Lake County Gazette

Lake County Law and Judicial Committee met July 25.

Here is the agenda provided by the committee:

1. Call to Order  

2. Pledge of Allegiance  

3. Roll Call of Members  

4. Addenda to the Agenda  

5. Public Comment (Items not on the agenda)  

6. Chair's Remarks  

7. Unfinished Business  

8. New Business  

CONSENT AGENDA (Items 8.1 - 8.2)  

*REPORTS*  

8.1 23-1057  

Report from Jennifer Banek, Coroner, for the month of May 2023. 

8.2 23-1046  

Report from Joy Gossman, Public Defender, for the month of June 2023.  

REGULAR AGENDA 

*STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE*  

8.3 23-0959  

Update on the Wellness (Living Room) Center. Attachments: LRWC Presentation to LJ Committee

8.4 23-1021  

Joint resolution authorizing the acceptance of a state fiscal year (SFY) 2024 Juvenile Justice Council (JJC) grant awarded to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office by the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission (IJJC) through the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) to enhance and strengthen the Lake County JJC, which is run by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, including an emergency appropriate of $55,740 in grant funds. 

∙ The Lake County Juvenile Justice Council (JJC) is a collaborative effort of many government and private agencies addressing juvenile justice procedures and programs that works to identify initiatives/areas in which attention or enhancement will benefit the County overall and the individuals involved. 

∙ The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office has been awarded a 12-month JJC Grant in the amount of $55,740 from the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission (IJJC) through the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). 

∙ The grant term is July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 

∙ The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office will use the funds to enhance and strengthen the JJC through annual training, outreach and focusing on programs that are proactive in preventing delinquency by supporting the creation and purchase of preventative/proactive printed materials and giveaways, webpage/website designer, national speakers for the annual Juvenile Justice Council Conference, a part-time JJC Coordinator, a JJC Coordinator cellphone.

∙ The source of funding for this JJC project is 100 percent grant funds; no matching funding is required. 

8.5 23-1022  

Joint resolution authorizing the acceptance of a state fiscal year (SFY) 2023 grant awarded by the Illinois General Assembly, through the Illinois Attorney General’s Office (AG) to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office for costs associated with the implementation of victim text messaging software used to inform victims of important dates and times of criminal trials, including an emergency appropriate of $30,000 in grant funds.

∙ The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office has been awarded $30,000 in grant funds from the Illinois General Assembly through the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. 

∙ The grant term is January 1, 2023 through June 30, 2023. 

∙ The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office will use the funds to implement victim text messaging software in the Lake County. 

∙ Grant program funding in the amount of $30,000 will support the creation and implementation of texting software into existing State’s Attorney’s Office infrastructure/software. 

∙ The source of funding for this texting project is 100 percent grant funds; no matching funding is required. 

∙ If funding for the services end, and new funding is not secured, the services will be eliminated.

8.6 23-1023  

Joint resolution authorizing the acceptance of a state fiscal year (SFY) 2024 Juvenile Justice Youth Service Program (JJYSP) grant awarded to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office by the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission (IJJC) through the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) to implement A Step Up Program that helps address youth involved in adolescent domestic battery within their homes, including an emergency appropriation of $47,125 in grant funds. 

∙ The Lake County Juvenile Justice Council (JJC) is a collaborative effort of many government and private agencies addressing juvenile justice procedures and programs and is run by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office. The JJC works to identify initiatives/areas in which attention or enhancement will benefit the County’s JJC overall and the individuals involved. 

∙ The JJC proposed to the IJJC to implement a Juvenile Justice Youth Service Program (JJYSP), Step Up, in Lake County to address youth involved in adolescent domestic battery within their homes. Through the Step Up Program, youth and their parent(s) work with social workers for 21+ weeks in group therapy sessions. The sessions utilize a restorative justice and Circumplex Family Systems Model to focus on accountability, empathy, communication, but also restoring relationships and establishing appropriate authority within the home by providing individualized support and services option for these youth to improve the juvenile recidivism rate. 

∙ The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office has been awarded a 12-month JJYSP Grant in the amount of $47,125 from the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission (IJJC) through the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS). The source of funding for this JJC project is 100 percent grant funds; no matching funding is required. 

∙ The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office will use the grant funding to implement a Step Up Program in Lake County by subcontracting with OMNI Youth Services, which is the Comprehensive Community Based Youth Services (CCBYS) agency in Lake County. OMNI Youth will provide two social workers to administer the program with the youth and their families. Funding will also be used for grant administration, program supplies, brochures and training to implement the program.

∙ The grant term is July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024. 

8.7 23-1025  

Joint resolution authorizing the acceptance and execution of a Greater Illinois - Reimagine Public Safety Act (GI-RPSA) Violence Prevention Council Coordinator (VPCC) grant awarded to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office through the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) Violence Prevention Services (VPS) to create a VPCC in Lake County aimed at helping build local capacity to reduce firearm violence by encouraging effective, collaborative working relationships across providers in violence prevention, community organizing, asset mapping, resource allocation and capacity building, including grant funding and an emergency appropriation of $100,000. 

∙ The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office has been awarded $100,000 in grant funds by the DHS, VPS. 

∙ The grant term is July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024. 

∙ The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office will use the funds to assist in the implementation of its Gun Violence Prevention Initiative (GVPI) by hiring a Violence Prevention Council Coordinator (VPCC) Program Coordinator to serve as the lead convener for each identified area. 

∙ Grant program funding in the amount of $100,000 will cover 100% of the salary and benefits of the VPCC Program Coordinator and fund the purchase of a laptop and accessories. 

∙ If funding for this position ends, and new funding is not secured, the position will be eliminated. 

8.8 23-1027  

Joint resolution authorizing the acceptance and execution of a Greater Illinois - Reimagine Public Safety Act (GI-RSPA) grant awarded to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office through the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) Bureau of Violence Prevention Services (VPS) to help reduce violence by providing emotional or trauma-related therapies, and through assistance with housing, employment, job training/placement, family engagement, and wrap-around support services, including grant funding and an emergency appropriation of $300,000. 

∙ The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office has been awarded $300,000 in grant funds by the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS), Bureau of Violence Prevention Services (VPS). 

∙ The grant term is July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024. 

∙ The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office will use the funds to fund and supply a Gun Violence Therapist, and to contract with Waukegan Township to engage in direct violence interruption services on behalf of the Gun Violence Prevention Initiative (GVPI). 

∙ Grant program funding in the amount of $111,567 will cover 100% of the salary and benefits of the Gun Violence Therapist, and fund the purchase of a laptop and accessories. If funding for this position ends, and new funding is not secured, the position will be eliminated. 

∙ Grant program funding in the amount of $188,433 will be sub-awarded to Waukegan Township to cover the salary/benefits of a Violence Interrupter and Case Manager, and fund the purchase of laptops and accessories, cell phones, a Case Management database, and outreach supplies. 

9. County Administrator's Report  

10. Executive Session  

11. Members' Remarks  

12. Adjournment  

https://lakecounty.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1066142&GUID=E73F3A18-FCAE-4C6C-AB31-42376F0A5A84