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’22
YEAR REVIEW
in
FREE AND FREAKY SINCE 1971 | DECEMBER 22, 2022
THIS WEEK C H I C AG O R E A D E R | D E C E M B E R 2 2 , 2 02 2 | VO LU M E 52 , N U M B E R 6
EDITOR’S NOTE THEATER TO CONTACT ANY READER
EMPLOYEE, EMAIL:
04 Limón | Break a Leg The (FIRST INITIAL)(LAST NAME)
@CHICAGOREADER.COM
UnGala was a nearly perfect night.
CITY LIFE PUBLISHER AND PRESIDENT TRACY BAIM
EDITOR IN CHIEF ENRIQUE LIMÓN
06 Brown | LGBTQ+ Spaces MANAGING EDITOR SALEM COLLO-JULIN
Thirteen of Chicago’s new queer PRODUCTION MANAGER KIRK WILLIAMSON
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER AMBER HUFF
and/or BIPOC recurring events STORY EDITOR SUJAY KUMAR
NEWS EDITOR JIM DALEY
FOOD & DRINK NEWS & POLITICS Owner Joe Shanahan shares some THEATER AND DANCE EDITOR KERRY REID
MUSIC EDITOR PHILIP MONTORO
16 Garcia | Church Bells When of his favorite memories from the CULTURE EDITOR: FILM, MEDIA,
a neighborhood cornerstone like venerable Chicago clubs. FOOD & DRINK TARYN ALLEN
St. Adalbert Church closes, what 36 Reid | Offstage Drama Will 54 Shows and Records of Note CULTURE EDITOR: ART, ARCHITECTURE,
BOOKS, LITERARY ARTS KERRY CARDOZA
happens to the people who still call Victory Gardens ever bloom again? Previews of concerts by Doom ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND BRANDED
it home? 41 Dance In 2022, the best of Flower, Hamid Drake and Michael CONTENT SPECIALIST JAMIE LUDWIG
18 Brown | Power to the People dance held and sustained space Zerang, Bonelang, and more, plus SENIOR WRITERS LEOR GALIL, DEANNA
ISAACS, BEN JORAVSKY, MIKE SULA
A conversation with members of for others. reviews of releases by Gomorra and STAFF WRITERS DEBBIE-MARIE BROWN,
the Illinois Chapter of the Black Foule Monk & Davis KELLY GARCIA, KATIE PROUT
Panther Party FILM 58 Early Warnings New concerts LISTINGS COORDINATOR MICCO CAPORALE
23 History A nonprofit is working 42 Screenings A Reader writer’s and other updated listings ----------------------------------------------------------------
to memorialize the locations of the 2022 repertory roundup 58 Gossip Wolf Ray Donato of
08 Sula | Feature Pop-ups and the Black Panther Party’s footprint in 44 Review Women Talking is dark Local psych juggernaut Dark Fog VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS
ANN SCHOLHAMER
general alternative food economy Chicago. in color and content, but it sparks a releases 7734 NI, two-piece Anita
suffered some slowdowns in 2022, conversation worth having. Hart drops Black Lava Blood Floor, DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL JOHN DUNLEVY
but they were still a lot more ARTS & CULTURE 45 Movies of Note Laura and the James Dean Joint open for DIRECTOR OF MARKETING VIVIAN GONZALEZ
exciting than their brick-and-mortar 24 Visual Art Lessons from HIV- Poitras’s All the Beauty and the the Waco Brothers. MARKETING PROJECT STRATEGIST SHAWNEE DAY
counterparts. AIDS art in the face of another Bloodshed is elevated to the stuff NEWSLETTER ASSOCIATE CHASITY COOPER
pandemic of cinema rather than just mere SAVAGE LOVE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
ASSOCIATE NIESHA DAVIS
COMMENTARY 27 Book Review The ten best documentation; Rian Johnson’s 61 Getting It Dan Savage tells a
10 Joravsky | Politics The good Chicago books of 2022 Glass Onion delivers twists and reader why cuckolding is a journey, DIRECTOR OF CHICAGO INDEPENDENT MEDIA
ALLIANCE (CIMA) SAVANNAH HUGUELEY
news about 2022 is that it could 30 Exhibitions of Note Alberto tricks that surpass its predecessor. not a destination.
have been worse. Aguilar turns a solo exhibition into a EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT SANDRA L. KLEIN
12 Isaacs | Culture Are these year- collaborative thought experiment, MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE CLASSIFIEDS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF GROWTH
end developments in fusion and Thomas Kong makes buoyant 46 Galil | Word of Mouth The 60 Jobs AND STRATEGY AMBER NETTLES
firearms breakthroughs or bluster? artwork from packaging waste, and best overlooked Chicago records 60 Adult Services VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES AMY MATHENY
14 Ehlers | Prisons It’s time to truly an exhibition at Apparatus Projects of 2022 SALES TEAM VANESSA FLEMING, TIM
OGDEN, TED PIEKARZ, WILL ROGERS
act on criminal justice reform. delights in the details of objects. 48 Scent and Sound Ten favorite DIGITAL SALES ASSOCIATE AYANA ROLLING
31 Year in Photos From the pigeon perfumes of 2022 paired with ten MEDIA SALES ASSOCIATE JILLIAN MUELLER
ON THE COVER: PHOTO BY CAROLINA
lady to the union’s protest outside favorite albums SANCHEZ. FOR MORE OF SANCHEZ’S
ADVERTISING
an ex-owner’s home, revisit these 50 40 Years Metro and Smart WORK, GO TO CAROFOTOS.COM.
312-392-2970, ADS@CHICAGOREADER.COM
memorable photos. Bar had a big birthday in 2022. CLASSIFIEDS:
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A NOTE ON THE COVER JOE LARKIN AND SUE BELAIR
----------------------------------------------------------------
FOR THE COVER, we wanted to capture the spirit
of 2022, in our own Reader way. We asked photog- DISTRIBUTION CONCERNS
distributionissues@chicagoreader.com
rapher Carolina Sanchez to see if she could find a 312-392-2970
street musician who was being ignored, which feels READER INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY
like the essence of this year: lots of work, not a lot of JOURNALISM, INC.
