It was half past midnight and eight women had just left the Cook County jail. They hadn’t eaten in hours. They didn’t have their phones, keys, or anything else they had on them when they were arrested; a few didn’t even have sure ways to get home. One, a recent transplant to the city with no close contacts, broke down in tears at the prospect of a night on the streets.

That was a Thursday in May, and those women were only a few of the people released from the jail long after the sun went down that night. Their situation is far from rare. According to discharge data from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, late-night jail releases have only become more common over the last five years.

Data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act shows that, between May 29, 2020, and July 30, 2025, m

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