Blair Paddock

Blair Paddock

@blairpaddock.bsky.social

prisons + investigations for @wttw.bsky.social bpaddock@wttw.com mouseartsandletters.org

956 followers436 following171 posts

Blair Paddock reposted

Heather Cherone
@heathercherone.bsky.social

BREAKING: The total cost of defending and resolving lawsuits naming former CPD Detective Reynaldo Guevara now stands at $472.8 million, according to a @wttw.bsky.social analysis. Another 25 lawsuits remain pending in federal court.

news.wttw.comCost to Resolve Lawsuits Tied to Disgraced Ex-CPD Detective Reynaldo Guevara Tops $473M, With 25 Lawsuits PendingThe total cost of defending and resolving 32 lawsuits naming Guevara, who has been repeatedly accused of falsifying police reports, framing suspects and coercing witnesses, is now $472.8 million, acco...
Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social

ICYMI: The sole shelter offering an alternative to youth detention in Cook County is closing next month.

Blair Paddock@blairpaddock.bsky.social

NEW: A shelter offering alternative housing to youth detention in Cook County is closing. It's run by Heartland Human Care Services, who has already closed four other shelters this year. news.wttw.com/2026/10/13/s...

news.wttw.comShelter Offering Alternative to Youth Detention Center in Cook County to CloseHeartland Human Care Services will close its pre-trial residential shelter for justice-impacted youth, the Manuel Saura Center, on Nov. 30, a spokesperson for the organization confirmed.
Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social

NEW: A shelter offering alternative housing to youth detention in Cook County is closing. It's run by Heartland Human Care Services, who has already closed four other shelters this year. news.wttw.com/2026/10/13/s...

news.wttw.comShelter Offering Alternative to Youth Detention Center in Cook County to CloseHeartland Human Care Services will close its pre-trial residential shelter for justice-impacted youth, the Manuel Saura Center, on Nov. 30, a spokesperson for the organization confirmed.

Blair Paddock reposted

ProPublica
@propublica.org

NEW: Early on Aug. 25, the Tohono O’odham Nation received a one-minute notice from Border Patrol. A convoy of contractors — guarded by masked agents — was en route to conduct testing for a coming border wall. The tribe was warned: Do not interfere.

propublica.orgAs Trump’s Wall Closes in, DHS Intimidates a Border Tribe With Surveillance, Masked Agents and DronesFor decades, the Tohono O’odham Nation collaborated with DHS to stave off a border wall. Despite their cooperation, the Trump administration is barreling forward with a project that would divide their...
Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social

Mouse has an incredible mix of events this month: Linux User Group meeting… Revolutionary Turkish songs… Animation class… a visit from Anand Gopal… Frederick Wiseman screening… just to name a few

Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social

Yesterday, advocates rallied outside of Gov. Pritzker's office to say the state's violating its own constitution. To remedy that, they want to bring back parole. news.wttw.com/2026/09/17/a...

news.wttw.comAdvocates Rally in Support of Reinstating Parole in Illinois: ‘We’re Violating the Constitution’Advocates said it’s time to recognize the value of second chances, and for parole, or “earned reentry,” to be reinstated. That would allow people to be released before the completion of their sentence...
Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social

NEW: An incarcerated deaf man is suing the Illinois Department of Corrections, alleging they are not providing him with the same phone access as those non-disabled. At one point during the holidays, he said he went 54 days without the ability to call his family. news.wttw.com/2026/09/03/i...

news.wttw.comIllinois Prisons Do Not Provide Equal Phone Access to Incarcerated Deaf People, Lawsuit AllegesA new lawsuit filed against the Illinois Department of Corrections alleges incarcerated deaf people do not have equal access to phone calls.

Blair Paddock reposted

Scared Bootecki 👻
@jaredrutecki.bsky.social

Incarcerated Illinoisans admitted to solitary confinement appear to no longer have access to outside communication, legal materials and educational programming through tablets, according to advocates. (via @blairpaddock.bsky.social)

news.wttw.comIllinois Prisons Move to Restrict Access to Electronic Tablets for Those in Solitary ConfinementIncarcerated Illinoisans admitted to solitary confinement appear to no longer have access to outside communication, legal materials and educational programming through tablets, according to advocates.
Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social

This has been the case at most solitary units in the state. But due to an “error,” men at Menard were provided tablets. As of last week, those admitted to the unit won’t have access to the devices.

