May 6, 2015National Public Radio
"The city of Chicago will take a big step today toward closing what Mayor Rahm Emanuel has called one of the darkest chapters in city history, as the city council is expected to approve a $5.5 million reparations fund for victims of police torture.
The fund will compensate victims tortured by notorious former Chicago Police Lt. Jon Burge, and the detectives under his command, between the early 1970s and the early 1990s."
Click here for entire article.
Just Release:
“Chicago has taken a historic step to show the country, and the world,
that there should be no expiration date on reparations for crimes as
heinous as torture,” said Amnesty International USA’s executive
director, Steven W. Hawkins. “The United States is a country desperately
in need of a more accountable police force. Passing this ordinance will
not only give long-overdue reparations to survivors, it will help set a
precedent of U.S. authorities taking concrete measures to hold
torturers accountable. We are proud to stand with the survivors of
torture and coalition partners in the fight to get the city to atone for
the past and we hope today’s vote will help to ensure that such
shocking violations of human rights are not repeated in Chicago – or
anywhere else in the United States.”
Added May 7:
Jasmine Heiss
Senior Campaigner
Amnesty International USA
"This is what reparations will look like for police torture survivors who suffered under Jon Burge:
Added May 7:
Jasmine Heiss
Senior Campaigner
Amnesty International USA
"This is what reparations will look like for police torture survivors who suffered under Jon Burge:
- Formal apology from the Chicago City Council
- Free college education or vocational training for torture survivors and their families
- Education on police torture and other abuses in Chicago public schools
- $5.5 million in financial compensation
- Public memorial to torture survivors
- A dedicated counseling center for survivors of Burge torture and their families - the U.S.'s first center for survivors of domestic police torture"
