While a federal judge still has to approve the deal, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago and Cook County officials have reached an agreement to overhaul conditions at Cook County Jail. Specifically, the sheriff’s office hire 600 additional jail guards by next year, establish a new jail monitor, and address a bevy of other medical and mental health issues. The reforms were prompted by a 17-month investigation by the Department of Justice completed in 2008 that found the jail "systematically violates inmates" federal constitutional rights.