CHAIRPERSON EILEEN RHODES
respect. Sanchez found the musician, Kaliq Woods, at TREASURER REESE MARCUSSON
the corner of State and Randolph, where he “usually SECRETARY KIM L. HUNT
DIRECTORS ALISON CUDDY, DANIEL DEVER,
plays the clarinet but because of how cold it was his MATT DOUBLEDAY, VANESSA FERNANDEZ,
keys froze and got stuck, so he opted into playing TORRENCE GARDNER, ROBERT REITER,
CHRISTINA CRAWFORD STEED
the drums instead. He had a man next to him danc- ----------------------------------------------------------------
ing most of the time, who randomly came up while READER (ISSN 1096-6919) IS PUBLISHED BIWEEKLY BY THE
Woods was playing the timbales and sang ‘Merry READER INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY JOURNALISM
2930 S. MICHIGAN, SUITE 102 CHICAGO, IL 60616
Christmas’ over and over again.” And with that, we 312-392-2934, CHICAGOREADER.COM
take a break. Our next print issue will come out Janu-
COPYRIGHT © 2022 CHICAGO READER
ary 12, 2023. See you then. — SALEM COLLO-JULIN PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT CHICAGO, IL
2 CHICAGO READER - DECEMBER 22, 2022 ll
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ll DECEMBER 22, 2022 - CHICAGO READER 3
EDITOR’S NOTE
A toast to the Reader GLITTERGUTS
stock of the humbling, nanoscopic triumphs
I’ve experienced over the past couple of
weeks: making it through my first day sans
pain medication, shivers, sweats and all; how
I finally managed to brush my teeth over the
bathroom sink like a normal person, and not
aided by my crafty, bedside Solo cup tech-
nique; and how I’ve conquered that trek up
and down those nine damn steps to get in and
out my apartment, which originally felt akin to
climbing Everest. All of a sudden, Tracy’s sur-
vival song started playing in my head. Turns
out there are many things I should feel proud
of. I should be proud that I nary flinched when
I got my sutures removed, as I deliberated
whether or not this letter would materialize
by deadline. I’m proud that during my first
grocery store visit since the incident, aided
by a motorized shopping cart, I was able to
reach high up the refrigerated stands to fetch
my favorite yogurt. I’m proud that even in my
imperfect existence, I’ve somehow inspired
selfless love from those around me to care and
watch after me. I’m proud that my mom, over
the phone checking up after my visit, did her
Break a leg, kid! best to convince me—as only a good, Catholic,
Mexican mother could—to come home for the
holidays, as even in my nomadic adulthood,
I’ve never missed Christmas dinner, and it
wouldn’t taste the same without me (though
I hate to disappoint her, as chances currently
O
ur recent anniversary UnGala was an af- as well as its own vicissitudes, the Reader still down the museum’s iconic staircase. What I look quite slim).
fair to remember for myriad reasons. For stands, I told the packed house, before waxing thought was a simple party foul, turned into I’m also proud of the entire Reader team for
starters, it brought out Chicago’s finest poetic on what this outlet has meant to so an ambulance ride to the ER and emergency making it through another year, when many
in droves to the Museum of Contemporary Art many, myself included. A couple of minutes surgery. In stark contrast to the glitzy gala, outlets like ours have gone the way of Frosty
for a night of intimate performances, revelry, in, I asked partygoers to raise a glass to what the weeks that followed have been marred by the Snowman at Steamworks. I’m ungrudging-
and reflection, Reader-style. the following half century might hold, and cul- excruciating pain, helplessness, and self-pity. ly proud of the editorial staff for taking stock
The night also summoned Reader brass, new minated my speech with a heartfelt callback: Those who know me, know that I lead a very of the impactful coverage they’ve delved deep
and old, including cofounder Bob McCamant, “the Reader still stands, and it stands strong.” active, independent, and always “on” kind in during the past twelve months, highlighted
longtime executive editor Michael Lenehan, What followed was a near perfect night. of life. These past few days have turned that in this special issue, which hopefully holds you
former editor Alison True, cartoonist Heath- An undying air of celebration and joy was notion on its head, and have proven to be a up until our next print iteration on January 12.
er McAdams, typesetter and archivist Vera palpable in the air. Every person (and puppet) perma-exercise in patience and humility. Yes, Virginia, the Reader still stands. And so
Videnovich, and “the conscience of Chicago in attendance wished nothing but for the At the height of my medical malaise, boss- does yours truly—albeit a bit wobbly for now.
journalism,” OG Michael Miner, who looked Reader to survive and thrive. Even members lady Baim texted me a link to one of her fa-
back and fêted this college dorm experiment, from other outlets in the local mediascape vorite songs to “inspire” me, Heather Small’s
five decades into its existence. were in attendance. Folks like Chicago Sun- “Proud”: I step out of the ordinary/I can feel —Enrique Limón, editor in chief
Longing for even more flair, publisher Tracy Times executive editor Jennifer Kho, along my soul ascending/ I’m on my way, can’t stop @EnriqueLimon
Baim asked me to prepare a few words to with ever-fabulous editorial board member Is- me now . . ./What have you done today to make
follow remarks from her, Reader Institute for mael Pérez; and The TRiiBE head of operations you feel proud?
Community Journalism’s chairperson of the David Elutilo, multimedia producer Tonia Hill, “I’m afraid my answer is not much,” I re-
board, Eileen Rhodes, and event patron Chris- and publisher Morgan Elise Johnson, which plied, browbeaten, after listening to the queer
tie Hefner, who instantly won me over thanks meant a helluva lot. anthem in near tears.
to her oh-so-shagadelic frock. I say near perfect, because as I was leaving The following day, waiting for the orthope-
Through tidal surges in the media industry, the venue, I took a spill and ended up falling dist at my first post-op appointment, I took
4 CHICAGO READER - DECEMBER 22, 2022 ll
ll DECEMBER 22, 2022 - CHICAGO READER 5
CITY LIFE
LGBTQ+ SPACES
Your guide
to outside places with vegetable kabobs for guests while
Thirteen of Chicago’s a DJ plays on the back porch and a stripper
new queer and/or BIPOC gives a performance in the backyard. Other
recurring events events have included oil wrestling for a
Telfar bag and a costume contest. The event
By DEBBIE-MARIE BROWN always includes themed intimate activities
that help facilitate genuine connection-build-
ing, and attendees are often those who may
not frequent the club circuit. The Hotspot
averages around 100 people per event. Their
Instagram handle is @hoochiehotspot.
