Jessica Reichert

Police deflection programs offer an alternative to arrest by connecting youth to community-based services during police encounters. The Chicagoland Youth Deflection Initiative (CYDI), which allows officers to refer youth encountered during motor vehicle stops to community-based supports, established a Youth Advisory Board (YAB) to incorporate youth perspectives into the planning process for development of the program. This evaluation documents youth participation in the planning process using survey responses and observations of YAB meetings. Youth reported feeling comfortable participating and identified key considerations for the program’s design, including trust, equitable implementation, and the role of law enforcement. Perceptions of the program’s potential benefits varied across meetings, and youth expressed interest in continued involvement. Findings describe how youth engaged in the planning process for the program and highlight considerations for structuring youth advisory boards, including facilitation, sustained engagement, and compensation or professional development opportunities.

Rural, multi-jurisdictional communities face challenges developing coordinated responses that connect people with substance use and mental health needs to services instead of the justice system. We evaluated the action planning (AP) process for Empower, a multi-jurisdictional, police-led deflection program serving six counties in West Central Illinois, developed as part of a statewide Illinois deflection initiative. Deflection initiatives create formal pathways linking people with substance use and mental health needs to treatment and supportive services. The Empower program was developed through six days of guided action planning involving local law enforcement, service providers, and community stakeholders. This process culminated in a written action plan outlining program goals, strategies, and implementation steps. To evaluate the AP process, we conducted structured field observations across all AP sessions and administered daily surveys to participants assessing collaboration, engagement, and perceptions of program feasibility and sustainability. Findings indicate that participants were highly engaged and reported strong collaboration during AP, while also identifying challenges related to uneven participation across counties and sectors, limited service availability, and resource constraints characteristic of predominantly rural regions. The findings reflect participants’ perceptions during the action-planning process and do not assess program outcomes. Based on the findings, we offer three recommendations to support implementation: strengthen participation and representation during planning and early implementation, identify strategies to mitigate service gaps in rural communities, and clarify structures for collaboration and accountability across jurisdictions.

The large number of Americans with substance use disorders and the rising number of drug overdose deaths have resulted in a need for innovative prevention and intervention strategies. The Deflection Avenues Reconnection Team (DART) program, operating in six counties in central Illinois, was developed to address these challenges. This deflection program allows law enforcement to refer individuals to community deflection specialists for behavioral health services in lieu of arrest. This report presents an implementation evaluation of the action-planning process used to design the DART program. We conducted field observations during action-planning sessions, administered surveys following each session, and distributed a collaboration survey at the end of the process. The DART action-planning process involved 34 law enforcement representatives and service providers who met over 5 days to plan the program. We examined facilitation, participant engagement, and perceptions of collaboration. Observations from the DART planning process suggest that facilitation style and community member engagement may influence stakeholder participation during action planning. In addition, participants described facilitators and subject matter experts who reflect the local community’s demographics as well-positioned to build rapport with local law enforcement partners and service providers. Respondents also identified funding for recovery services and other resources as important to program and service provider buy-in.

Rural areas often face gaps in behavioral health resources, with limited availability and the need to travel long distances to access services. To address such challenges, innovative strategies, such as police deflection programs, help connect people in rural areas to treatment without an arrest. In order to advance understanding of rural deflection programs, we conducted a mixed-methods process evaluation of a rural state police-led deflection program, the Southern Illinois Community Engagement Response Team (SI CERT), serving seven counties. We examined who the program reached, how it was implemented in practice, and how collaboration among partners supported or constrained its goals. As part of the evaluation, we explored feedback from the program leadership team, which included deflection staff, law enforcement, and social service providers. We interviewed all 11 team members, and seven completed a collaboration survey. We found leadership team members supported the program and agreed that it was helping the community by referring individuals to supportive services. Program data showed that 223 participants were referred to the program; 66% voluntarily agreed to participate, and of those, 59% were referred to services. However, team members cited notable challenges, including limited resources, the composition of the leadership team, law enforcement engagement, and community visibility. Nonetheless, in its three years of development, the SI CERT program appears to hold promise in helping rural community members with substance use disorders. Future research can extend the scope of evaluation by incorporating participant perspectives and measuring program outcomes.

Police are called to the scene of violent crimes that involve victims who may need, but may not be offered, supportive services. To address this, a police-led deflection program, the East St. Louis Community Engagement Team (CERT), was established in Illinois. While police deflection programs have traditionally helped individuals with substance use challenges, this program sought to assist victims of violent crime. Since little is known about the application of deflection to this population, we conducted a process evaluation of ESL CERT. We sought feedback from program staff and stakeholders, including law enforcement and social service providers. We conducted interviews and administered surveys measuring collaboration with its leadership team made of 11 members, as well as conducted two field visits. Members noted that a strength of the program was that its staff successfully engaged with participants, which led to successful connections to services. However, noted weaknesses included limited support for the program from local service providers and a lack of agreement on whether the program was the most effective way to help individuals who were victims of crime. Our recommendations included improving program development, building trust among program stakeholders, addressing barriers to program engagement, increasing the program’s impact, and addressing program sustainability concerns.

With rising rates of mental health disorders among youth, schools have become essential settings for early identification and intervention, despite often facing resource limitations. This study surveyed 160 Illinois K-12 public school personnel to assess their knowledge of mental health, preparedness, and use of mental health skills. Regression analyses examined how individual-level demographic and professional characteristics influenced these outcomes. University-level training, prior completion of professional workshops, and roles in administration or healthcare were positively associated with higher pre-training mental health knowledge. These factors, along with roles in physical or mental/behavioral health, were also linked to greater self-reported preparedness and responsiveness. However, no significant associations were found between personnel characteristics and their reported use or application of mental health skills. These findings underscore the importance of targeted, role-specific training to strengthen school personnel’s capacity to support student mental health and promote more inclusive and responsive school environments.

Deflection programs are an emerging approach to redirect people who have experienced police contact away from the criminal legal system and toward supportive services, with the goal of improving outcomes for individuals, communities, the justice system, and public health. The Illinois Multi-Site Deflection Initiative is a groundbreaking project aimed at increasing the number of deflection programs in the state to help individuals who come into contact with police. Since 2021, the initiative has been spearheaded by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) in partnership with the Illinois State Police and Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC). As of July 2024, the initiative has 11 programs operating or in the planning stage across 45 counties. IDHS funded the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) to conduct an independent evaluation to study the programs’ planning, development, and operations, as well as assess and measure outcomes. We share the evaluation design, data, and challenges faced during this multi-year evaluation. The evaluation team’s process evaluation assesses program activities and offers recommendations for programmatic enhancement. We offer a point-in-time description of current evaluation activities and future plans.

Reentry into the workforce for formerly incarcerated individuals is fraught with challenges, including limited education and employer stigma. However, employment post-release has been found to reduce recidivism. Prison work release programs, such as Illinois’ Adult Transition Centers (ATCs), may effectively facilitate employment and reduce recidivism for reentering individuals. This study evaluated the impact of ATC participation on recidivism outcomes. We used propensity score matching to create a comparison group of non-ATC participants with characteristics similar to the participants. The sample consisted of individuals released in 2016 or 2017, with rearrest and reincarceration tracked through 2021. Survival analysis revealed that ATC participation was associated with a 15.5% lower probability of rearrest and a 36.9% lower probability of reincarceration; the ATC participants experienced significantly more extended periods until their first post-release rearrest and reincarceration compared to non-participants. The findings suggest that work release programs can play a crucial role in reducing recidivism and promoting successful reentry for formerly incarcerated individuals.

