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In Chicago, thousands of drug possession arrests are tossed out every year because of an unwritten rule in the courts, a Better Government Association/Chicago Sun-Times investigation has found. The cost to taxpayers? Millions. To those arrested? Jobs, housing, freedom.

In Illinois, possession of even trace amounts of heroin residue is a felony. But in Oregon, it’s not a crime at all any more. Instead, people caught with drugs get a ticket. Oregon’s new drug reform is keeping users out of jail — but the goal of getting them help for their addictions has been elusive.

Drug issue hits every corner of Cook County. ‘It breaks my heart,’ the state’s attorney says.

The BGA and Chicago Sun-Times analyzed 280,000 total drug possession arrests made in Cook County over nearly two decades. The data used was provided by The Circuit, the collaborative journalistic enterprise led by the BGA and Injustice Watch.

The Circuit is an unparalleled collaborative journalism investigation that explores and exposes decades of overlooked data and their connecting patterns buried in the files of the Cook County Courts.

The Ricketts family is backing one opponent and supporting a dark-money group against four-term incumbent Ald. Tom Tunney in 44th Ward race.

Five residents taking on Ald. James Cappleman focus on affordable housing, high-rises, community engagement and education.

Double shooting, mob beatdown spurs closing of Will’s Sports Bar, which was previously identified in BGA report.

Narrow criteria required to terminate public pensions have led to just eight such forfeitures for corrupt former city workers since 2006 at the city’s largest pension fund for municipal workers.