Shannon Heffernan
Reporter, Criminal Justice
Her reporting has earned her a Third Coast International Audio Festival Award, a National Murrow Award for best writing and a PRINDI for best writing, as well as awards from the Illinois AP and Chicago Headline Club. She worked on the 16 Shots podcast, which was a Scripps Howard finalist. Her work has been heard on local and national programming, including This American Life.
Shannon also writes short fictional stories and has been published Hobart, The Indiana Review and The Columbia Review, where she won the 2016 prize for fiction.
Stories by Shannon Heffernan
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Mayor Lori Lightfoot pledges action following WBEZ’s investigation into criminal registries
Police have repeatedly turned away people trying to register as required by law. Lightfoot is promising a fix, but has offered few details.
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People with sex and gun convictions are required to register with police. CPD can’t keep up.
Police turn away people trying to register, leaving them at risk of arrest. Some crime victims say the system fails them too.
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The hiring process for people who investigate abuse in Illinois prisons is mismanaged, the state says
The finding raises questions about the qualifications of the investigators who are crucial in holding abusive guards accountable.
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Bonus Episode: Prisoncast
A chance to hear parts of a special broadcast we created for people in Illinois prisons and their families.
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Illinois prison guards abused a gay coworker, according to a state investigation
The investigation found high-ranking prison administrators not only failed to address the abuse, but perpetuated it.
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Illinois set to eliminate cash bail next year
We sat down with one researcher that has been trying to to cut through the heated rhetoric and misinformation around cash bail.
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Kwame Raoul declares victory in bid for second term as attorney general
A major criminal justice reform law, COVID-19 mandates and abortion were among the issues in the campaign.
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Sheriff Tom Dart wants more restrictions for people on electronic monitoring
The Cook County sheriff is pushing to repeal a law that allows people on EM freedom for essential activities like grocery shopping.
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Beyond the heated rhetoric about bail, what else is in the SAFE-T Act?
The massive criminal justice bill that ends cash bail in Illinois also supports crime victims and increases police oversight.
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The election for Illinois’ attorney general comes at a dramatic legal moment
The winner will have a lot of discretion responding to a legal landscape being dramatically changed by a conservative U.S. Supreme Court.