Section 8.10a of the Housing Authorities Act requires all Illinois public housing programs to collect and report to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) data on an annual basis (310 ILCS 10/8.10a). This report covers the 2024 calendar year and presents information provided to ICJIA by public housing authorities.

This research brief examines racial and ethnic disparities in the Illinois juvenile justice system across five critical decision points: arrest, diversion, detention, secure confinement, and transfer to adult court. Using 2022 data from various state agencies to create a disproportionality index, we found overrepresentation of Black youth at all decision points and Latinx youth at three points. We used disparity ratios to compare the involvement rates of different racial and ethnic groups relative to those of White youth. These findings highlight the need for further research and interventions to address systemic factors, including discretionary decision-making and broader societal inequities.

Illinois’ prison work release centers, called Adult Transition Centers (ATCs), connect incarcerated people to vocational opportunities to support successful community reentry. As part of a larger process and outcome evaluation of Illinois ATCs, we conducted 16 interviews with Illinois Department of Corrections administrators and ATC program staff to understand their perceptions about ATC operations and purpose as well as their perspectives on ATC effectiveness, strengths, and weaknesses. Participants noted that ATCs offer individualized behavioral health treatment, build educational and vocational skills, and provide promising employment prospects upon release. Interviewees believed they fostered positive relationships with work release participants, contributing to their success. However, interviewees believed the effectiveness of work release programs may be reduced when participation is relatively short and community-based social support services are insufficient. Relevant research and some considerations of our findings are discussed.

This article provides a snapshot of juvenile trends from 2018 to 2022. It is meant to be a brief overview of youth statistics in the juvenile justice system. In the United States, in the past decade, the number of youths in the juvenile justice system has been declining. COVID-19 precautions have also contributed to the decline. They kept fewer youths from entering the system and allowed more to be released from juvenile justice supervision. We examined juvenile justice trends over the five years between 2018 and 2022. We analyzed arrest, detention, youths continued under supervision, informal probation, and corrections in Illinois. We found that the number of youths in the Illinois juvenile justice system decreased from 2018 to 2022, even though more youths were arrested in 2022 than in 2018. Illinois juvenile arrests in 2022 were higher than pre-pandemic levels, with more significant increases in Cook County and for Black youths. Another notable increase from 2018 to 2022 was the number of youths transferred to adult court.

Many students struggle with mental health issues. Training on mental health is one way for schools to equip personnel with the tools needed to help and support students. We evaluated Youth Mental Health First Aid training offered to Illinois K-12 public school personnel, including school administrators, teachers, nurses, and other support staff. The training taught participants about mental health and ways to support students. We conducted field observations of two trainings and administered pre- and post-tests to evaluate the program. Ninety-one training participants responded to a pre-test before the training, and 48 completed both a pre- and post-test. Our evaluation found that participants gained mental health knowledge from training and reported increases in responsiveness and preparedness to help youth with mental health concerns.

The Illinois Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Strategic Plan for 2024-2029 outlines a comprehensive framework to enhance criminal justice practices in Illinois. The plan emphasizes evidence-based strategies to address key issues within the justice system. The strategic plan was developed with input from a diverse group of stakeholders, including law enforcement, judiciary, public health, and community organizations. Key priorities in the plan include addressing mental health and substance use disorders among justice-involved individuals; reducing violent and firearm-related crimes; and supporting victims and witnesses of crime. Additionally, the plan aims to improve criminal justice planning, data analysis, and the integration of technology to enhance data capture and sharing. The plan also emphasizes the importance of supporting public defense services and addressing housing needs for those involved with the justice system. The strategic planning process involved analyzing crime data, reviewing past funding allocations, and incorporating stakeholder feedback through surveys and listening sessions. The plan will guide the allocation of JAG funds to effectively support state and local initiatives to improve justice outcomes, advance system reforms, promote racial equity, and support underserved communities in Illinois.

A significant amount of police engagement involves persons with multiple service needs, such as substance use treatment or mental health services. Deflection allows officers and first responders the discretion to refer individuals to service providers without making an arrest. This evaluation examined the action planning process for a multijurisdictional police-led deflection program called Choices in rural Southwestern Illinois. Using field observations, document analysis, and participant surveys, researchers examined the collaborative process of developing an action plan for program implementation. We focused on participant engagement, the content of the action plan, the extent of collaboration, and areas for improvement. Key findings highlight the challenges of implementing deflection programs in rural areas, including limited treatment resources and transportation barriers. The action planning process successfully engaged diverse stakeholders and produced a comprehensive plan addressing program goals, tasks, responsibilities, and performance measures. Participant feedback indicated high levels of collaboration, though some areas for enhancement were identified. This evaluation contributes to the limited empirical research on police-led deflection programs and provides insights to guide future implementation efforts in rural communities.

The Housing Authorities Act (310 ILCS 10/8.10a) requires all Illinois public housing authorities to collect and report annually to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA). Housing authorities are to report on applications for federally assisted housing, applicants with criminal records, denials based on criminal records, and hearings requested by those denied housing based on criminal records. This 2023 report for provides information shared by the housing authorities to ICJIA in fulfillment of the Act.

Millions of individuals and families are affected by substance use disorders and overdose in the United States. Deflection programs provide an opportunity for law enforcement to connect individuals with substance use challenges to appropriate treatment and services to improve health and public safety outcomes. We evaluated the efforts of community agencies and law enforcement in Jackson, Johnson, and Williamson counties to develop the Little Egypt Alternative Pathways (LEAP) deflection program. We conducted an evaluation using field observations and surveys. Based on our findings, we recommended addressing participant attendance and engagement; clarifying stakeholder roles and responsibilities; and ensuring program outcomes are measurable and achievable.

Police frequently encounter people with opioid use disorder (OUD), having a profound effect on their risk environment and health outcomes. Officers retain significant discretionary authority in their response to these encounters. To explore the factors that underlie these decisions, we surveyed a sample of Illinois police officers. We administered an online survey to Illinois police departments using a random sampling strategy, stratified by agency size and the rurality of their service areas. Our final sample was 248 police officers from 27 departments. We surveyed officers’ beliefs about 1) influences and control over their decision making; 2) the approval of other actors in making referrals to treatment for addiction, and 3) the potential impacts of medication-assisted treatment (MAT). We analyzed the survey data using descriptive statistics and regression analyses. Most officers were highly influenced by the expectations of their supervisors when responding to subjects who appeared to have an OUD, and about half would take direction from addiction treatment providers. Police in urban departments perceived greater support for MAT and were more likely to believe MAT could reduce the need for future arrests. Our findings suggest ways police officers can be influenced to make discretionary decisions that improve the health outcomes of their encounters with people with OUD: 1) Supervisors should serve as champions to promote referrals to treatment for substance use disorders; 2) Collaboration between law enforcement and community addiction treatment providers should be strengthened, and 3) MAT should be supported and expanded in rural areas.

