Latest from The Trace

Illinois Has a Program to Compensate Victims of Violent Crimes. Few Applicants Receive Funds.

Aftershocks

Illinois Has a Program to Compensate Victims of Violent Crimes. Few Applicants Receive Funds.

Less than 40 percent of applicants are compensated, but many more never apply in the first place.

Lakeidra Chavis and Daniel Nass
Are You — or Is Someone You Know — a Survivor of a Shooting in Illinois? This Program Can Help Cover Expenses.

Aftershocks

Are You — or Is Someone You Know — a Survivor of a Shooting in Illinois? This Program Can Help Cover Expenses.

The state's Crime Victim Compensation Program reimburses victims of violent crime for costs related to injury and loss.

Lakeidra Chavis
How We Reported on Illinois’ Victim Compensation Program

Aftershocks

How We Reported on Illinois’ Victim Compensation Program

A review of thousands of records showed the state program struggles to reach survivors in need, and paid out claims in less than half of all cases.

Lakeidra Chavis
In Chicago’s Roseland Neighborhood, a Mix of Grief and Perseverance

Aftershocks

In Chicago’s Roseland Neighborhood, a Mix of Grief and Perseverance

Most stories about violence focus on neighborhoods with extremely high murder rates. Residents of Roseland experience shootings at a more typical pace.

Lakeidra Chavis
Introducing “Aftershocks,” a Series About Surviving Gun Violence in Chicago

Aftershocks

Introducing “Aftershocks,” a Series About Surviving Gun Violence in Chicago

Thousands of people are shot in the Chicago area each year, sending waves of shock and grief throughout the city.

Lakeidra Chavis
To Shed a Cage

Criminal Justice

To Shed a Cage

Hamid Abd-Al-Jabbar and David Thompson bonded in juvenile detention in the 1980s, then spent most of the next 40 years in prison. When they emerged from one of the country’s most unforgiving state penal systems, their friendship proved crucial.

Champe Barton
Bill Targets Lawbreaking Gun Dealers With License Revocations, Increased Fines

Off Target

Bill Targets Lawbreaking Gun Dealers With License Revocations, Increased Fines

The Keeping Gun Dealers Honest Act, introduced by House Democrats, would make it easier for the ATF to shut down sellers who break federal regulations.

Brian Freskos
Chicago Expands Violence Reduction Committee’s Membership, Increases Transparency

Community Violence

Chicago Expands Violence Reduction Committee’s Membership, Increases Transparency

Following The Trace’s reporting on the composition and secrecy of the committee, Mayor Lightfoot has invited more organizations to participate.

Lakeidra Chavis
The ATF’s Failure to Produce Public Records Keeps the Gun Industry in the Shadows

Off Target

The ATF’s Failure to Produce Public Records Keeps the Gun Industry in the Shadows

Fulfilling even basic FOIA requests can take months or years. Sometimes the agency ignores them altogether.

Alain Stephens and Daniel Nass
Biden’s Gun Violence Plan Zeroes In on Lax ATF Inspections

Off Target

Biden’s Gun Violence Plan Zeroes In on Lax ATF Inspections

The White House’s multipronged strategy would require the bureau to revoke the licenses of gun dealers found breaking the law, and encourage cities to use pandemic relief funds for community-led violence intervention.

Brian Freskos