“He calls first thing in the morning just to say good morning,” said Blaine Lee, whose son was arrested in Urbana on a gun charge and has been in jail for two years. “Usually, he …
Posts by Brian Dolinar:
Securus is charging families six dollars for phone calls from jail
Phone calls are a lifeline for those incarcerated to stay in touch with their families and loved ones. The phone calls you and I make from our smart phone without a thought cost a person incarcerated …
Mother refuses to let authorities demonize son killed by Rantoul police
“I can’t sleep. The time that I have [fallen] asleep, I just woke up with a nightmare,” said Amy Richardson, whose son Jordan was shot and killed by police in Rantoul last week. “I keep …
An update on the Champaign County Jail hunger strike
A hunger strike called by men inside the Champaign County Jail ended officially on March 11, 2023, after two weeks. The action initiated by seven people and joined by several others is unprecedented in Champaign …
There’s a hunger strike happening at the Champaign County Jail
Warning: This article contains references to violence, suicide, mental and physical health crises, and domestic harassment. Please take care while reading. “I wish I had a camera so you could see what’s going on,” John …
Rantoul Police cleared in death of Black youth
It’s been three weeks since Azaan Lee ended up dead after an encounter with Rantoul police. In a rare move, Rantoul police quickly released video of the incident. Often it can take weeks or months …
Black youth Azaan Lee is dead after a police encounter in Rantoul
Last week, friends and family of Azaan Lee launched balloons in his memory and called for justice. His father Bishop Lee gave a heartfelt speech remembering his 21-year-old son. “He loved music,” the father said. …
No such thing as a “safe” jail: 31-year-old woman dies at Champaign County jail
On October 13, 2022, Tillie Deitz, a mother of three young children, died in the Champaign County jail. As I found in my own review of publicly available documents, Deitz admitted to being a drug …
Local sheriff cooperating with ICE
Brian shares information about the sheriff's office cooperating with Immigration Customs Enforcement officers.
After four months in detention, 8 year-old girl reunited with family in C-U
The Trump Administration's immigration policies continue to affect people in our community.