There are over 3 million persons on probation in this country and many struggle with both maintaining recovery from substance use disorders and obtaining secure housing. However, stable housing for those on probation in recovery can potentially reduce relapse and recidivism. We examined recovery housing needs from the perspectives of probation supervisors and clients of Cook County Adult Probation. We administered surveys to probation supervisors and interviewed three clients in recovery as case studies. We learned probation supervisors are in need of further housing training and resources to aid clients in recovery. Clients reported unemployment and a lack of assistance in obtaining affordable housing. We recommend probation departments improve collaboration with housing service providers; obtain training on housing; and utilize recovery housing resources to better serve their clients.

Diversion programs have emerged as an alternative to the traditional criminal justice system, particularly for non-violent offenses. The Supporting Education and Employment Development (SEED) program is a 13-month pre-plea deferred-prosecution program, which aims to serve emerging adults, aged 18-26, charged with Delivery or Intent to Deliver in Cook County, Illinois. Heartland Alliance’s Social IMPACT Research Center worked with the SEED team to evaluate the implementation of the SEED program between May 2021 and June 2023. Overall, results of this evaluation show that despite some operational challenges, SEED was implemented smoothly. However, interviewees did indicate there were opportunities for program refinement and additional evaluation. Longer term evaluation of SEED and its effects on both participants and the criminal justice system will take time and requires tracking participants beyond the immediate end of the program.

Police encounter individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) during their routine work and are often called to the scene of overdoses. Despite this frequency, officer knowledge and attitudes about addiction, treatment, and harm reduction vary. Views held by officers, and the extent of their knowledge, can impact the decisions they make regarding people with OUD, yet our understanding of these factors is limited. Using stratified random sampling, we surveyed 248 officers from 27 Illinois police departments on their knowledge of addiction and the means to address it. We performed descriptive and regression analyses to examine differences based on officer characteristics. We found a high proportion of officers lacked knowledge of addiction, treatment, and harm reduction. Our findings suggest the need for police training to improve understanding of addiction. Community collaboration and coordination of resources may give officers the tools to better address OUD, reduce harm, and decrease overdose.

Employment is an important factor in successful community reintegration after prison release and is associated with lower rates of recidivism. To examine employment following release from Illinois prisons, we matched state prison records to state employment data. Our sample was made up of 4,430 persons who exited prison in 2018 and we tracked their employment through 2021. We found after release from prison, those in our sample had an unemployment rate of 46%. The average income was lower than the federal poverty level and hourly wages were lower than the state minimum wage. We found a higher proportion of Black persons than persons of other races were unemployed and had lower wages after release. Women in our sample were slightly more likely to be employed, but earned less, than men. We found participants in IDOC Kewanee Life Skills Re-Entry Center and Illinois work release centers were more likely to have longer employment and higher wages post-release. Therefore, the state, as well as local communities, should invest in vocational and educational programming, as well as reentry support, for those leaving prison to improve employment outcomes.

Persons reentering the community after prison face many obstacles that have been shown to reduce recidivism, such as securing employment. Like many states, Illinois operates work release centers allowing prisoners nearing the end of their sentence to work in the community and stay in the correctional facility when not working. Although the research is limited, these programs have been shown to be successful at increasing post-release employment, increasing hours worked, and reducing recidivism. We described characteristics of 1,580 participants in Illinois’ four Adult Transition Centers (ATCs) and examined differences in characteristics associated with rearrest and reincarceration. We found age, gender, and ATC facility were associated with rearrest and reincarceration. We found, as well, that recidivism risk, offense type, prior arrests, prior incarcerations, and length of stay were associated with rearrest. We recommend consistently measuring risk and tailoring services to the needs of the participant population.

The Housing Authorities Act (310 ILCS 10/8.10a) requires all Illinois public housing authorities to collect and report annually to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA). Housing authorities are to report on applications for federally assisted housing, applicants with criminal records, denials based on criminal records, and hearings requested by those denied housing based on criminal records. This supplemental report for State Fiscal Year 2023 provides information shared by the housing authorities to ICJIA in fulfillment of the Act.

Due to the high number of Americans with substance use disorders and the opioid crisis, many law enforcement departments are rethinking how they address the needs of people with substance use issues. With police-based deflection programs, police officers make referrals to substance use disorder treatment and other services. The research team evaluated A Way Out, a Lake County Illinois deflection program, in which citizens can enter a police station and ask for help obtaining substance use disorder treatment without fear of arrest. Using a synthetic control method, we found Lake County had reduced fatal and non-fatal overdoses, including fatal opioid overdoses, and reduced property crime arrests compared to a control group of other Illinois counties. Study results showed support for police deflection and can contribute knowledge to the growing field of deflection.

Fatal opioid overdoses continue to break historical records. Stigma toward people with opioid use disorder (OUD) can negatively impact treatment access, retention, and recovery. Attitudes and beliefs of police officers can profoundly shape key discretionary decisions. Therefore, we examined police officer views indicating stigma toward those with OUD. We administered an online survey to select Illinois police departments using a stratified random sampling strategy with a final sample of 248 officers from 27 police departments. We asked officers questions measuring stigmatizing attitudes toward people with OUD including distrust, blame, shame, and fear. We found officers held somewhat stigmatizing views with a mean score of 4.0 on a scale of 1 (least stigmatic) to 6 (most stigmatic). Regression results showed certain officer characteristics were associated with more stigmatizing attitudes of blaming and distrust of those with OUD, including gender, education, race, years in policing, and department size. Since most officers in the sample held at least some stigmatizing views toward people with OUD, this may impede the feasibility and acceptability of criminal justice interventions meant to improve behavioral health, such as police deflection programs that link people who use drugs to treatment in lieu of arrest. Departments should offer officer training and education on substance use disorders, treatment for addiction, and the potential for a person’s recovery. Training should allow officers to hear directly from, or learn about, personal experiences of people who use drugs and have been in recovery, as this type of interaction has been shown to reduce stigma.

In the United States, firearm homicide is a major public health concern. Certain populations are at greater risk for being a victim of firearm homicide, such as those with prior criminal justice involvement. The overlap between violent victimization and offense history, referred to as the victim-offender overlap, is empirically supported, but research is limited on the overlap of firearm homicide victimization and justice involvement. Therefore, we examined the extent of victim-offender overlap of firearm homicide decedents by matching Illinois public health data with state arrest data. A total of 1,331 firearm homicide decedents were examined, including 20.4% (n = 271) with no arrest records and 79.7% (n = 1,060) with an arrest record, as well as 55.6% (n = 740) with a prior conviction and 31.8% (n = 423) with a prior incarceration. A higher proportion of firearm homicide victims with an arrest record were male, another race than White, non-Latinx, and single or never married than those without an arrest record. This study further supports the existence of the victim-offender overlap and highlights demographic disparities in criminal justice involvement among victims of fatal firearm violence.

This article addresses data privacy issues as they relate to multi-system collaborations for pre-arrest deflection into treatment and services for those suffering from a substance use disorder. The authors explore how the United States’ data privacy regulations pose barriers to collaboration and care coordination, as well as how data privacy regulations affect researchers’ ability to evaluate the impact of interventions intentioned to facilitate access to care. Fortunately, this regulatory landscape is evolving to strike a balance between protecting health information and sharing it for research, evaluation, and operations, including comments on the newly proposed federal administrative rule that will shape the future of deflection and health access in the United States.

