In November, inmates reported to Dare to Struggle about a fire at Cook County Jail (CCJ) that led to the death of an inmate later identified as Martinez Duncan, 24, and the removal of 5 Correction Officers (COs) from the deck. Just last week, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office officially ruled Duncan’s death a homicide, citing cardiac arrest “during physical struggle with restraint” as the primary cause of death, with smoke inhalation as a contributing factor. This ruling has started to expose the truth: Duncan’s death was entirely the fault of the corrupt and brutal practices of COs and the perpetual disregard for human life in CCJ.
What Happened? (Source)
On November 20, 2025, Martinez Duncan was being held in segregation in Division 8’s Residential Treatment Unit. The single CO monitoring the tier left to complete another job, continuing the cross-watching policy at CCJ, a dangerous and prohibited practice implemented as a work around to short staffing at the jail. During the CO’s absence, it is alleged that Duncan’s cellmate ignited a makeshift wick, eventually causing a fire to envelop their cell. When the CO returned to billowing smoke, they received orders to “not open any doors.”
Incident reports claim inmates inside the cell were being combative and obstructive, and CCJ staff responded by deploying pepper spray into the already smoke-filled and burning cell. There were 10-15 minutes between the start of the fire and the decision to open the cell doors. Martinez Duncan was later transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Why is cross-watching still ongoing despite Tom Dart denying the use of this practice? Why didn’t any staff object to spraying inmates with chemical agents while their cell was actively on fire? Why is the CCJ Spokesperson acting as if the death was not preventable and merely the result of an accident? Why were inmates left to die trapped inside their cell and who gave the orders to keep them in?
Pattern of Neglect and Death
In 2025, CCJ recorded 9 official deaths. Most of these can be directly attributed to inadequate supervision, medical neglect, staff abuse and corruption, and the hellish conditions inside.
The Sheriff’s Office is conducting their own investigations into Martinez Duncan’s death and plans to pursue criminal charges against Duncan’s cellmate for starting the fire. There has been no mention of COs facing accountability for Duncan’s death, despite having the power to open the cell doors while it was on fire for 10 whole minutes. These investigations are not likely to deliver any real justice or solve the cause behind Duncan’s death, simply pushing the blame on an inmate for murderous decisions of CCJ staff.
Tom Dart has been hiding the truth about deaths in CCJ under his watch for over 20 years, failing to inform both state regulators and the deceased’s family members of important details, such as in cases like that of Shamire Jackson, who died of unknown causes on December 7 after only a week in CCJ custody. Dart champions himself as a progressive reformer, and with elections coming up, it pays to pretend. In reality, CCJ remains a hell on Earth, where brutality and death are concealed behind its walls, hidden from public view.
The only way we end this nightmare is through collective struggle, from inmates and their families, to expose the truth, demand justice for all stolen lives at CCJ, and put an end to oppressive conditions. We demand an immediate arrest and charging of all the COs involved in Duncan’s death, who trapped him inside a burning cell, killing him. If you have any information about Martinez Duncan and his death inside CCJ, email us at daretostrugglechicago@protonmail.com
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