refund.
Who Are You, Readers? And Do You Trust Us?
Hi, I’m Helga, ProPublica Illinois’ engagement reporting fellow, and I would like to ask for your help.
Federal Judge to Consider Independent Monitor for Illinois Child Welfare Agency
State officials have failed to deal with children stuck in psychiatric hospitals.
When Do Reporters Collaborate, and When Do They Compete?
Increasingly, we work together to produce stronger journalism.
Understand “Variety.” Listen to Young People. Pay Attention to Changing Community Reputations.
Here’s what we learned from our theater-journalism workshops in Rock Island and Toulon.
Illinois Lawmakers Demand Explanation on Children Stuck in Psychiatric Hospitals
A call for state welfare officials to appear at a public hearing follows our ProPublica Illinois investigation.
The Administration of Mayor Rahm Emanuel Keeps Monitoring Protesters
Chicago police and City Hall tracked anti-Trump demonstrators — and now state legislators want to let them use drones.
Where Is “Home” for Children in State Custody?
Many of us have distinct memories of our own childhood homes. That’s not the case for hundreds of children trapped in Illinois psychiatric hospitals.
Hundreds of Illinois Children Languish in Psychiatric Hospitals After They’re Cleared For Release
The Department of Children and Family Services struggles to find appropriate homes for young people with mental illness.