Nearly one in six U.S. children have been diagnosed with a mental disorder. Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, youth mental health has been declared a national emergency. Schools are at the forefront of youth interventions to promote positive mental health and address mental health concerns. One intervention model includes training school personnel on to identify and help students with mental health issues. ICJIA researchers evaluated Youth Mental Health First Aid training offered to school personnel across Illinois (n = 81) with observations and surveys, including pre- and post-tests. The evaluation revealed participants gained mental health knowledge and were satisfied with the training format and content. The training program appeared to meet its goal of teaching school personnel about mental health issues in young people and interventions to address them.

Section 8.10a of the Housing Authorities Act requires all Illinois public housing programs to collect and report data to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) on an annual basis. Data include applications for federally assisted housing, criminal history records checks of applicants, criminal records assessment hearings, and denials for federally assisted housing overturned after a criminal records assessment hearing (310 ILCS 10/8.10a). This is the annual report to the Illinois General Assembly.

This report describes findings from a multi-site evaluation of law enforcement deflection. The authors describe how six programs were implemented and identify key program facilitators and barriers. The authors conducted outcome analyses of two programs which included the A Way Out Program in Lake County, Illinois.

The U.S. overdose crisis has motivated police departments to enact policies allowing officers to directly deflect individuals to substance use disorder treatment and other services shown to reduce recidivism and subsequent overdose risk, as well as refer people who voluntarily present at police facilities with a desire for treatment. As a new way of operating, and one that relies on an officer’s use of discretion for successful implementation, the practice benefits from guidance through written directives, training, and supervisory support. However, there is little information on the establishment, content, and execution of police department deflection policies, which hampers the implementation and dissemination of this promising practice. We analyzed 16 policies of Illinois police department deflection programs. Using content analysis methodology, we coded the policies for language and terminology, as well as program components and procedures. We aimed to examine how the policies were written, as well as the content intending to guide officers in their work. We found the policies and programs had notable differences in length, detail, terminology, and reading level. Only one policy mentioned the use of any type of addiction treatment medication, many used stigmatizing language (e.g., “abuse” and “addict”), and few mentioned “harm reduction” or training in the practice of deflection. Many policies restricted participation in deflection (i.e., no minors, outstanding warrants, current withdrawal symptoms), and critically, a majority of policies allowed police officers to exclude people from participation based on their own judgment. We recommend police departments consider the readability of their policies and reduce barriers to deflection program participation to engage a larger pool of citizens in need of substance use disorder treatment. Since there is limited research on police policies generally, and the field of deflection is relatively new, this study offers insight into the content of different department policies and more specifically, how officers are directed to operate deflection programs.

Over 20 million Americans have substance use disorders and many are in need of treatment and other social services. Police often encounter persons with behavioral health needs and can deflect, or refer, individuals to service providers without making an arrest. This evaluation examined the action planning process of a police-based deflection program in seven counties located in southern Illinois. Action planning is a guided process to engage community stakeholders in the development of a program and establish goals and objectives. Overall, based on surveys, participants agreed the group succeeded in defining their local problems, collaborating as a group, but noted low community participation. We offered suggestions for future action planning and program development including increasing participation and engagement, as well as enhancing how goals are established.

Section 8.10a of the Housing Authorities Act requires all Illinois public housing programs to collect and report to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) data on an annual basis. Data include applications for federally assisted housing, criminal history records checks of applicants, criminal records assessment hearings, and denials for federally assisted housing overturned after a criminal records assessment hearing (310 ILCS 10/8.10a). This is a progress report to the Illinois General Assembly.

Over 1 million Americans are victims of violent crime each year and many need assistance. Police often encounter victims and can deflect, or refer, individuals to treatment and services and away from emergency department care, crisis services, and potential justice system involvement. This evaluation examined the virtual action planning process of a police-led deflection program in East St. Louis, Illinois. Action planning is a way to increase community engagement, as well as develop and plan ways to achieve program goals and objectives. We sought to examine the action planning process and document participation of law enforcement and community stakeholders. Participants discussed community issues, needs, collaboration, and resources, as well as program structure, design, and implementation which culminated in an action plan document. Overall, based on surveys, participants were pleased with, and supportive of, the action planning process and the program. We offered recommendations to increase engagement and understanding, expand participation, and create measurable objectives.

Law enforcement-led deflection programs redirect individuals with behavioral health or other needs to treatment and services. The field of deflection is still relatively new and practitioners are still developing best practices to train program staff and stakeholders. We evaluated the Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC) Deflection Academy, a five-day training program on effective ways to offer deflection services in the community. The evaluation was designed to gather information on training activities and participants, measure knowledge gains, and solicit participant feedback. We conducted field observations and administered surveys, including a pre- and post-training test. The findings suggested participants found role-play activities to be helpful and that participants increased their deflection-related knowledge. We recommended partnering with local subject matter experts, providing additional training on domestic violence and client data privacy, and covering topics most germane to the programs and its clients.

Repeated and deadly encounters between law enforcement officers and Black Americans have given way to mounting calls for police reform. Reformers have proposed reallocating funds from policing to communities and social services, rethinking police use of force policies, and improving measures for officer accountability. This literature review briefly describes the impetus for police reform, reviews proposed police reforms, and examines available research on the effectiveness of police reforms. Overall, research indicates police agencies should not only focus on reducing crime, but also protecting and fostering the relationship between the public and police.

Firearms prohibitors are factors which prohibit a person from transferring or possessing a firearm or firearm ammunition as outlined in the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. The Firearm Prohibitors and Records Improvement Task Force is responsible for researching available funding opportunities for entities required to report firearms prohibitors. This includes, but is not limited to, hospitals, courts, law enforcement, and corrections. The Task Force is also to identify gaps in firearms prohibitors reporting and assess all forms of mandated firearm and gun violence data collection. This is the first of annual reports to the Illinois General Assembly.

Gun violence is a persistent and concerning issue across the country and the state of Illinois. In communities with high levels of gun violence, individuals may carry guns for protection. These individuals may never intend to, or actually, fire them; however, if arrested for possession, they may face a felony conviction. We summarized literature on why individuals illegally carry guns, how they obtain them, and the criminal legal ramifications they may face. In addition, we examined Illinois gun-related arrest data collected between 2012 and 2021. The findings revealed firearm possession arrests more than doubled during that period. In 2021, Black men in their 20s and arrested in Chicago with previous arrests on their records comprised the majority of the nearly 16,000 individuals arrested for a firearm-related offense. Community investment, diversionary criminal justice programming, and evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment may reduce crimes related to illegal gun carrying.

Court diversion programs for individuals convicted for drug crimes have been found to reduce recidivism and be cost effective. Some courts have established programs offering alternative sentencing and specialized programming for persons convicted of felony drug offenses. We conducted a process evaluation of a court diversion program for individuals charged with a first-time felony drug possession offense in DuPage County, Illinois called the First Offender Call Unified for Success (FOCUS) program. We examined the program’s development, operations, and participants, as well as collected feedback from the participants and probation and court staff involved in the program. We conducted interviews, administered surveys, and analyzed administrative data. As of April 2021, there were 231 active participants; a majority of participants were White males with a Class 4 felony drug possession charge. Thirty-nine participants had successfully completed the two-year program and three were unsuccessful. Overall, participants and clients provided positive feedback on the program. Based on our findings, we offered several recommendations to improve program operations.

A focus group is a qualitative research method for collecting information through group discussions. Focus group planning includes determining roles, recruiting participants, and preparing to facilitate discussions. This article is a guide to successful and efficient focus group execution, analysis, and reporting. Ultimately, focus group findings can offer insights on a topic and can help guide and improve policies, practices, and programs.