Strapped attendees at a recent party at Berlin SECRET QUEEN
Strapped
Organizers: Irregular Girl and Siichele
Strapped is a sex-positive, alternative dyke
O
party night every first Friday at Berlin
ne of my favorite parts of being a rooftops, and have featured artists such as Fortune that regularly features drag and burlesque
young, Black, twentysomething Baby Cakes, Cae Monae, and Girls That. Their Organizers: DJ Blesstonio, DJ AYEEYO, DJ performers. The event caters to trans-iden-
Chicago gay is that, in 2022, the most recent event had more than 500 people Zeetus Lapetus, and Jaxx Masada tified folks and often has a large turnout of
cis-white entrapment of Boystown in attendance. “People just want a little more transmasculine and transfeminine lesbians.
is no longer my only option if I want excitement with going out . . . the occasional, Fortune is a monthly, queer dance party that It celebrated its one-year anniversary in Sep-
to make sure my evening outing is especially like, ‘I don’t know what I’m stepping into’ debuted as a residency at the Hideout in Au- tember. “It’s, like, unhinged and feral. Very
queer. The city seems to have more and more . . . makes [Boots] exciting.” Their Instagram gust. Despite being held on Wednesdays, it fun,” Siichele said. Attendees start arriving
young adults of different ethnic backgrounds handle is @boots.party and their next event consistently reached capacity at the 150-per- at 10 PM and are still at the bar until it closes
creating hip, distinct, Black- and Brown-cen- is December 31 at Goose Island. son venue. It features the same team of eclec- at 4 AM. Strapped averages 600 people per
tered nightlife in spaces or venues that are tic DJs each time: the pop-culture-inspired event. The next event is January 6 at 10 PM.
otherwise predominantly white. As someone Eden Somali DJ AYEEYO, the hype Boricua DJ
who is the self-appointed Prince of Nightlife Organizer: Jenniferfauxxpez, aka Ellesandra Blesstonio, and the intergalactic funk DJ Zee- Drag
and Being Outside in Chicago, here’s a list of 13 tus Lapetus. The team will announce its new
events that started in 2022 that will hype your Eden bills itself as a sapphic space: a DIY, sexy, residency location in 2023. Their Instagram Queeriod Drag Show
night and soothe your soul. lesbian party space meant to break the ste- handle is @fortunedanceparty, and their next Organizers: Lúc Ami and Male Spice
reotype that lesbians are only U-Haul-driv- event is December 30 at Lincoln Hall.
ing, slow-dancing homebodies who don’t Queeriod is an open-stage drag show that
Parties like to go out. Eden facilitates the opposite. Hoochie Hotspot happens every Sunday at Charlie’s Chicago
Collective pleasure, no inhibition: we leave Organizers: Lynzo the Heartthrob and Fierce from 5 PM to 7 PM. It celebrated its one-year
Boots it all on the dance floor. Eden is a party for anniversary in July. Most drag shows happen
Organizer: Abijheet Rane and Kirk friends, lovers, and crushes. The founder and Hoochie Hotspot is a Black-sex-worker-run late at night, but the early-evening show ca-
producer, Reggaeton DJ Jenniferfauxxpez, event space featuring strippers, drag per- ters to newcomers, those who don’t want to
Boots is a DIY dance party that started in told the Reader, “I’ll be at Smartbar any time formers, and prizes. The event came out of a go out late, and people who might have their
March in an attempt to bring back the edge, of the day . . . But sometimes, I wanna listen desire to create more specifically Black and senses oversaturated being at a nightclub.
messiness, and experimental nature of to what I love. And there was no spaces that queer-friendly nightlife spaces that would Ami started Queeriod during the pandemic
nightlife that were lost during the pandem- I found that I could be gay as fuck and listen also center sex workers’ safety. Their first upon realizing that emerging drag perform-
ic, Rane said. Boots parties occur for one to reggaeton.” Past DJs have also included event premiered on Juneteenth. Hoochie ers who only ever performed online needed a
night at unconventional, discreet locations Columbian DJ Ynfynyt Scroll and Vitigrrl, the Hotspot includes outdoor and indoor multi- noncompetitive, supportive space to perform
such as Chinese restaurants, art spaces, and resident DJ of SloMo. #SeeYouAtEden sensory spaces. It has featured casual fire- in person. The event caters to people of all ex-
6 CHICAGO READER - DECEMBER 22, 2022 ll
CITY LIFE
perience levels interested in building up their performers. The audience usually features over 20 years, then tapped Gato post-pan- that started as a podcast in August. It has
stage presence in a supportive environment. many drag kings and queens as well as trans- demic to revive it, “with a twist.” The drag evolved into a multi-armed creative hub fea-
Their Instagram handle is @Queerioddrag- masculine people who don’t do drag. queen hosts while attendees take turns turing artist interviews, curated playlists,
show; you can stream live shows on twitch.tv/ singing in the supportive, comedic environ- and live events that uplift Chicago’s margin-
alienkingluc. Open mikes ment Gato creates with her commentary and alized communities. Real Ones held its fi rst
backup vocals. Gato also provides an array live artist showcase in August. At each three-
Dim Sum Drag Fruit Salad of costumes and accessories for attendees to hour show, four or five artists with adjacent
Organizers: Abijheet Rane, Luv Ami Stoole, Organizers: Rain Thomas and Whitney wear on stage. but distinct sounds deliver 30-minute sets.
and Aunti Chen LaMora Real Ones’s most recent show was at Cole’s
Afro Joe’s First Fridays Bar in December. Previous themes have in-
Dim Sum Drag is a monthly, all-Asian drag Fruit salad is a monthly open mike that cen- Organizer: Shaundric Mann cluded Rage Cage with rage-inspired music
brunch that happens at Furama, a dim sum ters Chicago’s LGBTQ community. It current- (SheGO Turbo, cam, and JVNBVG) and The
restaurant in Uptown. It celebrated its one- ly takes place at the stylish, 1970s-themed Afro Joe’s is a Black-owned coffee shop on Igloo with cozy R&B (Sherren Olivia, Sydney
year anniversary in June. The restaurant has lesbian bar Dorothy, which sports deep the south side, and First Fridays, a month- August, Inea’J, and S-O-S). Their Instagram
a main hall that includes a jade-green floor velvet couches, soft lighting, a conversation ly open mike hosted there, celebrated its handle is @realonesshow.
