Chicago Torture Justice Center

Lead

Between 1972 and 1991, former Chicago police commander and Vietnam Army veteran Joe Burge directed the torture and imprisonment of over 200 African American men and women. Burge and his crew used military torture tactics including mock executions, genital electrocution, and beatings, to coerce individuals to admitting to crimes they did not commit. After two decades of constant protests, lawsuits, and investigations into the matter, Joe Burge and many state officials, including the Mayor of Chicago, were publicly exposed for their history and involvement in Chicago police torture. On May 6, 2015, Chicago became the first state in the country to pass a reparation ordinance for survivors and their families. By 2017, the Chicago Torture Justice Center was established for survivors and victims of police violence to access resources for healing, education on racial injustice, and join a community focused on the future of African Americans.

History

Joe Burge was the former commander of the Chicago Police Department. During his earlier years, he was a Vietnam Army veteran, serving as a military police investigator. In 1972, Burge and his team, referred to as the Midnight Crew, began using learned military torture styles on African Americans to obtain false confessions from them. The following are examples of torture methods used.

Psychological abuse including guns being drawn, threats and mental exhaustion
Mock execution
Genital electrocution
Beatings using objects such as bats, batons and flashlights
Burns from cigarettes
Suffocation with wires

Many state and government officials were reportedly aware of the torture occurring in the CPD, including hearing testimonies alerting officials of the coerced tactics of their police department; however, much of these testimonies were ignored and often judges would deny requests to drop the coerced confessions from the case. In 1982, Andrew Wilson was arrested on murder charges and was beaten, electric shocked, burned and suffocated into a confession by Burge and his crew. Cook County State Attorney, Richard M. Daley, was made aware of the torture tactics of the CPD and did not request an investigation, enabling the continuation of the practice. Wilson was sentenced to death and later died in prison before he could seek justice; however, his civil case continued to reveal the inhumane practices of the CPD. In 1991, Burge was terminated from his position as commander and in 2010 he was convicted in federal court for obstruction of justice and perjury.

Justice

On May 6, 2015, the Chicago City Council voted to give survivors and their family members reparations. This included:

Education of police torture in school curriculums
Free college and education
5.5 Million dollars in compensation
Public memorial
Council
Formal apology from the Chicago City Council

Chicago Torture Justice Center

The center stands as a reminder of the history of police violence that continues to incarcerate a community of people. Its services provide victims and family members counsel for conversation and healing, providing a space for a community to form with the goal of ending police violence and seeking justice for more incarcerated victims of Burge and police violence.

Support System

Peer Re-entry Program: Discussing the nature of prisons and the calculated injustice that is incorporated into the justice system. This is addressed through individual, holistic, and politicalized counseling and healing methods.

Support Groups: There are numerous support groups for police violence victims. CTJC works with local organizations where they engage in group therapy sessions and psychoeducational group therapy.

Case Management: This group aids in getting survivors back on their feet by securing housing, employment, food, financial assistance, medical insurance and many more forms of assistance.

Justice for Families: JFF organization creates a space for victims to gain support and strategize ways to combat police violence while working with groups like Black Lives Matter: Chicago. JFF participate in monthly meetings with the City to discuss the progress from an agreed MOA consent decree. This decree was agreed upon by the Illinois Attorney General and the Mayor of Chicago in 2017, that allowed plaintiffs, such as JFF, to have a say and power in the decree used to reform the Chicago Police Department.

References

“Activism.” Chicago Police Torture Archive, chicagopolicetorturearchive.com/activism. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
“The Burge Case.” Chicago Torture Justice Memorials, 28 Sept. 2023, chicagotorture.org/reparations/history/#:~:text=African%2DAmerican%20men%20were%20tortured,in%20order%20to%20obtain%20confessions.&text=Andrew%20Wilson%20was%20arrested%20for,and%20detectives%20under%20his%20supervision.
Clements, interview with Mark. “A Torture Survivor Speaks.” Against the Current, 10 Aug. 2021, againstthecurrent.org/atc213/a-torture-survivor-speaks/.
Hayes, Kelly. “Chicago Police Torture: Explained.” The Appeal, theappeal.org/the-lab/explainers/chicago-police-torture-explained/. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
Parkin, Joan, et al. “The Legacy of a Torturer.” Jacobin, jacobin.com/2018/09/jon-burge-chicago-police-torture-obituary. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
“Teaching Reparations Won.” Chicago Torture Justice Center, www.chicagotorturejustice.org/curriculum. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

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