In this study, researchers analyzed Illinois jail and prison deaths that occurred between January 2020 and February 2021 to determine COVID-19 mortality among incarcerated populations pre-vaccine availability. They found over 40% of the 242 deaths occurring in Illinois correctional facilities during that time were COVID-19-related. Most of these deaths occurred in prisons, with seven of the state’s 28 prisons accounting for over half of them. The rate of positive cases per 100 persons was about four times higher among people in prison than those in the general Illinois population. This article explores policies and procedures to reduce COVID-19 death and infection, such as vaccine administration and medical furloughs.

Losing a loved one to homicide can be traumatizing for family and friends, often referred to as survivors. These survivors may need emotional, social, and financial support, as well as guidance through the criminal justice system process. Several organizations have emerged to address survivors’ needs. We examined Chicago Survivors, a Chicago-based organization, to learn about program development, obtain feedback from program stakeholders, and identify barriers to program implementation and service delivery. We conducted semi-structured interviews with program staff, partners, and clients and analyzed administrative program data. We found Chicago Survivors was a reliable agency providing valuable emotional and practical support to clients. We also offer suggestions for programmatic improvement.

The 2021 Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act enacts extensive reform impacting many areas of the criminal justice system, including pre-arrest diversion, policing, pretrial, sentencing, and corrections. The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority is tasked with implementing several of the Act’s provisions. These areas of the Act include policing, pretrial, and deaths in custody, as well as leading and serving on task forces. This article highlights areas of the Act, details ICJIA’s roles in legislation, and shares ICJIA research related to the Act’s provisions.

Police officers often encounter people with substance use disorders and in need of treatment. Police pre-arrest diversion or “deflection” programs allow police departments to refer individuals to treatment, steering them away from traditional criminal justice system processing. This preliminary outcome evaluation examined A Way Out (AWO), a program in Lake County, Illinois, in which contact with police is initiated by individuals in the community who seek substance use disorder treatment. We examined groups of individuals referred to one residential treatment provider through AWO and through other means (criminal justice system, self, family, or healthcare/community providers). We examined group differences and compared the short-term (minimum of six months) post-treatment arrest outcomes of those groups. We found AWO participants were predominately White, male, aged in their late 20s to early 30s, and diagnosed with an opioid use disorder, which was similar to those referred to treatment in other ways. The groups showed no statistically significant differences in numbers of post-treatment misdemeanor, felony, or total arrests. Therefore, we found AWO is on par with other referral methods to treatment and can effectively direct community members to substance use disorder treatment and aid in their recovery.

Jurisdictions across the United States are seeing a reduction in reported crime and arrests coinciding with COVID-19. This article offers a preliminary look at arrest trends during the COVID-19 pandemic across Illinois. Researchers examined arrest data from the Illinois State Police Criminal History Record Information database to identify arrest trends prior to and after the state’s stay-at home order was issued in March 2020 and compare them to trends recorded in previous years. Statewide, arrests recorded over the duration of the stay-at-home order, which lasted from March 21 to June 25, 2020, were much lower than those recorded during that period in 2019. Researchers also identified a drop in homicide, drug possession, drug manufacture and delivery, and domestic violence arrests in the two weeks preceding Illinois’ stay-at-home order. Finally, while arrests increased statewide from May to June 2020, arrests dropped in Chicago.

States and localities across the United States have implemented overdose fatality review teams to address the impact of the opioid crisis on their communities. Overdose fatality review teams are designed to increase cross-system collaboration among various public safety, public health, and social service agencies; identify missed opportunities and system gaps; and develop recommendations for intervention efforts in hopes of preventing future overdose deaths. However, limitations in peer-reviewed research on the effectiveness of overdose fatality review teams limit the understanding of their usefulness. This article provides a review of literature on overdose fatality review teams, including goals, recommendations, and information sharing protocols, as well as considerations from other fatality review teams.

The special issue of the Journal for Advancing Justice featured papers that reflect critical issues in the emerging field of law enforcement deflection and prearrest diversion programs (hereafter collectively referred to as deflection). Deflection is a collaborative intervention connecting public safety (e.g., police, sheriffs) and public health systems to create community-based pathways to treatment for people who have substance use disorders (SUDs), mental health disorders, or both, and who often have other service needs, without their entry into the justice system.

The deflection pathways, discussed later in more detail, facilitate connections to treatment, recovery, housing, and social services via case management. In this way, deflection provides a new, third option for police—an alternative to the traditional choices of making an arrest or taking no action—when encountering individuals whose behavioral health conditions may be factors underlying their contact with law enforcement, with or without the presence of criminal activity. Deflection can enable individuals to receive referrals to services without fear of arrest or can be offered in lieu of arrest when charges are present and an arrest would have otherwise occurred.

Evolving over the past decade, with almost all growth occurring during the last four years (2016 to 2020), deflection has manifold aims. It seeks to promote the well-being of individuals, improve public safety, address racial inequities, shift social service responses from police to behavioral health and housing, keep families intact, reduce jail overcrowding, and improve relations between police and the community. This special issue features articles focusing on how deflection program models operate and potential best practices for the field.

Diversion programming can be offered by law enforcement and the courts to individuals as option to redirect them from further criminal justice system processing. The Illinois Criminal Diversion Racial Impact Data Collection Act of 2017 sought to provide a mechanism to gather statewide data on the race and ethnicity of individuals diverted from the criminal justice system to analyze racial disparities. This white paper examined the extent to which the Act can be executed. Researchers offer a brief review of the literature on diversion programs and an assessment of the existing data on race and ethnicity in diversion in the criminal justice system in Illinois.

Securing employment after exiting prison can be challenging, but some reentry programs seek to help formerly incarcerated individuals gain employment. One type of program provides entrepreneurship training to help individuals open their own small business. ICJIA researchers conducted an outcome evaluation of an entrepreneurship program in Cook County Illinois, Pathway to Enterprise for Returning Citizens (PERC) to examine recidivism outcomes. Researchers employed a randomized control trial to compare outcomes after prison release of 97 formerly incarcerated individuals—72 participants in the program and 25 in the comparison group. The study found no programmatic effects as there were no statistically significant differences between the treatment and control groups on the outcomes of rearrest, reincarceration, and employment.

Researchers use interviewing as a qualitative tool to answer research questions. Researchers have an ethical obligation to protect study participants from harm, particularly when asking about sensitive topics. Interviews on potentially sensitive topics (e.g., victimization, criminal offending behaviors, substance use) can elicit emotional responses from both the participant and the interviewer. However, research has found the benefits to participating in interviews on sensitive topics generally outweigh risks to participants. This article offers recommendations to researchers conducting qualitative interviews on sensitive topics, including creating a safe environment, offering compensation and referrals, and considering staff well-being.

The COVID-19 pandemic poses unique challenges for the criminal justice system. Despite statewide social distancing and stay-in-place orders, criminal justice practitioners and victim service providers must, to some extent, continue to directly interact with justice-involved individuals, victims, and others. This article describes some of the challenges criminal justice system practitioners must face during the pandemic and offers guidance on policy and practices to ensure their safety.