and a stage with a red backdrop and seats 250 pit, themed cocktails, and more. Fruit Salad one-year anniversary in August. Mann, the
people. Attendees can enjoy a dim sum buffet celebrated its one-year anniversary in Oc- organizer, started as a customer and then The Black Gallery
as well as a personal, up-close drag perfor- tober and has been hosted at its Ukrainian became a barista. Mann created the open Organizer: Enama (pronounced uh-nah-muh)
mance. About half of the attendees are reg- Village location since February. Each month, mike for people from the south or west sides
ulars, and half are fi rst-timers. Show themes ten slots are available for the open mike, of Chicago who didn’t want to always travel The Black Gallery is an annual art exhibition,
have included KPOP and Crazy Rich Asians. and each event features a queer artist who north for open mikes. He started the event gallery walk, and fashion show on Black Fri-
Their Instagram handle is @dimsumanddrag. performs at the end of the night. Past open “to spotlight that the south [side] had some- day that features Black and African-owned
mike performances have included sing- thing to say when it comes to arts and culture businesses, brands, designers, stylists, and
Boyz 2 Men er-songwriters, comedians, poets, drag sto- that’s different.” Afro Joes serves a variety models to encourage the public to invest
Organizers: Luv Ami-Stoole and Lúc Ami rytellers, and DJs. At their most recent open of artisanal beverages and food. Open mike their money more intentionally in local Black
mike, 120 tickets sold out within 15 minutes attendees who purchase a VIP ticket get a creators and entrepreneurs. “It is an oppor-
Boyz 2 Men is a drag-king-themed game show of being released. Their Instagram handle is guaranteed seat and meal. Featured artists tunity for people to invest in the community
that happens every other month at Berlin @fruitsaladchicago. have included F.A.B.L.E., J Bambii, and and buy Black on Black Friday,” Enama said.
Nightclub on Monday nights from 10 PM to ‘Kechi. The open mike’s Instagram handle is It also includes the opportunity to network
2 AM. It celebrated its one-year anniversary Ari Gato’s Anything Goes Karaoke @firstfridaysopenmic. and connect with different types of talented
on December 15. In its original format, the Organizer: Ariana L. Gato and Roscoe’s artists. The Black Gallery held its second
producers pair a more seasoned king with a Tavern Music/art shows annual event in November at the Mandrake
newer king, and two teams of two compete Park Fieldhouse. To get involved, donate, or
against one another in silly games. The Ari Gato’s Anything Goes Karaoke is a Mon- Real Ones Live Shows sponsor future exhibitions, contact bookin-
night ends with a duet performance, and day-night open mike hosted by the aforemen- Organizers: Ben Moskow, Michael Magitman, genama@gmail.com or follow @theblackgal-
the audience votes for the winner. Inspired tioned drag queen at Roscoe’s Tavern from Tyrel Tchinchinian, and Sydni Dorsey lery2021 on Instagram. v
by Queeriod, Ami-Stoole made Boyz 2 Men a 9 PM to 1 AM. It debuted in early November.
welcoming and encouraging space for new Roscoe’s hosted a different karaoke show for Real Ones is a Chicago-based music platform @debbiemarieb_
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ll DECEMBER 22, 2022 - CHICAGO READER 7
FOOD & DRINK Find more one-of-a-kind Chicago food and
drink content at chicagoreader.com/food.
Kitchen crews at
various Monday
Night Foodball
pop-ups, hosted at
the Kedzie Inn
COURTESY MIKE SULA
(human) foodscape.
Much like last year (and the year before) I
continued to look to the underground and gray
market food economy as the place to spot the
most interesting, creative, and groundbreak-
ing chefs and foodlums in the city.
Even as the masks continued to come off,
there’d been no great sigh of relief in the
hospitality industry in 2022. The traditional
brick-and-mortar restaurant economy did
not come roaring back amid Omicron. With
inflation and staffing shortages, operators
struggled with their own kind of long COVID,
ALT-FOOD and for many the prolonged struggle proved to
be too much. Brick-and-mortar closings kept
The chef underground ain’t dead yet pace with notable openings.
And yet the comeback was enough that you
could see the effect it had on the underground.
Pop-ups and the general alternative food economy suffered some slowdowns in 2022, but they were still a lot Plenty of cooks, bartenders, servers, and chefs
more exciting than their brick-and-mortar counterparts. made their way back to brick-and-mortars
or even jobs in other industries, as their side
By MIKE SULA hustles proved less sustainable as the world
reverted back to something resembling what
I
it once was, but nevertheless will never be
discovered a tangle of disarticulated when a pair of sharp-shinned hawks took up It wasn’t just their occasional crime scenes again.
entrails in my backyard at dawn one Sat- residence at the top of a towering oak on the that allowed me to embody the forensic I’d been hearing all year long from folks
urday late last summer: a tiny squiggle parkway. pathologist I was always supposed to be; who flourished in the alt-economy about
of digestive tract and an alien-like blue, In late February they claimed their turf with they provided a reminder that occasionally how changes in Instagram’s algorithm had
bulbous, kidney-bean-sized blob. My a shower of pigeon feathers and bloody bones something uncommon and wild invades the made things difficult for the host of new food
first guess was an extraterrestrial encounter on my front steps, and from then until the end gray, human-enabled Chicago ecosystem, businesses I’d been writing about since the
gone wrong, until I spotted a tiny paw waving of the summer, you could occasionally spot scattering the house sparrows and reminding beginning of the pandemic. I saw it myself as
up from the grass that Google suggested was their mangled leftovers around the neighbor- the squirrels not to get soft. social media engagement with our Monday
rat-like or possibly squirrelly in origin. hood. When they weren’t terrorizing the local Usually when I stopped to squint up at them Night Foodball pop-up promos dropped off
Rodents rule the alleys and postage-stamp fauna, they perched on the highest branches this summer, I was wrestling with my laptop, precipitously some weeks.
backyard gardens of Albany Park. At least that of the tree and shrieked at each other all day trying to wrench out some words to describe But that didn’t mean interest dropped off.
was the case on my block up until last winter long. I loved them. some analogous incursion into the city’s Some brick-and-mortars continued to be in-
8 CHICAGO READER - DECEMBER 22, 2022 ll
FOOD & DRINK
cubators for young chefs with big ideas. Last but the region’s only Indonesian art gallery/
Monday night alone, the Long Room hosted boutique, Legenda.
a barbecue pop-up; Ludlow Liquors featured But also the most fun I’ve had this year has
a new chef in town doing Filipino fine dining; been running food, clearing tables, and play-
one of Honey Butter Fried Chicken’s line cooks ing host at these pop-ups. They’re way more
took over that kitchen to do Jamaican food; fun than sitting down at a table and passively
while the Kedzie Inn hosted the year’s 38th observing service, atmosphere, and food like
Monday Night Foodball, the Reader’s weekly some kind of, I dunno, restaurant critic. The
chef pop-up that I’ve been hyping since August concept of service and hospitality loses its
2021. This one featured Won Kim previewing abstraction and becomes a thing that is super
the next iteration of Kimski, Bridgeport’s six- satisfying to engage in. It’s a pleasure to de-
and-a-half-year-old Korean-Polish mash-up fuse the occasional tension or resolve the odd
which itself has become a training ground for mishap with grace and strategy rather than
young chefs eager to break out and do their confrontation and watch someone’s attitude
own thing. go from annoyance or aggravation to accep-
Many Kimski pop-up vets have made their tance and appreciation.
