GRETCHEN HAMMOND

Gretchen Hammond’s decades-long career as an investigative journalist and features writer has culminated in the publication of her groundbreaking expose, American Unpeople: The Lawful Kidnapping of America’s Disposable Class. Drawing on years of investigative reporting, the book explores the disturbing realities of guardianship abuse and the legal systems that allow vulnerable individuals to lose their rights, their independence, and their voices.

Gretchen began her media career at the age of 12, providing character voices for hit radio shows before moving into radio production. She later worked as a film critic for FOX 59 and WXNT Radio in Indianapolis and as a development officer for nonprofit theatre, educational, and social justice organizations.

As a senior reporter for Windy City Times in Chicago, Gretchen spent years uncovering human-interest stories at the intersection of injustice, resilience, and institutional failure. Her investigations examined issues including indefinite detention, conditions in Illinois detention facilities, parental rights, Alzheimer’s disease, historical injustice, and violence against marginalized individuals. Her work earned four consecutive Peter Lisagor Award nominations, a Lisagor Award in 2015, and national recognition for excellence in journalism.

In 2019, Gretchen independently published a five-part investigation into allegations of abuse by professional guardians operating through a Michigan probate court. The series became a Peter Lisagor Award finalist, led to her co-authoring a peer-reviewed study published in The Journal of Forensic Accounting, and ultimately became the foundation for American Unpeople.

Beyond journalism, Gretchen has served on nonprofit boards, organized community initiatives, and demonstrated her commitment to others through a lifelong dedication to advocacy, including donating a kidney to one of her readers in 2016.