Criminal justice systems operating in rural areas have been overlooked and under-researched, creating an emphasis on urban criminal justice system knowledge and recommendations. In addition, many rural areas have fewer social and behavioral health services, longer travel distances for service appointments and corresponding transportation issues, a small pool of criminal justice practitioners, and outdated technology and infrastructure. Researchers explored literature on rural crime and criminal justice systems in Illinois and nationally and examined state data trends. Findings indicate Illinois’ rural counties utilized the justice system more than urban counties, with higher rates of drug arrests, criminal court cases filed, probation caseloads, and prison admissions and exits.

Individuals on probation often are subject to drug testing regardless of conviction offenses. Positive test results can lead to probation sanctions, technical violations, and revocations, which, for some, may result in a period of incarceration. Probation departments operate with lack of guidance on drug testing, as well as a lack of research on drug testing’s impact on reducing recidivism or improving behavioral health. In a survey of a statewide random sample of Illinois probation departments, the current research examined the landscape of probation policies and procedures and drug testing administration. The survey revealed many probation departments did not randomly test probation clients, often responded to positive drug tests with punitive measures, and infrequently offered positive feedback, or contingency management, for negative test results.

The use of drug testing is pervasive in community supervision requiring probationers to regularly submit to urine drug testing. Positive drug tests may result in sanctions, technical violations, probation revocations, and even prison sentences. However, experts in addiction medicine recommend testing be used to support recovery rather than to exact punishment. This article reviews the literature on drug testing offering information on efficacy, best practices, and limitations. Recommendations for drug testing include improved communication between probation officers and treatment providers and clients, as well as utilizing specialized probation.

Mass incarceration in the United States has disproportionately impacted racial and ethnic minorities, particularly those residing in concentrated urban areas. In Illinois, almost half of individuals returning from prison are released in Chicago; of those, about half return to neighborhoods on the city’s West and South sides. Research has found that incarceration may, in fact, increase crime as a result of negative consequences to the formerly incarcerated, their families, and their communities. This article reviews literature on the prevalence, causes, and consequences of community concentration of prison admissions and returns. Illinois-specific data on prison admissions and exits are provided.

The number of opioid overdose deaths has risen significantly in the United States since 2009. Naloxone is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a safe and effective antidote to opioid overdose. Public support for equipping law enforcement officers (LEOs) with naloxone has increased in the past decade. The purpose of the current study was to explore the implementation of naloxone by LEOs in Illinois, where deaths from opioid overdoses increased 54% from 2014 to 2017 (Illinois Department of Public Health, 2019). In a statewide random sample of law enforcement agencies, the current research examined the nature and extent of naloxone implementation; naloxone adoption and training; and perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes toward naloxone administration. Nearly all police chiefs reported LEOs in their departments were trained to administer naloxone, and an overwhelming majority of police chiefs reported that their LEOs carry naloxone. Half of the police chiefs reported that to some extent LEOs have voiced discomfort concerning the administration of naloxone. More than three-fourths of the police chiefs reported that to some extent LEOs believed that naloxone had the potential to promote opioid misuse. The involvement of LEOs in opioid overdose reversals can further help protect the public, improve police–civilian relationships, and enhance the quality of life in communities.

Police departments continually adopt new technology to improve how they investigate and solve crime. Acoustic gunshot detection systems (AGDs) such as ShotSpotter use sound sensors to locate gunshots in a community, improve response times, determine how many shooters are in an area, and identify the types of firearms being used. This article features a literature review on AGDs. Limited research has shown AGDs are reliable in detecting shots fired, but less is known on whether the systems contribute to a reduction in gun crime.

Technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace and touches all facets of modern life including law enforcement’s role in public safety. Police agencies have adopted many law enforcement technologies to improve response times, aid in investigating and solving crime, and enhance transparency. This literature review describes common types of technologies in use by police departments, how and why police technologies are selected, and their overall effects. Overall, police agencies’ policies and practices regarding technology should involve planning, consideration, and caution considering potential limitations and harms, as well as cost to tax payers.

U.S. veterans have made significant contributions to American freedom and many have risked their lives to defend the country. Some suffer a range of poor physical and behavioral health outcomes upon returning to civilian life, putting them at greater risk for criminal justice involvement. Military veterans comprise a small but noteworthy percentage of the justice-involved population. Research suggests military service may contribute to aggression; 64 percent of veterans in U.S. prisons were sentenced for a violent offense and of those, one-third are serving time for a violent sexual offense. This article examines veteran needs that, when unmet, may contribute to justice involvement, as well as programs designed to address those needs. Veteran-specific services, including veteran treatment courts, may be critical for improving treatment outcomes. Future research directions and recommendations also are discussed.

Some individuals on probation who have opioid use disorders (OUDs) cannot access effective, FDA-approved medications-methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone-to treat their disorders. This article shared finding from a survey of 26 Illinois probation department directors on how probation departments respond to clients with OUDs, focusing on the barriers to accessing OUD medications. The article noted that a majority of probation department leaders perceived barriers for probation client access to OUD medications including lack of medical personnel experience, cost, need for guidance on medications, and regulations prohibiting medication use. The article highlighted a need for training, interagency collaboration, and policy changes to increase access to, education on, and use of, medications for probation clients. Such efforts may result in positive outcomes such as reduced recidivism, increased quality of life, and reduced mortality.

Evaluation in criminal justice is vital to improving program effectiveness, increasing efficiency, and improving public safety. This article helps demystify the evaluation process and offers practical advice for practitioners endeavoring to evaluate a program. Processes for internal evaluation and external evaluation partnerships are described. Criminal justice practitioners are encouraged to understand the research process and conduct evaluations of their programs and practices.

Formerly incarcerated individuals may be unable to secure stable employment and struggle to acquire income; however, opening a small business may offer this population an alternative to the traditional job market. Researchers evaluated the Pathway to Enterprise for Returning Citizens (PERC) program, which offered training in entrepreneurship and other resources to those returning from Illinois prisons to Cook County. Researchers examined delivery of PERC’s entrepreneurship training, experiences of program participants and training staff, program completion among participants, and knowledge gains with information from focus groups, surveys, interviews, and administrative records. Feedback from staff and participants was mostly positive and the program increased entrepreneurship knowledge. However, engaging the 72 returning citizens in the program was a challenge—of all eligible participants, 16 attended the first week of training (22 percent) and only 12 graduated the program (17 percent).

The relationship between victimization and offending, also referred to as the victim-offender overlap, is widely documented. While crime victims do not always become offenders, most offenders have been victims. The victimization experience can produce negative physical, mental, and behavioral outcomes in individuals and some may go on to commit their own crimes. This article outlines leading theoretical explanations for the victim-offender overlap, factors that influence victimization and offending, and recommendations for practitioners to address violent victimization and prevent subsequent offending.

Nearly one-third of Illinois probationers suffer from an opioid use disorder (OUD). Despite evidence that FDA-approved medications methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone can effectively treat OUD, many probation departments do not allow their clients to use them, even when prescribed by a healthcare provider. ICJIA researchers surveyed probation departments across the state to better understand their familiarity with, and training on, the medications, as well as barriers to their clients’ access and use. This article summarizes the study’s findings.

This brief shares findings from a process evaluation of a program that treats women prisoners in Illinois with co-occurring disorders—substance use and mental health disorders. Overall, feedback from clients and staff were positive and the program showed reductions in clients’ posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and aggression after participation. In addition, researchers offer suggestions to improve the program’s physical space, as well as enhance program components and data collection.