way to Irving Park to throw down at a Foodball My sharp-shinned hawks took off sometime
this year, including Thattu, who’s opening in August and haven’t been back (yet), which
its brick-and-mortar at Guild Row in 2023; was a reminder that everything changes. Sure,
Zeitlin’s Delicatessen, which was featured Shin Thompson moved to LA, Oscar Singer
earlier this week at the 39th and final MNF of moved to New York, and the Hot Dog Box
2022; Heffer BBQ, which was our 36th; Mom’s closed its Portage park brick-and-mortar, but
Chicago (our seventh); it’s still alive in the pop-
Gemma Foods (31st); up world—and so are
and more. most of the chefs we’ve
The best things I ate hosted at Monday Night
this year I ate at these Foodball.
pop-ups: like, in no Despite some set-
particular order, Ange- backs, the pop-up scene
lina Bastidas’s shrimp still looks a lot more
mofongo; Nemanja vibrant and promising
Milunovic’s pizza burek; than its brick-and-mor-
the salmon ochazuke tar counterpart. I’ve
by SuperHai; the Philly heard from so many
m a s a l a c h e e s e s te a k chefs who’ve launched
from Dhuann BBQ or expanded their own
MICCO CAPORALE
Company; Eric May’s nonperishable product
vegan mushroom Italian beef; Flavor Supreme lines, like Jasmine Sheth’s spice blends or
and Lolo Agogo’s Big Meatball; the smoked Vargo Brother’s pickles. And I know plenty
brisket banh mi from Umamicue; D’s Roti’s who are actively working toward settling into
curry chicken roti; Ramen Lord’s Aburasoba; their own brick-and-mortars, which I can’t tell
Thommy’s Toddy Shop’s Kerala fried chicken; you about quite yet, but I will when the time
Lebanese and Armenian stuffed grape leaves comes.
from Mary Eder-McClure and Kat Stuehrk So it isn’t dead at all. Take Nemanja Mi-
Talo; lechon tacos from Pig & Fire; Ricky lunovic, formerly of Balkan Kiosk, who head-
Hanft’s beef heart sauerbraten; Vargo Brother lined the first Foodball of 2022. He had to take
Ferments’ “Portillo’s” chopped salad; Gemma a job at Aba, which kept him out of the pop-up
Foods’s smoked potato crescenza culurgiones game for the rest of the year. But I’m thrilled
with lemon-sage cream; Better Boy’s celery to say he’ll be back in early 2023 when he kicks
root mash and Tasting India’s spiced corn- off the next season of Monday Night Foodball
bread from the Umamicue Friendsgiving; at its new location, which I’ll announce, along
Heffer BBQ’s smoked chicken tinga tostada; with a brand new schedule of chefs, old and
and pretty much anything on the menu from new, early in the new year. Meantime, I’m
the seven-chef Foodball organized by Waro- gonna keep listening for the hawks. v
eng’s Tasya Hardono, who now runs not just
the midwest’s only Indonesian grocery store @MikeSula
ll DECEMBER 22, 2022 - CHICAGO READER 9
COMMENTARY
To look on the bright side, we’ll have to leave
behind the fog of 2022. SEBASTIAN KURPIEL/UNSPLASH
thus gentrifying already gentrifying commu-
nities, while leaving lower-income communi-
ties, like Washington Heights and Roseland,
to fend for themselves. We all know what
happened.
Over the last 20 years, Chicago’s Black
population has drastically fallen—including
in Washington Heights and Roseland. It was
demographers like Alden Loury, now an editor billion—it will be about $858 billion. No, the
at WBEZ, who brought this to my attention. I $45 billion is what Congress is adding to what
remember asking Loury why Chicago’s pow- Biden wanted to spend. Like $851 billion on
ers-that-be did not sound the alarm about the bombs and guns was not enough!
outward Black migration. That $45 billion is obviously a lot more than
To which he said something like, “Ben, I the $3.6 billion it will cost to extend the Red
don’t think they saw it as a problem.” Truer Line. They could probably extend the Red Line
words were never spoken. to Carbondale for that kind of cash.
I hope extending the Red Line sparks re- Now, I obsessively followed the 2022
newal on the far south side. So, one giant step elections in many states (not just Illinois).
forward. On the other hand . . . And I don’t recall any Democrats running on
ON POLITICS The only no vote in the council was cast by platforms of upping the defense budget by $45
Alderperson Pat Dowell on the grounds that billion.
Baby steps her near south-side ward was largely paying
the city’s share of the project.
Or as she put it at a city council hearing,
Never heard one of them say—we have to
hold onto the House and the Senate so we can
spend even more money on weaponry than
The good news about 2022 is that it could have been worse. “Because these benefits are citywide, everyone what President Biden wanted to spend. As op-
should have skin in the game of paying for this posed to spending it on transit, schools, health
By BEN JORAVSKY project. This has to include the entire city.” care, or any of the dozens of programs that
That’s inaccurate. TIF is a citywide tax hike. people in this country really need.
The Red Line TIF district will raise property Quite the contrary: I know of activists who
taxes on every Chicago property—not just worked their tails off for Democrats who they
property in Dowell’s ward. hoped would cut defense.
I
t’s that time of the season where I measure Gardens. To say otherwise is to feed the notion that This headline from the Sunday, December
a year’s worth of political progress by The mayor and council did it by committing somehow 3rd Ward residents will, as the Sun- 18, New York Times print version said it all:
comparing steps forwards and steps back, about $959 million in Tax Increment Financing Times put it, “bear the burden” of the exten- “Bonanza for Arms Makers As Military Budget
in the hope that overall we’ve made progress. dollars (the feds will pick up most of the rest sion’s costs. Surges.” I don’t recall one Democratic candi-
I could fill this issue with many examples of of the cost). So finally some worthwhile eco- Again, not true. Again, every property own- date or voter saying, “We need a bonanza for
elections, budgets, and spending plans from nomic development from the TIF scam. er’s taxes will rise for this project. Again, a TIF arms makers!” Certainly, I didn’t read that
2022. But I’ll settle on a few items. Starting Frankly, I don’t think those two aforemen- is a citywide tax hike. Whether she intended refrain in any of the hundreds of solicitations
with some good news . . . tioned mayoral predecessors wanted to extend to or not, Alderperson Dowell contributed to I received all year long from Democratic
The CTA’s Red Line Extension project. the Red Line, no matter how many times they Chicago’s ignorance of TIFs. candidates.
