Chicago Torture Justice Center (CTJC)

The Chicago Torture Justice Center (CTJC) is a left-of-center organization that advocates for reparations for victims of police torture, including individuals as well as their families. The organization was originally founded to seek compensation for victims of Jon Burge, a former commander in the Chicago Police Department who is believed to have obtained 118 forced confessions between 1972 and 1991 by employing physical and psychological torture tactics. 1

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Criminal Justice Policy
Website: www.chicagotorturejustice.org
Location: Chicago, IL View on map
Tax ID: 81-0928028
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $675,107 Revenue: $675,112 Expenses: $5

Contents

    Financials

    From 2020 through 2022, CTJC reported that it received under $50,000 in contributions annually. 2 In 2018, CTJC reported that it received $187,943 in contributions, 3 incurred $199,506 in expenses, 4 held no assets, and owed $17,165 in liabilities. 5

    Background

    Chicago Torture Justice Center was launched in 2017, 1 though the organization had operated under the name “Community Center for Survivors” since 2015. 6 The organization was originally founded to seek reparations for victims of Jon Burge, a former commander in the Chicago Police Department who is believed to have obtained 118 forced confessions between 1972 and 1991 by employing physical and psychological torture tactics. 1

    Today, the organization has shifted its focus to include general reparations for African American communities in Chicago, 7 support for the Black Lives Matter movement, 8 9 and policies that seek to defund police departments. 10

    In 2025 CTJC was listed as both an endorser and “Steering committee organization” for the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA), a coalition that seeks to push back against the “racist and reactionary” policies enacted by the second Trump Administration. 11 12

    Reparations Policy

    In 2015, Chicago Torture Justice Center’s predecessor organization lobbied the City Council of Chicago to pass an ordinance providing reparations for the victims of police torture like that which was exposed as occurring under police commander Jon Burge. 13

    The reparations package included the construction of a memorial for victims of police torture to be constructed on the grounds of a removed Christopher Columbus statue located in Chicago’s Grant Park, 14 free higher education for all victims of torture(including their immediate families and grandchildren in the City College community college system of Chicago, $5 million in fiscal reparations divided among 57 identified survivors, and mandatory education in the Chicago public school system about the history of torture within the Chicago Police Department. 13

    Justice for Families

    Justice for Families is a Chicago Torture Justice Center program, and prior to 2019 a working group of Black Lives Matter Chicago that seeks to lobby for general reparations, including reparations for individuals and families that are alleged victims of police violence. 9

    Leadership

    Aislinn Pulley is the executive director of CTJC. In addition to leading the organization, she is a founding member of the Chicago chapter of the Black Lives Matter movement. 15

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $675,107 $675,112 $5 View
    2018 $187,943 $199,506 View
    2017 $104,454 $41,364 $40,516 View

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $2,579,459
    • Number of Grants: 60
    • Number of Funders: 25

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $270,0002024 John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur FoundationIn support of general operations.
    $235,0002023 John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundationin support of general operations.
    $217,5002022 The Chicago Community TrustGeneral operating support. In support of Chicago torture Justice Center's organizing team and strategy development, from the Searle Funds at the Chicago Community Trust.
    $214,5002021 The Chicago Community TrustTO SUPPORT POLITICIZED HEALING COLLECTIVE (PHC), MENTAL HEALTH 101 TRAININGS, FRONTLINE ORGANIZERS, AND GENERAL OPERATIONS TO ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING SERVICES THAT PROMOTE WELLBEING FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OR AGING ADULTS
    $165,0002023 Amalgamated Charitable Foundation IncProject support
    $160,0002024 Wellspring Philanthropic FundGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
    $90,0002024 Amalgamated Charitable Foundation IncGeneral operating support
    $75,0002023 Hidden Leaf FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT GRANT
    $75,0002022 Hidden Leaf FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT GRANT
    $70,0002021 Crossroads FundGeneral operations
    $66,0002024 Crossroads FundGeneral Operations
    $60,0002024 Woods Fund of ChicagoGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
    $50,0002023 Focus for Health IncCHARITABLE PURPOSE
    $50,0002022 North Star Fundgeneral operating support
    $50,0002022 Field Foundation of IllinoisEXPANDING ORGANIZING WORK, ACCESSING A NEW PHYSICAL SPACE
    $50,0002021 Hidden Leaf FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT GRANT
    $40,0002020 Hidden Leaf FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT GRANT
    $35,0002024 Field Foundation of IllinoisOPERATING – FUNDING FOR ONGOING OPERATIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION
    $35,0002023 Woods Fund of ChicagoGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
    $35,0002020 Field Foundation of IllinoisCreating the chicago police torture justice memorial
    $25,0002024 Field Foundation of IllinoisOPERATING – FUNDING FOR ONGOING OPERATIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION
    $25,0002024 Field Foundation of IllinoisLEADERS FOR NEW CHICAGO
    $25,0002022 Focus for Health IncCHARITABLE PURPOSE
    $25,0002022 Focus for Health IncCHARITABLE PURPOSE
    $25,0002022 Field Foundation of IllinoisLEADERS FOR A NEW CHICAGO

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    References

    1. Baker, Peter C. “In Chicago, reparations aren’t just an idea. They’re the law.” The Guardian. March 8, 2019. Accessed January 20, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/mar/08/chicago-reparations-won-police-torture-school-curriculum
    2. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-N(e-Postcard)). Chicago Torture Justice Center 2020—2022.
    3. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-EZ). Chicago Torture Justice Center. Part I, Line 1. 2018.
    4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-EZ). Chicago Torture Justice Center. Part I, Line 17. 2018.
    5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-EZ). Chicago Torture Justice Center. Part I, Line 21. 2018.
    6. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-EZ-Schedule O). Chicago Torture Justice Center. Supplement Information to form 990 or 990-EZ. 2016.
    7. “Mission & Values.” Chicago Torture Justice Center. https://www.chicagotorturejustice.org/mission-values
    8. “Aislinn Pulley.” Chicago Magazine. Chicago Magazine. November 17, 2020. Accessed December 20, 2024 https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/december-2020/chicagoans-of-the-year-2020/aislinn-pulley/
    9. “Organizing.” Chicago Torture Justice Center. https://www.chicagotorturejustice.org/organizing
    10. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Community Center for Survivors. 2015.
    11. “Coalition against the Trump Agenda.” Coalition Against the Trump Agenda. Accessed October 15, 2025. https://www.coalitionagainsttrumpagenda.org/.
    12. “Endorsers.” Coalition Against the Trump Agenda. Accessed October 15, 2025. https://www.coalitionagainsttrumpagenda.org/endorsers.
    13. Dianne Feeley and Linda Loew. “Reparations for Police Torture.” Against the Current. July-August 2021, Volume 213. https://againstthecurrent.org/atc213/reparations-for-police-torture/ Accessed January 20, 2024.
    14. Liederman, Mack. “City Promises To Finally Build Chicago Torture Justice Memorial, With Help From Private Donors.” Block Club Chicago. January 20, 2023. Accessed January 20, 2024. https://blockclubchicago.org/2023/06/20/city-promises-to-finally-build-chicago-torture-justice-memorial-with-help-from-private-donors/
    15. “Our-Team” Chicago Torture Justice Center. https://www.chicagotorturejustice.org/our-team