Time stands still in Cook County Jail for some inmates

He is one of 40 inmates who have been held in the jail for more than five years, almost a third more than the number a decade ago. Those figures suggest the wheels of justice continue to grind slowly in Cook County’s criminal courts.

“Justice delayed is justice denied, both for the victim and the accused,” said John Maki, executive director of the John Howard Association, a prison watchdog group. “We haven’t been able to solve this problem. It’s time for Cook County to bring in an independent group outside of Illinois to look at this problem.”

Holmes is a poster boy for the issue.

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