I’m happy to say that the year ended with said they did. Frankly, I think those predeces- So it’s like a quarter step back. I’ll settle for As always, Democrats are their own worst
Mayor Lori Lightfoot doing something right. sors saw that project as a waste of money. So that. enemies. So one step back.
That’s right as in correct—not as in ideology. they did just about every other CTA project. Now onto the national front. Democrats Finally, on the state level . . . Democrats
I’ve been critical of Lightfoot for much of They built the Pink Line. They repaired the defeated MAGA attempts to take control of the beat MAGA in every statewide race, including
2022. But on the Red Line, I have to say thank Brown Line. They fixed up the Red Line. They Senate—even picked up a seat. So that’s a big governor and supreme court. And all those
you, Madame Mayor (and thank you City built the flyover at Belmont. They rebuilt the step forward—if you believe in democracy as Republican candidates managed to concede
Council for overwhelmingly approving her 95th Street station, but no Red Line extension. opposed to Trumpocracy. defeat without crying that the election was
proposal). You did what your predecessors— The extended Red Line will bring service to And yet, last week House and Senate Demo- stolen and storming the state capitol. Call that
Mayors Emanuel and Daley—said they wanted Washington Heights and Roseland, communi- crats joined their Republican counterparts to a step forward.
to do, but never got around to actually doing. ties that have suffered for investment under add $45 billion to the defense bill that Presi- As you can see, I’m really trying to look on
That’s extending the Red Line south from Daley and Emanuel. dent Biden had already requested. the bright side, folks. Hope 2023 is one giant
where it currently stops at 95th to 130th As far as I can tell, the governing principle Let me repeat that to make sure there is step forward for all of you. v
Street, and building four new stops—at 103rd, of Daley and Emanuel was to mostly spend TIF no confusion about what Democrats did.
111th, Michigan Avenue, and near Altgeld money in areas that were already booming, Next year’s entire defense budget is not $45 @bennyjshow
10 CHICAGO READER - DECEMBER 22, 2022Myth of Moses By Jan Menafee
Ev’ry day, Moses Who erects the great white dam
rises with the morning sun. in search for “better”.
Plants collect their dew.
Slowly the horizon breathes But the dam blocks us
blood orange to blue. from where we’re meant to go.
So Moses hums and
The mountaintop stands beats our drums.
above all life in the land Then she
of promise. proclaims, “Let my people flow.”
Although
water is the one The dam dissolves as
who holds us all together. We flood the land of promise.
Moses follows us
Ev’ry day, Moses to, and through, our paradise.
must protect our gift from the
Master, who thinks he’s clever. The sun shines before death.
Jan Menafee is an artist, educator and entrepreneur based in Chicago and Washington D.C. He
loves to read, cook for friends, and co-host the Real Ballers Read Podcast. His first poetry chapbook,
Watering Whole, is out now.
Poem curated by Justus Pugh. Justus is a poet, writer, and technologist born and raised on the South
side of Chicago. As an artist, his work is guided by the idea that our imagination is our ancestor’s
wildest dreams, inherited. And this imagination comes through writing his “Afrotranscendental”
poetry, writing culinary fiction with Village X Magazine, and, now and today, storytelling.
A biweekly series curated by the Chicago Reader and sponsored by the Poetry Foundation.
Free Programming from the Poetry Foundation!
Hours
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday: 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
Thursday: 11:00 AM–8:00 PM
Note: The Poetry Foundation building will be closed to the public from Friday,
December 23, 2022 and will reopen on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.
Diana Solís: Encuentros
Photographs of Chicago Poetry Communities,
1978–1994
An exhibition of photographs and ephemera exploring
this unique moment in Chicago’s literary history.
Open until January 14, 2023
Learn more at PoetryFoundation.org
DECEMBER 22, 2022 - CHICAGO READER 11COMMENTARY
State representative Justin Slaughter (left) and Abraham Avalos,
Illinois house judiciary committee meeting, Bilandic Building,
December 15, 2022 DEANNA ISAACS
into the prospects of clean fusion energy,” the .50-caliber rifles, while requiring registration
announcement said. for those who already own such weapons. It’ll
Eureka! The process sounded orgasmic, as also crack down on gun trafficking from other
did some of the comments included from pol- states; raise the eligibility age for a gun own-
iticians. “This astonishing scientific advance er’s permit to 21 (18-year-olds can now qualify
puts us on the precipice of a future no longer with parental approval); and allow one-year
reliant on fossil fuels,” Senate majority leader terms for “red flag” weapon confiscation (now
Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, before adding limited to six months).
that it’ll take a lot more cutting-edge work to The committee had a live audience of only
get there. about 30 people. Supporters of 5855 included
So, is our existential climate problem sud- a group of red-T-shirted members of Moms
denly solved? Human ingenuity (let the trum- Demand Action. Across an aisle from them,
pets roar) sweeping in like magic to wipe away a smaller ad hoc clutch of 5855 opponents
the problem previous human ingenuity had included Abraham Avalos of Waukegan, in a
created? Who wouldn’t rejoice at that? black-and-yellow Illinois Gun Owners Togeth-
I called Friederici again. “It probably does er shirt. Avalos testified that he was present
suggest great prospects for the future—the at the Highland Park parade shooting but
distant future,” he said. How distant? “Hard to opposes the ban because there will always be
ON CULTURE say; there are going to be big challenges with “people who obey laws and people who don’t.”
scaling up. And we don’t have the luxury of That, he said, “is why I carry.”
