Search ICJIA

This brief highlights the benefits of, components to, and considerations for developing a logic model. For a downloadable logic model template, please see the PDF version of the brief.

Thomas Johnson is a Criminologist and manager of the Center for Violence Prevention and Intervention Research. His research interests include interpersonal violence, prison programming, and the effects of emerging technologies on justice involvement, especially artificial intelligence. Thomas earned his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from DePauw University. He earned his master’s...

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,...

The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority houses a Research & Analysis Unit. The unit produces reports, articles, and dashboards that inform statewide justice system policy and practice. Their research products reach government decision-makers, academic professionals, legislators, and the public at large. The Research & Analysis Unit is organized into...

STATEWIDE VIOLENCE PREVENTION AD HOC COMMITTEE September 8th, 2022 10:00 AM-12:00 PM Location: Via Webex Video Conference/Teleconference

STATEWIDE VIOLENCE PREVENTION AD HOC COMMITTEE JUNE 9, 2022 10:00 AM-12:00 PM Location: Via Webex Video Conference/Teleconference

STATEWIDE VIOLENCE PREVENTION AD HOC COMMITTEE, November 4, 2021, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM Webex Video Conference/Teleconference

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,...

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,...

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...

The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority houses a Research & Analysis Unit. The unit produces reports, articles, and dashboards that inform statewide justice system policy and practice. Their research products reach government decision-makers, academic professionals, legislators, and the public at large. The Research & Analysis Unit is organized into...

FEBRUARY 10, 2022, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM

Location: Via Webex Video Conference/Teleconference

Location: Via Webex Video Conference/Teleconference

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...

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...

While many civil legal issues are critical matters related to housing, health, and safety, the U.S. legal system does not guarantee access to civil legal assistance and representation. Civil legal aid organizations provide services to individuals who either cannot afford to pay for civil legal assistance or experience other barriers to access. This article...

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...

Illinois’ firearm restraining orders, known in other states as “red flag laws” or “extreme risk protection orders,” are civil orders that temporarily remove firearms from individuals who are a potential danger to themselves or others. These laws aim to prevent firearm injury through a removal of means from persons experiencing...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Civil legal aid organizations provide free legal representation and other services on civil court matters to low-income individuals. While research indicates clients who receive civil legal aid often have more favorable outcomes, these organizations face many barriers to providing assistance that efficiently meets the diverse needs of their clients. This...

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...

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...

Jaesok Son is a Research Scientist in the Center for Violence Prevention & Intervention Research. His research interests include the relation between the government and civil society and their cooperation in providing services such as crime prevention and welfare programs. Before joining ICJIA, he worked for the General Social Survey...

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....

Alysson Gatens is a research scientist in the Center for Violence Prevention and Intervention Research. Alysson earned her MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Missouri – St. Louis, with a Certificate in Policy and Program Evaluation, and BA in Criminology and Sociology from the University of...

The nature of police work may at times involve stressful situations such as the threat of, and actual, physical harm and witnessing the human toll of violence. The stress of the job combined with organizational stressors may severely impact police officers and their work. Stress can lead to substance misuse...

Due to the intense nature of police work, officers may experience stress-related psychological health problems. Mental health stigmas, masculine police culture that is aversive to change, fears of lack of confidentiality, and time commitment concerns create barriers to police willingness to seek treatment for stress-related issues. Nevertheless, many departments provide...

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...

Lauren Weisner is a Research Scientist in ICJIA’s Center for Violence Prevention and Intervention Research. Lauren has worked on a variety of projects, including an evaluation of the Pathway to Enterprise for Returning Citizens program and a statewide survey of police chiefs on naloxone administration. Her current work focuses on...