This article explores the use of randomized control trials (RCTs) to test criminal justice programs to measure effectiveness. BetaGov is a group that offers assistance to practitioners and researchers to conduct RCTs. An example of such a collaboration between ICJIA and Betagov is offered along with lessons learned.

Even with substantial efforts at the state and local levels, opioid overdoses in Illinois continue to rise. Many in jails and prisons suffer from opioid use disorders and some receive treatment. Upon release, the risk of overdose is enhanced due to reduced tolerance. This article presents findings from a survey of 36 Illinois jail administrators on the use of medication-assisted treatment for detainees with opioid use disorders, naloxone distribution to reduce post-release overdose, and policies to ensure safe withdrawal from opioids and other drugs.

The criminal justice system features multiple independent agencies working parallel to each other. Criminal justice coordinating councils foster agency collaboration to better address county criminal justice issues. This article describes criminal justice coordinating councils and examines the limited research available on their implementation and effectiveness.

This article offers an overview of state and national homelessness including prevalence and causes of homelessness, criminal justice system contacts with the homeless, and recommendations to address homelessness with a focus on justice-involved populations.

Gun violence continues to be a major criminal justice and public health issue. This article provides an overview of one strategy to reduce gun violence—focused deterrence. The strategy has been employed in many major U.S. cities, including in Illinois in Chicago, Peoria, and Rockford. Overall research on focused deterrence strategies has found statistically significant reductions in violent crime.

This article provides an overview of the main issues driving a renewed focus on pretrial detention, the effects of overuse of pretrial detention, and potential areas of reform with a focus on Illinois law and practices when possible. Illinois has made some progress in pretrial reform including the passing of a Bail Reform Act which became effective in 2018. However, more data and research is needed in the area of pretrial practices.

Excessive opioid prescribing increases exposure to those drugs and increases their volume in communities. Over-prescribing has been associated with growing rates of opioid use disorder, overdose, and death. Opioid prescription rates are relatively low in Illinois compared to other states; however, prescription rates varies greatly by county, city, and medical practitioner. This article summarizes Illinois opioid prescription data from the Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program.

Media—in particular news coverage—contribute toward shaping public understanding and opinion on societal issues, and influence policies, programs, and legislative action. While a small number of previous studies have explored journalists’ reporting on other social issues, very little is known about their perceptions and knowledge of human trafficking. In this exploratory study, researchers conducted 12 qualitative interviews with Illinois newspaper reporters to examine their understanding and work process in covering human trafficking. The results suggest that while many reporters understand the federal definition of trafficking, there remain gaps in knowledge about the complexity of the issue. Furthermore, the work process that reporters follow to report on human trafficking differs by their particular role and level of experience, with investigative stories on human trafficking being covered by more seasoned reporters who have the time and space to explore the issue in greater depth. The study findings highlight the importance of, and constraints upon, comprehensive news coverage on human trafficking.

Problem-solving courts have operated as separate courts or dockets as an alternative to adjudication or incarceration for more than 20 years. These programs offer clients court accountability, intensive supervision, drug testing, and treatment for substance use disorders, mental health conditions, and other issues. Drug, mental health, domestic violence, and veteran’s courts are the most common problem-solving models, with 3,000 in existence around the country. This article provides a state and national overview of problem-solving courts, components shown to reduce recidivism and increase public safety, and implications for policy and practice.

Drug trafficking constitutes a major threat to public health and community well-being. Multi-jurisdictional drug task forces, comprised of law enforcement officers in one or more counties that agree to pool resources, were designed to combat drug distribution and trafficking. Researchers evaluated 19 drug task forces in Illinois using quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative methods included analyzing administrative data and state arrest records. Qualitative methods included focus groups with members of 18 task forces and surveys of both staff and policy board directors. The study revealed Illinois drug task forces made proportionately more drug arrests carrying more serious felony and manufacture/delivery charges than their local police counterparts. The study also showed the task forces fostered collaboration with stakeholders, maintained fidelity to critical elements of drug task forces, and garnered support from their policy boards.

First responders across the country are carrying and administering naloxone, successfully reversing countless overdose deaths. However, experiencing a revival isn’t always a deterrent for those suffering with opioid use disorder, as many continue to use, experience repeated overdoses, and repeatedly come into contact with local law enforcement. Some police officers are beginning to experience frustration with repeated calls for revival, as well as continued and frequent contacts with and arrests of the same individuals. Communities are learning overdose reversal is just the first step in opioid intervention. With opioid deaths on the rise and fentanyl deaths rapidly increasing, a crisis of this magnitude requires innovative responses at multiple intervention points, including post-overdose, as part of a comprehensive strategy to aid in the treatment of and recovery from opioid use disorders. This article explores law enforcement overdose reversal and post-resuscitation and treatment responses in the newly emerging field of pre-arrest diversion.

An increasing number of widely publicized and divisive incidents between police and citizens suggest a need for police policies and practices to improve procedural justice. Procedural justice emphasizes the need for police to demonstrate their legitimacy to the public in four areas—voice, transparency, fairness, and impartiality. This article explains procedural justice and police legitimacy, examines the often racial divide between citizens and police, and offers implications for police policy and practice.

Researchers conducted a process evaluation of Safe Passage, a police deflection model in which police departments become a referral point to treatment for individuals with substance use disorders. Through the model, individuals can walk into any participating police department and request and receive treatment without fear of arrest. In Illinois, Safe Passage has served 170 individuals in rural Lee and Whiteside counties since 2015. Researchers sought to understand how the initiative was developed and operated and gain perspectives of stakeholders, police officers, treatment providers, and clients involved in the program. While more research is needed, the initiative showed promise in its collaborative approach to connecting clients to treatment.

Seeking to more effectively help individuals suffering from opioid use disorder, police departments across the country are embracing a deflection model that offers treatment access to those in need. Researchers interviewed representatives of seven law enforcement agencies employing treatment program models in Illinois to better understand operations, leverage lessons learned, measure sustainability, and inform other agencies as they implement their own programs.

Although there have been documented declines in U.S. crime rates in past decades, recent news headlines in Chicago often highlight incidents of, and concerns about, violence, particularly gun violence. Prior research has noted fear of crime in urban neighborhoods is associated with physical deterioration, as well as social disorganization and vulnerability. ICJIA researchers surveyed more than 1,000 Chicago residents in 16 neighborhoods on fear of crime and compared their responses to a measure of neighborhood social vulnerability. This study found an association between social vulnerability and fear of crime. In addition, half of the residents had greater fear than expected based on neighborhood social vulnerability and half had less fear of crime than expected. Future research can serve to understand the impact of, and ways to reduce, unwarranted fear that can have a negative impact on individuals.

The prevalence of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is higher among individuals in prison and jail than in the general population. Research has shown a connection between trauma and criminality due in part to the coping mechanisms of aggression and substance misuse after a traumatic event. While the corrections environment itself may cause or exacerbate PTSD symptoms in some individuals, facilities can implement trauma-informed practices to minimize re-traumatization and reduce PTSD symptoms. This article documents the prevalence of trauma and PTSD within this population, and discusses how correctional facilities can implement trauma-informed practices and evidence-based approaches to assist individuals with trauma histories.