Fusion and firearms waiting. From a climate perspective, the time
for action is right now. The work we do today
affects the future way more than what we
State representative Tony McCombie (71st
District Republican), speaking remotely, told
the committee that “if this passes, it’s going
Are these year-end developments breakthroughs or bluster? might do in 20 years. It’s a matter of trajectory to be ineffective and unconstitutional,” and
and tipping points—the longer that we don’t will “take guns out of the hands of law-abiding
By DEANNA ISAACS reduce emissions, the more the climate is al- gun owners like myself.” And Live Free Illinois
tered in the future.” organizer Artinese Myrick said her group is
He added, “There’s a tendency to look at “in support of an assault weapons ban,” but
climate change and say, ‘OK, it’s a problem, opposes “any legislation that will further
what’s the silver bullet?’ But there is no silver criminalize Black and Brown communities,”
bullet. It’s a new reality that demands a mul- and is concerned that with certain aspects of
titude of responses. Maybe fusion is part of this bill, more law-abiding citizens may be
T
he best we can say about 2022? It’s been Beyond Climate Breakdown, recently pub- the response in the future, but it’s not a silver swept up in the system.
transitional. If we’re lucky, the shift will lished by MIT Press. It was great to reconnect bullet.” All of the gun owners talked about the need
be to something better. In the meantime, with him, but what he had to say was sobering: Speaking of bullets, after the Highland Park to defend themselves; none explained why
the war in Ukraine drags on. Predictably, “We can have a climate future that’s really Fourth of July shooting, one of the experts they’d need an assault weapon to do that.
unconscionably, we’ve become inured to it. bad . . . or less bad.” We’re already at the point TV news turned to for comment was Phil In four hours of testimony, the committee
Inflation rages at a pace new to most of us. where the only choice we have is “How bad do Andrew—a Chicago-area native who’s been also heard supportive research and firsthand
The experts pushing and pulling the levers on we let it get?” working on the gun problem since he was accounts from officials, workers in the field,
the economy apparently never do their own A grim peek at a future we’ve already set in the victim of a mass shooter here in 1988. He and survivors like Everytown Survivor Net-
grocery shopping. Racism is still a plague, as motion. told me in July that we need to ban assault work members Maria Pike and Marsha Lee.
is COVID, with its alphabet soup of mutations. But then, something amazing happened. weapons, make sure that guns are kept away Both lost sons in fatal shootings. “It’s out of
It has struck devastating blows to cultural Within days of that interview appearing in from young people and dangerous people, and control; we have to make change,” Lee told
and urban life. Guns are now the major cause the Reader, the U.S. Department of Energy enact and strengthen red flag laws. them.
of death for American kids, and greenhouse announced a breakthrough at Lawrence Liv- This month, at the Bilandic Building, an That left me wondering: if we can’t muster
gases continue to ramp up global warming. ermore National Laboratory. On December 5, Illinois house judiciary committee held a the political will to outlaw weapons whose
Whew. Every story is important, but look- after decades of trying, scientists there had series of hearings on a bill intended to do all only purpose is to kill as many people as
ing over those I wrote this year, it’s not hard succeeded at “fusion ignition.” They’d man- that. As sponsor Bob Morgan, a Democrat possible as quickly as possible, what are the
to spot the potentially most consequential aged to get more energy out of a fusion experi- representing the 58th District, explained at chances we’ll make the harder changes nec-
subject. It’s the last one on this quagmire of a ment (smashing two nuclei together until they one of those hearings last Thursday, House essary to escape the worst of a killer climate
list: climate change. In one of the final stories unite, releasing energy) than they’d had to use Bill 5855 (the Protect Illinois Communities breakdown? v
of the year, I talked with author and former to make the fusion happen. “This first-of-its- Act) will ban the sale and manufacture of as-
Reader staffer Peter Friederici about his book, kind feat . . . will provide invaluable insights sault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and @DeannaIsaacs
12 CHICAGO READER - DECEMBER 22, 2022iron will. steel resolve. and the occasional
Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II explores the story of the US
Army’s 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, a top-secret unit who waged war with
inflatable tanks and vehicles, fake radio traffic, and sound effects.
Paid Sponsored Content
Chicago Family Biking makes biking fun and safer for all ages In addition to their regular rides, Chicago Family Biking hosts family-friendly day
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interested in biking, and community rides gave families respite from prolonged isolation through
shared two tips for people looking to bike with kids:
free outdoor activities suitable for all ages and experience levels. As founder Rebecca Resman says,
“Biking is one of those things that once you try it, you're hooked.” 1) Take the regular traffic lane if the bike lane is obstructed by ice and snow. It’s safer and it’s your legal right!
In 2022, Chicago Family Biking hosted events in 11 neighborhoods across Chicago, including 2) If you ride with a child in a bike seat, make sure to dress them warmer than yourself. Since their bodies aren’t
Bridgeport, Humboldt Park, and Portage Park, as well as in suburban Berwyn, Evanston, and Elgin. moving, they will get much colder than you.
Each one is open to the public and free to attend. “Thanks to our incredible volunteers, we hosted
over 75 events in 2022, mostly consisting of family-friendly bike rides and bike obstacle courses. In Chicago Family Biking also works to improve biking conditions for Chicagoans going forward through advocating
2023, we hope to build on that success, bringing more communities into the fold,” Resman says. To for better biking infrastructure, traffic-calming measures, and practical and effective tools to make streets safer
that end, Chicago Family Biking will recruit new ride organizers throughout the winter and early for bicyclists, such as holding drivers accountable for dangerous behaviors like blocking bike lanes.
spring, and interested parties can sign up on their website. “From there, our organization provides
training, marketing, and community support to help them be successful,” Resman says. Read the rest of this story online at chicagoreader.com/transportationseries
Coverage funded by The Darrell R. Windle Charitable Fund and Polo Inn
DECEMBER 22, 2022 - CHICAGO READER 13COMMENTARY
WELSEY TINGEY VIA UNSPLASH
death by incarceration,” Joseph Dole, policy
director of Parole Illinois, wrote in 2021.
“These DBI sentences destroy thousands of
lives for no legitimate penological purpose,
are a historical anomaly in Illinois and around
the world, and are completely unnecessary for
public safety.”
While Illinois had the death penalty until
2011, it was only handed out about a dozen
times a year statewide. Even at the height of
the death penalty in Illinois, when many inno-
cent people sat awaiting execution, Death Row
never held more than 200 people.
Today, Illinois sentences hundreds of peo-
ple to death by incarceration every year! This
transition from viewing a dozen people per
year as irredeemable to hundreds was not
only unjustified, but has resulted in the steady
growth of Illinois’s “slow Death Row.”
It’s important to note that juveniles and
young adults are more amenable to rehabili-
tation and less culpable for crimes than fully
ON PRISONS mature adults. In 2019, the Illinois Supreme
Court ruled that sentences of more than 40
To act justly, to love mercy years were a de facto life sentence for people
younger than 18.
Maintaining sentences that ignore those
It’s time to truly act on criminal justice reform. facts and sentencing juveniles and young
adults to die in prison is inhumane.
