Lauren Weisner

This report details findings related to scale and reach of Cohort One service delivery sites using administrative data submitted by Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3)-funded programs. Over 137,000 individuals were served and 369 new staff positions were created across Cohort One. Civil legal aid programs managed more than 2,400 cases, including expungements/sealings, evictions, and income/asset protection. Economic development programs managed more than 2,200 cases and provided services in workforce, business, and financial development. Reentry programs managed more than 4,600 cases and assisted individuals with workforce development, healthcare, housing, and legal issues. Violence prevention programs managed over 1,000 cases and assisted participants with workforce development, healthcare, and housing. Finally, youth development programs managed almost 1,400 cases and assisted youth in workforce development and education. Overall, across the five domains, a substantial number of Illinoisians were provided supports and services by R3-funded service delivery programs in Cohort One.

The Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act created the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) program, which reinvests a portion of cannabis tax revenue into communities experiencing high rates of gun injury, unemployment, child poverty, and incarceration. These grant funds support programming in five priority areas: civil legal aid, economic development, reentry services, violence prevention services, and youth development. Utilizing a mixed methods approach, researchers conducted site-specific process evaluations on the implementation and operations of select R3 grantees. Data sources varied by site, but included observations, interviews, surveys, focus groups, and administrative data. Overall, researchers found that 1) programs valued the needs and input of the communities they served and tailored services to meet those needs; 2) programs faced implementation delays due to funding administration and COVID-19 challenges; 3) programs varied greatly in terms of data collection and evaluation capacity; 4) assessment and planning programs successfully brought together relevant stakeholders and service delivery programs were typically successful in meeting goals for clients served. This article summarizes a larger report that further details the process evaluations.

The Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act created the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) program, which reinvests a portion of cannabis tax revenue into communities experiencing high rates of gun injury, unemployment, child poverty, and incarceration. These grant funds support programming in five priority areas: civil legal aid, economic development, reentry services, violence prevention services, and youth development. This report details site-specific process evaluations on the implementation and operations of select R3 grantees throughout Illinois. Researchers utilized a mixed methods approach and varied data sources by evaluation site. These sources included observations, interviews, surveys, focus groups, and administrative data. Overall, researchers found that 1) programs valued the needs and input of the communities they served and tailored services to meet those needs; 2) programs faced implementation delays due to funding administration and COVID-19 challenges; 3) programs varied greatly in terms of data collection and evaluation capacity; 4) assessment and planning programs successfully brought together relevant stakeholders and service delivery programs were typically successful in meeting goals for clients served.

The Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) program was created through the legalization of adult recreational cannabis use in Illinois. Program funds are used to reduce gun violence through intervention and prevention, improve re-entry and diversion services for people involved with the criminal justice system, provide access to legal representation and advice, encourage investment and economic growth, enhance youth development, and support programs that improve the social determinants of health. The current report details the R3 program implementation process (including grantmaking, grant review, and funding) during the program’s inaugural period of performance, June 25, 2019 to January 31, 2022. During the first round of funding, the R3 program received over 400 applications and funded 80 community-based programs.

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.

Bullying is a form of violence that can leave lasting negative effects on school-aged youth. This literature review examines research on bullying frequency, predictors and impacts, and prevention and intervention programs. Research finds that between 20% and 40% of youth in the United States have experienced bullying (with variances in data sources and groups examined) and that there are a host of negative outcomes for those exposed to it. Programs that address bullying vary, but there are several promising interventions to address the issue.

The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act legalized adult-use cannabis in Illinois on January 1, 2020. In addition to limiting enforcement and prosecution of cannabis-related offenses and providing a source of state revenue, the Act established the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew grant program (R3). Administered by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA), R3 directs a significant portion of cannabis revenue toward building equity in communities that have been ravaged by violence and disproportionately impacted by historical criminal justice system overuse and economic disinvestment. This brief report highlights results of a feedback survey provided to R3 grant program applicants regarding their application experiences. Overall, survey respondents appeared satisfied with the process and offered recommendations to consider for improving future grant application cycles.

Research indicates that diverting youth from formal justice system processing can prevent future youth justice contact and system involvement. The Illinois Department of Human Services seeks to accomplish this through providing individualized treatment services to reduce recidivism and admissions to state youth correctional facilities as part of its Redeploy Illinois program. This study provides an exploratory analysis of Redeploy Illinois, seeking to determine the characteristics of youth served by the program, as well as the feasibility of collecting and analyzing data for potential outcome evaluations. We collected and analyzed data on 775 youth in the Redeploy Illinois program from June 2009 to September 2019. A general data audit on the Redeploy Illinois case management system was conducted for completeness, quality and accuracy of data. Recommendations based on the study findings are provided.

Trauma, which refers to an emotional response from circumstances deemed as harmful, can have negative, long-term impacts on an individual’s mental and physical health. This article examines the literature on how trauma experienced at the individual-level is influenced by trauma experienced at the community-level and summarizes how each is typically defined and addressed. While much of the focus has been on addressing trauma at the individual level, trauma at the community level directly impacts individual experiences. The Social Ecological Model indicates individual trauma cannot truly be addressed without also addressing community-level factors, including housing, education, and employment opportunities.

Alcohol is the most commonly misused substance among youth in the United States. Underage alcohol use contributes to risky behavior, lower academic achievement, and altered brain development, and can increase the risk of future misuse. This article explored literature on underage drinking and interventions available to address the problem. Also examined were data on underage drinking in Illinois. Illinois data indicated high school students reported drinking alcohol at a slightly lower rate than the general United States population as a whole. In addition, Illinois arrests for underage drinking-related offenses have decreased in the last 15 years, especially among non-Black males.

Economic development encourages growth in the economy, increases employer and worker productivity, and enhances the standard of living for all. Economic development is essential in the effort against poverty. Programmatic interventions that promote a healthy economy while alleviating poverty in communities include skill-building to improve the quality of labor supply and/or increasing the demand for workers. However, experimental evidence and guidance about best practices in the field of economic development are limited. This article examines the relationship between poverty, risk factors for criminal offending, and economic development programming. By successfully addressing economic disparity, poverty, and other risk factors, policymakers can encourage economic development, reduce crime, and positively impact communities throughout the state.

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.

Criminal justice issues are typically studied in urban rather than rural areas. This represents an important deficit in the understanding of policing issues, as most police departments are in rural jurisdictions. Research indicates rural police departments often operate with fewer resources, lower staffing levels, and more inferior technology than their urban counterparts. Other research shows urban and rural officers experience different sources of job-related stress and its manifestations. As such, further research is needed to determine the extent of these differences so that solutions tailored to address the needs of small rural departments and their officers may be better implemented.

Research has found that adolescence sets the course for an individual’s long-term social, cognitive, emotional, and cultural development. This review examines literature on positive youth development, risk/protective factors, and the research behind select interventions. Overall, the interventions discussed highlight the many factors that play a role in positive youth development and underline how significant addressing risk and protective factors can be.

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 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.

While most of the country has turned its attention to the opioid crisis, Illinois has seen a resurgence in methamphetamine misuse and related offending, particularly in rural areas. Researchers explored literature and data available on the extent and nature of state and national methamphetamine issues. Researchers found the arrest rate for methamphetamine-related offenses more than tripled between 2010 and 2017 in Illinois and the number of individuals in Illinois prisons for methamphetamine offenses increased 67 percent between 2012 and 2018. Further, treatment admissions for methamphetamine increased five-fold between 2000 and 2017.

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).

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.

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.