Blair Paddock reposted

Cengiz Yar
@cengizyar.com

Disturbing trend: Local jails are rebooking immigrants in an effort to circumvent federal rules and regulations, legal experts say. @propublica.org's nationwide analysis shows that in the past year, two Florida jails had unusually high numbers of rebookings. www.propublica.org/article/immi...

propublica.orgThese Local Jails Were Supposed to Detain Immigrants for Only 72 Hours. One Woman Was Held for a Total of 26 Days.Rebookings of immigrants into local jails are an effort to circumvent federal rules and regulations, legal experts say. Our nationwide analysis shows that in the past year, two Florida jails had unusu...
Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social

NEW: A couple dozen men at Lawrence Correctional Center are on hunger strike over conditions in solitary confinement. They say they haven’t received mental health treatment, out-of-cell time, or access to tablets to communicate with family. news.wttw.com/2026/08/12/d...

news.wttw.comDozens of Incarcerated Men at Lawrence Prison Begin Hunger Strike Over Restrictive Housing ConditionsThe men declared the strike from their restrictive housing, or solitary confinement, cells on Monday, alleging a lack of mental health treatment and out-of-cell time at the prison in the southeast reg...
Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social

NEW: Cook County judges often ordered accused people to be detained while awaiting trial despite, by the court’s own assessments, being at low risk of rearrest or missing court. news.wttw.com/2026/07/30/c...

news.wttw.comCook County Judges Often Detain Pretrial Defendants Deemed a Low Risk of Reoffending or Missing Court, Report SaysA recent report from the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice says Cook County judges often ordered accused people to be detained while awaiting trial despite, by the court’s own assessments, being a...
Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social

Today :-) from 3 - 5 :-)

Blair Paddock@blairpaddock.bsky.social

A couple of nights ago, Eric and Amy went to the black-crowned night heron rookery at the Lincoln Park Zoo to capture their calls. Next Sunday, we will break down their sounds, transforming them into a reimagined soundscape. RSVP (free) as spots are limited: events.ticketleap.com/tickets/mous...

Blair Paddock reposted

The Marshall Project
@themarshallproject.org

There have been more than 70 fires, including a dozen cases of self-immolation, in the last three years at an Illinois prison that was supposed to be a model of prioritizing mental health treatment and healing instead of punishment.

themarshallproject.orgHow An Illinois Prison Drove Desperate Men to Set Themselves on FireDesigned to help people with serious mental illness, Joliet Treatment Center repeatedly failed to prevent or respond to fires, despite two deaths.

Blair Paddock reposted

Scared Bootecki 👻
@jaredrutecki.bsky.social

New from me: A WTTW News analysis of CPS disciplinary records offers a rare look at employee misconduct findings & the system leaders use to punish workers. Records shed a light on a process affecting hundreds each year that many employees say remains difficult to understand, navigate or challenge.

news.wttw.comMore Than 700 CPS Employees Disciplined for Misconduct Over 1 Year, 10 Faced Allegations of Sexual AbuseOne year of employee discipline data, obtained by WTTW News, reveals more than 700 cases of misbehavior across Chicago Public Schools. Case outcomes ranged from verbal warnings and written reprimands ...

Blair Paddock reposted

n+1
@nplusonemag.com

“At 7 AM on a Saturday, I participated in a mass-casualty simulation drill held in the firefighter training area of O’Hare International Airport.” New: Morley Musick participates in a fake plane crash. www.nplusonemag.com/online-only/...

nplusonemag.comDisaster Rehearsal | Morley MusickAt 7 AM on a Saturday in September 2025, I participated in a mass-casualty simulation drill held in the firefighter training area of O’Hare International Airport.

Blair Paddock reposted

Injustice Watch
@injusticewatch.org

Update: Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed this legislation into law. Read our work below with @boltsmag.org to see how Illinois is raising the compensation for wrongfully convicted people, who often leave prison with few means to rebuild their lives.

Injustice Watch@injusticewatch.org

Illinois has lagged behind other states when it comes to state compensation for people who are wrongfully convicted. A new bill aims to change that. (Co-published with @boltsmag.org) buff.ly/DbhCj4f

injusticewatch.orgIllinois bill and court ruling could help more people move on after wrongful convictionsDays after an appeals court ruled that some people should automatically get certificates of innocence, state legislators passed a bill to raise compensation for wrongful convictions.

