Advocates, survivors of detainees mourn 16 who died in Cook County Jail

Activists, religious leaders and survivors of people who have died in the Cook County Jail gathered Wednesday night to call on Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart to increase access to medical care and overdose reversing supplies for those behind bars as they remembered 16 people who died in custody in 2023.

They also called for compassion toward people detained and awaiting trial.

“Every person back there is a human being, and they have loved ones like us,” Cassandra Greer Lee said, nodding across the street to one of the buildings in the jail complex on South California Avenue.

Lee’s husband Nickolas was the third person to die of COVID-19 while in custody in April 2020. She stood with Vicki Willis, whose son Alteriq Pleasant died in custody last year.

“There are many people who do not value life,” Willis said. “They have preconceived notions about people. And we have to understand that everyone has a right to life.”

A sheriff’s office representative confirmed that 16 people have died while in custody this year. Of those, two were homicide victims, four died of natural causes, five died of overdoses and five deaths were still being investigated, he said.

The religious leaders at the vigil also condemned recently implemented restrictions on books and other paper products for detainees. WBEZ 91.5 reported in April that attorneys meeting with detainees were not able to bring paperwork with them due to concerns about paper soaked in drugs and meant to be smoked.

“Paper soaked in opioids, synthetic cannabinoids, and other dangerous chemicals presents an incredibly complex and evolving challenge that our staff face every day in their work to protect the health and safety of those ordered into custody,” a statement from the sheriff’s office read.

In an op-ed published in the Sun-Times, Dart wrote that his staff has found the chemicals sprayed and dried on “children’s drawings, Bible pages, store-bought cards from sweethearts, legal files, and pictures of friends and loved ones.” He rejected claims that the jail’s measures amounted to a “book ban.”

A representative of his office said in a statement that officials are combating drugs’ entry into the jail with informational campaigns about the substances and addiction treatment options directed at detainees. More than 20 people have faced criminal charges for bringing drugs into the jail, according to the sheriff’s office.

Activist and pastor Elle Dowd said the best ways to prevent deaths in Cook County Jail were to boost access to medical services and reduce the number of detainees.

“People inside the Cook County Jail don’t need (fewer) books, they need more,” she said. “More community care, more medical care, more mental health care (and) substance use care.”

The number of people awaiting trial in Cook County Jail has dropped in the first weeks following the implementation of the 2021 Pretrial Fairness Act, Illinois’ historic move to eliminate cash bail.

The Coalition to End Money Bond was a major advocate for that legislation, which took effect Sept. 18 after months of litigation from opponents.

According to data from the sheriff’s office, there are 4,755 people in custody and 1,785 on electronic monitoring as of Wednesday.

Stakeholders throughout the Cook County criminal justice system told the Tribune the early days of the new system had been mostly smooth, though downstate criminal justice workers said their systems had seen some strain under the new rules.