Research has found nearly all prisoners have experienced a traumatic event in their life and a high proportion suffer from PTSD. Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority and WestCare Foundation (Illinois) researchers surveyed 573 Illinois prisoners to understand the trauma they experienced and explore the relationship between trauma and substance misuse. Researchers found 89 percent of those surveyed had both experienced and witnessed more than one traumatic event during their lifetime. Almost one-fourth of the sample were identified as being symptomatic for PTSD (24 percent). In addition, researchers found a relationship found between greater PTSD symptoms and higher drug use. This article describes survey findings and provides implications for policy and practice in correctional facilities.

There is a national opioid epidemic and one intervention to help those suffering from an opioid use disorder (OUD) is medication-assisted treatment (MAT). MAT is the use of medications in conjunction with behavioral therapy as part of a long-term treatment regimen. There are three main MAT medications used today—methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Research has shown MAT, in particular the use of methadone or buprenorphine, is considered an evidence-based practice to treat OUD. Studies indicate those in MAT have better outcomes than those who engage in therapy alone. This article provides an overview of MAT with a focus on use with criminal justice populations.

While more than half of individuals incarcerated in U.S. jails and prisons meet the diagnostic criteria for a substance use disorder, little is known about their misuse of prescription drugs. In this study, Authority researchers, in collaboration with WestCare Foundation Illinois, surveyed 573 state prisoners on prescription drug use to examine prevalence, accessibility, motivation for use, and effects. Forty-six percent of the sample reported using prescription drugs to get high and 20 percent used prescription drugs daily in the year before their incarceration.

Synthetic drug use is a growing public health concern. Synthetics are often cheaper and more readily available than cannabis and amphetamines, making them attractive alternatives to other illicit drugs. In addition, the chemical formulas for these drugs are constantly changing, making them difficult to regulate, and their detection is limited in commonly used drug screenings. Authority researchers partnered with WestCare Foundation to survey 573 state prisoners on synthetic drug use to examine prevalence, accessibility, motivation for use, and effects. Thirty-six percent of respondents reported any synthetic drug use in their lifetime prior to incarceration. Findings suggested a proportion of the criminal justice population engages in synthetic drug use and the findings were consistent with other research on synthetic drug use.

Police administrators across the country are recognizing the need to connect individuals with whom they come into contact in the community to evidence-based treatment to better address the large social and economic burden of substance use disorders (SUD), a chronic and relapsing condition. Police frequently encounter substance using individuals and their families in the community, and often have repeat contacts with individuals suffering from SUD. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of different police agency responses to individuals with SUD that are intended to prevent overdose deaths and divert individuals with SUD away from the criminal justice system and toward appropriate support and treatment.

During stages of ongoing, yet incomplete, cognitive development, youth may be more inclined to take risks and experiment with drugs and alcohol and are often heavily influenced by their peers, leading to negative outcomes. Nationally and in Illinois, traditionally high drug use categories of marijuana and alcohol appear to be stable or falling and youth use of other drugs remains relatively low.

More than 500,000 individuals are released from prison each year. As they return to their communities, they face obstacles in finding employment and housing, as well as significant debt, outstanding fines, and restitution payments. Two-thirds of this population are arrested again within three years. St. Leonard’s House in Chicago offers voluntary, supportive housing for men exiting prison. Program clients receive housing, substance abuse treatment, psychological services, life skills, mentoring, and education and vocational services. Authority researchers used qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection, as well as quasi-experimental design and advanced statistical analysis, to examine outcomes after program participation, including arrests, convictions, incarcerations, and employment.

Opioid and heroin use is surging in Illinois communities and across the country with dramatic increases in the number of users and deaths by overdose. Communities, criminal justice practitioners, and public health professionals are struggling to help those suffering from opioid use disorders and, ultimately, save lives. This article provides an overview of the opioid epidemic and its causes, including the link between prescription opioids and heroin.

In 2014, the Reentry Program, one of three components of Illinois’ Community Violence Prevention Program (CVPP) receiving funds through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, provided services to youth and young adults on parole and aftercare in 21 Chicago area communities in order to assist with their compliance with parole board orders and other aspects of successful community reintegration, such as educational enrollment and employment. Authority researchers examined the Reentry Program component of the Community Violence Prevention Program (CVPP) to ascertain how the program was meeting the reentry needs of Chicago area youth and young adults.

Satisfaction with the criminal justice system often reflects the opinions of the public rather than that of the offender. When probation clients are able to provide feedback in a meaningful way, they are less marginalized and alienated from a process attempting to make changes in their behavior and attitudes. Authority researchers interviewed probationers served by Adult Redeploy Illinois program models to gain their perspectives and make recommendations for program enhancement.

In Illinois, the distribution of controlled substances is a significant problem and task forces were created to combat the distribution of controlled substances at the local level. This study sought to understand the extent of the drug problem in the jurisdictions covered by each drug task force. Authority researchers surveyed 19 Authority-funded drug task forces on types of drugs, frequency, trends, use, and distribution.

Jails in the United States house large numbers of detainees who have urgent public and behavioral healthcare needs as well as various serious social, economic, and personal problems. Jails are often the primary (or only) settings for medical, psychiatric, and substance abuse treatment.

Growing public support for prison reform has brought attention to community-based supervision alternatives, including intensive supervision probation for offenders who are at significant risk of being incarcerated. Researchers examined four intensive supervision probation with services programs supported by Adult Redeploy Illinois for fidelity to the evidence-based service model.

Urban violence is a major public health concern and at epidemic levels in some neighborhoods, directly impacting the mental health of its residents (Morris, n.d.). The rate of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among urban populations is estimated to be around 31 percent, higher than the PTSD rate among returning Iraq war veterans of 17 percent.

Drug courts emerged in the 1990s to address serious drug offending while improving offender outcomes and reducing incarceration costs. Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority researchers examined drug courts funded by Adult Redeploy Illinois (ARI) in five counties. Data to measure the 10 key components was collected after 18 months of program implementation (August 2012 to July 2013). ARI applies evidence-based, data-driven, and result-oriented strategies to curb prison overcrowding and enhance public safety.

More than 2.4 million people are confined in correctional facilities across the United States. Each year, more than half a million inmates are released from prison and return to their communities. The formerly incarcerated face many obstacles as they reenter the community, such as finding employment and housing, and paying outstanding fines, restitution, and other debts.

Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority researchers conducted an evaluation of the Community Violence Prevention Program’s Youth Employment Program. The program, which ended in August 2014, sought to increase job readiness skills, build relationships with a caring adult, improve attitudes toward employment and violence, increase self-esteem and conflict resolution skills, and offer community service and engagement.

Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority researchers conducted an evaluation of the Community Violence Prevention Program’s (CVPP) Parent Program. The program, which ended August 2014, sought to increase protective factors to reduce child maltreatment by employing and training nearly 1,000 Chicago-area parents to lead service projects to help other parents in 20 communities.

More than 2.4 million people are confined in the U.S. in state and federal prisons, juvenile corrections, and jails. Each year, more than half a million individuals are released from prison and return to their communities. After leaving prison, offenders with criminal records face obstacles such as difficulty finding employment and housing, significant debt, outstanding fines, and restitution payments.

Adult Redeploy Illinois (ARI) applies evidence-based, data-driven, and result-oriented strategies to curb prison overcrowding and enhance public safety. Since 2010, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (Authority) has administered grant funding for ARI and offered research, evaluation, and technical assistance to the program.