Hot Celebrity Hollywood: State Torture Commission's Funding Slashed, Prompting Shutdown

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Now that former police Cmdr. Jon Burge is serving time for his involvement in coerced confessions, the state legislature has voted to slash funding to the torture commission formed to investigate the scandal, and related incidents of police brutality.

The Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission had anticipated receiving $235,000 in state funding to cover their expenses -- including a staff attorney -- a step up from last year's $150,000 budget, CBS Chicago reports. But with little explanation, both the Illinois House and Senate voted last week to cut the commission's entire budget, a decision that will force them to shut down June 30.

That $150,000 figure from last year's budget was already vastly stripped down from the $600,000 the commission expected, which members said in February bogged down their ability to process appeals and connect inmates with legal representation.

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