Systemic failures of government are never acceptable. When they affect people being held in custody while awaiting trial, the stakes are particularly high.

People held in Illinois’ 90 county jails are virtually all presumed innocent. A few are held after conviction on minor offenses, too. Some have violated parole; others are accused of violent crimes. Many have mental health issues or drug addiction.

As a society, we are obligated to keep them safe and healthy. They are entitled to humane treatment and protective observation.

With that in mind, consider these troubling revelations from a multipart series published last week by the Better Government Association’s Illinois Answers Project. It details a record of epic mismanagement that ranges from shoddy recordkeeping to inhumane treatment of people behind bars. Some are matters of life and death.

The reporting, built on a deep dive into volumes of jail data from 2019 through 2025, found:

• Sixty-three deaths in Illinois jails over the six years went unreported, though state law requires reporting. That makes the 230 deaths that were reported a significant undercount. Altogether, jails statewide paid $50 million in wrongful death settlements and court fees in that time.

• Pepperball launchers were used in 11 jails, sometimes shot into cells directly at an incarcerated person. Winnebago County Jail guards used pepperball launchers dozens of times, including 24 instances when they aimed directly at someone inside a cell.

• Forced medication and use of restraint chairs are common, often without proper........

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