Value Statement

The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority works to identify critical issues facing the criminal justice system and proposes legislation, programs, and policies that address those issues. ICJIA also strives to ensure the criminal justice system is as efficient and effective as possible. ICJIA staff are guided by the following values as they work to fulfill this mission.

Integrity

We believe in personal and professional integrity. We take pride in ICJIA’s mission and in maintaining and building on the agency’s reputation for producing high quality work that is accurate, honest, fair, timely, and ethical. To that end, we conduct our activities and ourselves in a manner that earns the public’s trust and inspires confidence in our work. We seek to encourage public feedback on our activities and public participation in planning activities and meetings.

Leadership

We are committed to supporting and developing staff leadership at all levels. ICJIA managers lead by supporting innovation and by providing purpose, direction, example, and motivation while working toward ICJIA’s mission and improving the agency. Staff are encouraged to exercise leadership in motivating subordinates, coworkers, and/or supervisors to accomplish ICJIA’s mission and to adhere to its established values. When appropriate, ICJIA, as an organization, assumes a leadership role in the criminal justice system.

Diversity

We believe in an environment that supports and encourages a diverse workplace. We are committed to creating a comfortable and effective work environment; building rapport between people who are culturally, racially, and by gender different; utilizing the diverse ideas and experiences of all people in the workplace; supporting the right of every individual to be treated with fairness, consideration, and respect; and enhancing our organizational culture by continuously improving human resource practices so that all staff feel welcome, their differences are valued, and they are supported in their work.

Professional Development

We believe the most important ICJIA assets is its staff, and we believe in giving each employee a chance to realize his or her fullest potential. We are committed to enhancing and expanding the skills, knowledge, and expertise of our staff. Therefore, we work to meet training needs and promote individual as well as collective career enhancement.

Public service

We recognize that as a government agency, we serve the public. We understand that our purpose is to serve the best interests of the public. To maximize the use of public funds in support of our mission, we strive to operate in a cost-effective and efficient manner, and support programs that operate in such a manner. We acknowledge our responsibility to disseminate information to maintain our accountability to the public.

Respect

We are committed to cooperation and teamwork and keep the value of those with whom we associate, inside and outside of ICJIA, at the forefront as we pursue ICJIA’s mission. We strive to treat others with consideration, common courtesy, and dignity.

Teamwork

We value teamwork and collaboration. We seek an atmosphere where individual talents and organizational expertise are combined to achieve successful outcomes. Internally, we foster shared participation, responsibility, and recognition among staff at all levels and across functional units. Externally, we facilitate constructive relationships among policymakers, criminal justice agencies, and stakeholders throughout the criminal justice system.

Excellence

We believe all our work must be of high quality. That is, it should be useful, informative, timely, complete, accurate, cost effective, objective, free from bias, accessible, and reflective of the best professional practice. We also believe that the work of any one staff person reflects upon the work of the entire agency. We expect all staff members to generate high-quality work products.