Blair Paddock reposted

Taniel
@taniel.bsky.social

NEW: California continues to resist restrictions on solitary confinement. Prison officials had implemented some minor reforms in 2023, as a sort of compromise when Newsom vetoed a bill meant to ban the more torturous aspects of solitary confinement. But they're now dialing even those back.

boltsmag.orgOne Step Forward, Two Steps Back for Solitary Reforms in California - BoltsCalifornia officials dial back the minor reforms they've made to isolation in prison, four years after Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed legislation to rein in solitary confinement.
Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social

NEW: 375 days without stepping foot outside. Three men at Menard Correctional Center allege they were kept in solitary confinement for months on end, instead confined to filthy and unventilated cells so small they couldn’t fully extend their arms. They're suing IDOC. news.wttw.com/2026/07/14/3...

news.wttw.com375 Days Without Stepping Foot Outside: Lawsuit Alleges No Yard Time for Some Incarcerated at Menard PrisonThree men filed a lawsuit Monday against administrators at the Illinois Department of Corrections and Menard Correctional Center, alleging that they inflicted cruel and unusual punishment on the plain...
Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social

"She will spend the remainder of the film playing and overplaying the part of the tearful bride, dabbing her cheeks dozens of times while men dance like sparrows around her, throwing axes into each other’s hands." from @morleymusick.bsky.social chicagoreader.com/film-tv/movi...

chicagoreader.comHome movies tell the story of Chicago’s Polish diaspora - Chicago ReaderFilm scholar Agata Zborowska’s “Not-So-Ordinary” project archives and restores amateur films from the city’s Polish immigrant community.
Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social

FYI, Pritzker signed SB248 into law last Friday. Incarcerated people who committed crimes when they were under 21 will get another chance at challenging their convictions. news.wttw.com/2026/06/30/b...

news.wttw.comBill Awaiting Pritzker’s Signature Would Clear Hurdle for People Challenging Sentences on Crimes Committed When Under 21This bill would expand on prior laws and court rulings that have increasingly required judges to take defendants’ youth into account.
Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social

NEW: Illinois is rebuilding the state’s largest women’s prison outside of Chicago. I spoke with incarcerated women and employees about the 140 mile move. news.wttw.com/2026/07/13/l...

news.wttw.comLogan Prison Is Moving 140 Miles North. Here’s What Employees, Incarcerated Women Have to SayLogan Correctional Center, the largest women’s prison in Illinois, will be rebuilt with an 800-bed capacity about 140 miles north of its current location. As of this spring, Logan housed around 1,200 ...

Blair Paddock reposted

Heather Cherone
@heathercherone.bsky.social
Heather Cherone@heathercherone.bsky.social

NEW: The Chicago Police Department spent more than its City Council-approved budget in 2025, costing Chicago taxpayers more than $162.5 million in unanticipated expenses, records show. @wttw.bsky.social

news.wttw.comChicago Police Department Overspent Its 2025 Budget by $162.5M: City AnalysisThe Chicago Police Department has overspent its budget five years in a row, according to Chicago’s annual financial reports.

Blair Paddock reposted

WTTW - Chicago PBS
@wttw.bsky.social

The bill, SB248, would remove a procedural hurdle for incarcerated people who were sentenced when under the age of 21 to challenge their convictions. https://to.wttw.com/4gO0JlU

to.wttw.comBill Awaiting Pritzker’s Signature Would Clear Hurdle for People Challenging Sentences on Crimes Committed When Under 21This bill would expand on prior laws and court rulings that have increasingly required judges to take defendants’ youth into account.
Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social

Big Deal for those filing post-conviction petitions: A bill awaiting Pritzker’s signature would remove a procedural hurdle for incarcerated people who commited a crime <21 to challenge their sentence. news.wttw.com/2026/06/30/b...

news.wttw.comBill Awaiting Pritzker’s Signature Would Clear Hurdle for People Challenging Sentences on Crimes Committed When Under 21This bill would expand on prior laws and court rulings that have increasingly required judges to take defendants’ youth into account.

Blair Paddock reposted

Casey Toner
@ctoner.bsky.social

illinoisanswers.org/2026/06/24/a... Our story on Illinois lawmakers including Gov. JB Pritzker balancing the budget off the backs of gamblers. Last year people in the state lost $7.7 billion gambling. Of those losses, more than $4.1 billion went to sportsbooks, slot machines and casino operators

illinoisanswers.orgAddicted to Gambling in Illinois: ‘Someone Has Decided They Can Make Money Off You’People in Illinois lost more than $7.7 billion gambling last year.  As lawmakers increasingly bet on gambling to pay the state’s bills, they have only spare change to treat compulsive gamblers
Blair Paddock
@blairpaddock.bsky.social

Cook County has been called the wrongful conviction capital of the country. But who is giving the county this title? In her new book, “Crime Fictions: How Racist Lies Built a System of Mass Wrongful Conviction,” author Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve tries to answer that. news.wttw.com/2026/06/23/c...

news.wttw.comCook County Has Been Called the Wrongful Conviction Capital of the US. New Book Explores WhyIllinois makes up about 15% of wrongful conviction cases nationwide, according to Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve, the author behind “Crime Fictions: How Racist Lies Built a System of Mass Wrongful Convicti...