Chicago Becomes First U.S. City to Pay Reparations to Police Torture Survivors

The Chicago City Council passed a reparations ordinance providing $5.5 million to survivors of systematic torture by Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge and his subordinates, who tortured over 200 predominantly Black men between 1972 and 1991 to extract confessions. The package included monetary compensation, free City College tuition, a public memorial, and formal teaching of the Burge torture history in Chicago public schools.