Removing the use of ‘inmates’

Vaccine equity efforts

After most vaccines were snagged by suburban residents just hours after the federally run United Center appointments went live, elected officials decided to set aside blocks of appointments specifically for Chicagoans. Targeted Zip Codes include 60608, 60619, 60620, 60624, 60644, 60649, 60651, 60652, and 60653. Eligible people can sign up online at events.juvare.com/chicago/ucpod. They must show that they live within the designated boundaries or their appointment will get cancelled. Chicago seniors can continue to register at the United Center by calling a multilingual call center at (312) 746-4835 Monday-Saturday 8:00am-8:00pm and Sunday 8:00am-4:00pm. Additionally, the city’s equity campaign, Protect Chicago Plus, is gradually expanding coverage in predominantly Black and Latinx neighborhoods, including Englewood, Gage Park, La Villita, Austin, Chatham, Auburn Gresham, North Lawndale, Chicago Lawn, Ashburn, Pilsen, and South Shore.

Jail resumes visits and courts reopen

One year after Cook County Jail shut their doors to visitors in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the families and loved ones of incarcerated people who’ve received the vaccine were able to resume in-person visits on Sunday, March 14. Guests have to get their temperature checked and wear a face mask. The socially distanced visitations are taking place inside large tents outdoors, and video visitations will remain available for everyone. The Leighton Criminal Court Building on 26th and California is expected to reopen on March 22, according to Chief Judge Timothy Evans’ office.

Removing the use of “inmates”

The Weekly’s in-house style guide describes the language and grammar rules that guide our reporting. The guide is a living document that we periodically update because language evolves and because conventional descriptions of oppressed and marginalized people are often rooted in exploitative origins or carry stigma that obscure or deny their humanity. In response to criticism from the leadership of the Northwestern University Prison Education Project, the Weekly will no longer use the word “inmate” to describe incarcerated people. A previous version of a story in this issue that was initially published online has been updated to reflect this change, and we will apply it to our reporting going forward. We welcome feedback and suggestions from our readers at editor@southsideweekly.com.