Wexford gets $4 billion contract, despite history of abysmal health care
An attorney says the agreement with Wexford Health Sources “means some people are going to die that would not have otherwise died.”
Prisoncast!
Prisoncast! is a special audio project for people inside Illinois prisons and their loved ones on the outside. Everything we cover or discuss — on the radio or in stories online — starts with questions, requests or ideas from currently or formerly incarcerated people, their loved ones, or groups that serve this population directly. Produced by WBEZ and Illinois Public Radio, the show airs on public radio stations across Illinois. Click the links below to listen back to our 2023 holiday special and our September show. Want to learn more? Email us at prisoncast@wbez.org, or a send a letter to: WBEZ Prisoncast!, 848 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL. 60611.
Featured
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Listen to a Prisoncast! holiday special for people in Illinois prisons
On Sunday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m., tune in to WBEZ 91.5FM for a special broadcast event dedicated to people incarcerated in Illinois and their families on the outside.
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Learn more about the groups in the Prisoncast! holiday show
Lots of groups serve people in Illinois prisons and their families. Here’s what some of them do, and how you can contact them.
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Prison bus trips offer a holiday “lifeline” for kids and incarcerated moms
The Reunification Ride program to Logan Correctional Center reconnects families separated by incarceration.
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Listen back to the Sept. 2023 episode of Prisoncast!
This September’s Prisoncast! special gets into atonement and forgiveness, commissary prices and tips for parents of incarcerated children.
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What to expect when your loved one gets out of prison
La Tanya Jenifor-Sublett was released from prison a decade ago. Despite having years to prepare, her transition back was not easy.
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What’s the future of parole and clemency in Illinois?
Dozens of people in prison wrote to WBEZ’s Prisoncast! asking for updates on efforts to expand parole and clemency in Illinois. Here’s what we learned.
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Dying and disabled Illinois prisoners kept behind bars, despite new medical release law
Lawmakers said hundreds would be released thanks to the Joe Coleman Medical Release Act. But so far, just 52 have gotten out.
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Illinois prisons need $2.5 billion in repairs, and that’s just the beginning
Mold, leaky roofs, sewage backups, unsafe drinking water and raccoon infestations are at the top of the list. Next up: dire staffing shortages and an aging population.
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Latest
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The Cook County Jail population has shrunk dramatically, but costs have not. Why?
Sheriff Tom Dart cites pay hikes for corrections employees and the expense of managing detainees with addiction or health issues. We analyzed the numbers.
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The winner of a $4 billion Illinois contract has a history of preventable deaths in state prisons
An attorney says the agreement with Wexford Health Sources “means some people are going to die that would not have otherwise died.”
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Prison bus trips offer a holiday “lifeline” for kids and incarcerated moms
The Reunification Ride program to Logan Correctional Center reconnects families separated by incarceration.
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Prisoncast!: Sounds of the holiday season for people in Illinois prisons
On Sunday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m., tune in to WBEZ 91.5FM for a special broadcast event dedicated to people incarcerated in Illinois and their families on the outside.
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New state ID program for Cook County Jail detainees aims to ‘help people reintegrate’
A pilot program announced by Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is thought to be the first in the nation offered to inmates at the county jail level.
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Report finds Logan, Pontiac and Stateville prisons nearly inoperable
The final report from a consulting firm hired by the state has found three of Illinois’ 27 prison facilities, including the Pontiac and Logan correctional centers, approaching “inoperable.“
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Prisoncast!: Listen to our holiday show for people in Illinois prisons and their loved ones
The statewide family special will feature incarcerated parents reading stories to their kids, holiday music — and the sounds of the season!
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What’s the future of parole and clemency in Illinois?
Dozens of people in prison wrote to WBEZ’s Prisoncast! asking for updates on efforts to expand parole and clemency in Illinois. Here’s what we learned.
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What to expect when your loved one gets out of prison, from someone who lived it
La Tanya Jenifor-Sublett was released from prison a decade ago. Despite having years to prepare, her transition back was not easy.
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Why inflation price hikes are even worse behind bars
An additional “tax” on commissary goods means incarcerated people are paying far more for staple items like peanut butter and soap, a Marshall Project analysis found.
