User:BrownBlitz/new sandbox

= Chicago Police Torture Center = Leading section: 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 their victims to admitting to crimes they did not commit. After two decades of constant protests and investigations into the matter, Joe Burge and many state officials including the Mayor of Chicago, were exposed by People's Law Office for their history and involvement in Chicago Police torture. On May 6, 2015, Chicago became the first state in the country to pass reparation ordinance to survivors and their families. Today, the Chicago Police Torture Center stands for survivors and family members to access resources for healing, education on racial injustice, and join a community focused on the future of African Americans.

Background: Joe Burge was the former commander of 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 Midnight Crew, began using learned military torture styles on African Americans to obtain false confessions out of them. The following are examples of torture methods use.


 * Psychological abuse including guns being drawn out, 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, hearing the many testimonies alerting officials of the coerced tactics of their police department yet, yielding no resolve. Judges would often deny requests to drop the confessions. In 1982, Andrew Wilson was arrested for murder chargers and was brutally beaten, electric shocked, burned and suffocated into a confession by Burge and his Midnight Crew. Crook Country State Attorney Richard M. Daley was made aware of the torture and did not request an investigation. Wilson was sentenced to death and later died in prison before he could seek justice however, his civil case continued to shed light on 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.

Reparations: 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 Police Torture Center: The center stands as a reminder of the history of torture that once incarcerated a community of people. It's services provide victims and family members council for conversation and healing, providing a space for a community to form with the goal of ending police violence and seeking justice towards more incarcerated victims of Burge.