U.S. investigating Cook County Jail Allegations

The U.S. attorney's office has opened an investigation into allegations Cook County Jail inmates were beaten by members of the sheriff's Special Operations Response Team on at least two occasions. A Cook County grand jury earlier this month issued a report accusing Cook County sheriff's officials of trying to derail an investigation into the beatings. The report was forwarded to state and federal prosecutors. Randall Samborn, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office, said Tuesday the office has received the grand jury's report, but he declined to give details on the scope of the federal investigation. "We have opened an investigation in this matter, and that investigation remains open and ongoing," he said. The grand jury report concluded that abuse can go unchecked at the jail because of poor investigations into inmate abuse claims. The burden of proof placed on inmates is so high that it becomes "a convenient way to ignore the truth," the grand jury found. The grand jury said it found evidence to support charges against sheriff's employees, including obstruction of justice, official misconduct, conspiracy and perjury. [more ]