By ANTHONY EHLERS We arrived at this humanitarian crisis via
emotional hyperbole, racism, political games-
manship, the abandonment of rehabilitation
O
as an ideal, and the mass demonization and
regon Governor Kate Brown has dons, which fully forgive someone who has myth, racism, laws like Truth in Sentencing, dehumanization of “criminals.”
granted more commutations and committed a crime; commutations, which re- and life without the possibility of parole (also I’ve often described the Illinois Department
pardons than all of that state’s duce prison sentences, often resulting in early called death by incarceration, or DBI), are in- of Corrections (IDOC) as a waste-management
governors in the last 50 years release; reprieves, which pause punishment; extricably intertwined. The victims of mass in- system. Society views us as garbage, and so
combined. and eliminating court-related fines and fees. carceration are suffering from overly punitive opportunities for rehabilitation are nonex-
Brown’s effort raises a question here in Historically, presidents and governors reg- laws and dying in prison despite yearslong istent. In 1994, Congress banned prisoners
Illinois: why isn’t Governor J.B. Pritzker using ularly used clemency for things like wrongful self-rehabilitation. from Pell grant eligibility amid a change in the
his clemency powers more effectively and ex- convictions, witness recantation, flawed Mass incarceration is the civil rights issue of social milieu from favoring rehabilitation to
pansively? He has stated repeatedly that he’s evidence, police misconduct, and a prisoner’s our era, and we cannot eradicate mass incar- demanding punitiveness. IDOC largely aban-
in favor of criminal justice reform. If that’s exceptional rehabilitation. Alexander Hamil- ceration without addressing long sentences. doned college and vocational programs in the
truly the case, it’s time for Pritzker to address ton argued in the Federalist Papers that clem- Clemency is a tool for criminal justice reform, 1990s, and turned to warehousing people in
the historical harms and injustices associated ency is a necessary check on a justice system and an act of grace, exercising the belief that increasingly inhumane conditions.
with mass incarceration. It’s time that the that levels excessive punishment. Without compassionate mercy and ensuring public Despite that, many prisoners took it upon
state of Illinois reflects the governor’s stated clemency, he argued, “justice would wear a safety are not mutually exclusive. themselves to self-rehabilitate. Many do so
values and beliefs. countenance too sanguinary and cruel.” “The state of Illinois, like too many states in even though they have no avenue of release
Clemency is an umbrella term that refers There are many reasons Pritzker should our union, is experiencing an unacknowledged other than executive clemency, which has
to the ability of governors to grant mercy to be granting clemency. The injustices of mass and little known humanitarian crisis where been a nearly nonexistent remedy for decades.
incarcerated people. Clemency includes par- incarceration, the tough-on-crime deterrence thousands of people are over-sentenced to Today, society and the IDOC have acknowl-
14 CHICAGO READER - DECEMBER 22, 2022COMMENTARY
edged that abandoning rehabilitation was a Illinois did away with the death penalty, its percent of Illinoisans, they were 54 percent for everyone after 15 years. The Prison Policy
mistake. This summer, Congress reinstated criminal justice system is still as lethal and of the Illinois prison population as of June. Initiative recommends parole eligibility after
Pell grant eligibility for people in prison, and unjust as it ever was. Thousands of people, a Nationally, nearly half of people serving life 15 years, as does Families Against Mandatory
vocational and college programs are flooding disproportionate number of whom are Black, without parole (LWOP) and de facto life sen- Minimums. The Sentencing Project in Wash-
back into IDOC. and many who are innocent, are sentenced tences are Black. ington, D.C., recommends capping all sentenc-
Unfortunately, the people who for decades to suffer for decades in prison until they die Pritzker needs to exercise his executive es at 20 years like European countries do.
overcame the IDOC’s hindrances to rehabilita- there. clemency powers to grant blanket clemency “If you are confident that you can keep peo-
tion, and spent untold time, money, and effort Neither judges or legislators take into ac- to those serving a sentence of DBI (LWOP or ple safe, you’ve given victims the opportunity
to rehabilitate themselves, will see little bene- count a person’s capacity to change, to grow, de facto life), and anyone sentenced under the to have their voices heard and made sure their
fit from their herculean efforts. to be rehabilitated. Deterrence here literally provisions of the Truth in Sentencing Act. concerns are addressed, and individuals have
That’s because most of the legislation being inflicts more punishment than is justifiable. I would ask the governor to commute the gone through an extensive amount of rehabil-
passed to increase good time for rehabilita- It’s done in the false hope that the punishment sentences of anyone currently serving a sen- itation and shown accountability, what is the
tion efforts is not retroactive, and many of will be so terrible, that it will scare others tence of 40 years or more, including LWOP, to point of continuing to incarcerate someone,
these same prisoners have a DBI sentence. The out of committing that crime. We know that a sentence of parole eligibility after they serve other than retribution?” said Oregon governor
only way their efforts to self-rehabilitate can doesn’t work! Increasing the pain of one indi- 15 to 20 years of their sentence; and also order Brown in June.
be rewarded is through an act of clemency by vidual to try to coerce the behavior of another that anyone who is subject to any TIS provi- Governor Rauner actually pioneered the
the governor. person is morally repugnant. Nonetheless, we sion and are sentenced in that aspect must first type of clemency when he commuted the
It is an incredible injustice to acknowledge currently have thousands of people in Illinois have the IDOC recalculate all sentences at the LWOP sentence of Sherman Morissette to pa-
it was a mistake to abandon the goal of reha- prisons suffering from this injustice. 50 percent (day for day) rate. role eligibility in January of 2019. Morissette
bilitation, while simultaneously denying any The Sentencing Project notes, “the racial Such action would only be granting parole was subsequently granted parole by the Pris-
opportunity for early release for all those in and ethnic disparities plague the entire crim- eligibility after 15 to 20 years in prison. No one oner Review Board after 19 years in prison.
prison who rehabilitated themselves despite inal justice system from arrest to conviction, should have to wait longer than that to have Governor Pritzker has done the same nu-
all of the hindrances put in their way by prison and is even more profound among those serv- an initial hearing to determine if they can be merous times. It’s time the governor did it for
administration and IDOC at large. ing life sentences.” Illinois has been one of the safely returned to useful citizenship. all people sentenced to die in prison. v
Illinois has thus far failed to heed the true worst offenders in that regard. The Model Penal Code of the American
message of criminal justice reform. Even after While Black people make up less than 15 Legal Institute recommends a second look @Prisonjourn
DECEMBER 22, 2022 - CHICAGO READER 15You can also read
