CHICAGO— Using revenue from adult-use cannabis sales, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) today announced 80 grants totaling $31.5 million to organizations to help the communities hardest hit by the failed war on drugs. The organizations’ work includes violence prevention, legal aid, and re-entry services.
The grants are part of the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) Program, which was created as a key equity element of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA), signed by Governor Pritzker in 2019. The law requires that 25 percent of all cannabis revenue be used to support communities impacted by economic disinvestment, violence, and the severe and disproportionate damage caused by the war on drugs, largely and disproportionately impacted low income Illinoisans and communities of color.
Awardees include nonprofit organizations, local units of government, tax-exempt faith-based organizations, businesses, and other community organizations that serve residents of—or are based in—designated eligible R3 zones.
“Following a successful first year of cannabis sales, the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew grant program is delivering tens of millions of dollars to our communities most impacted by the war on drugs. I’m so proud to see this key equity goal in cannabis legalization move forward and I applaud the leaders in the General Assembly, ICJIA, and stakeholders across the state who made this moment possible,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “By awarding this first round of R3 grants, we are taking another important step toward undoing the harms of the past, and Lt. Governor Stratton and I will continue to ensure equity is a top priority as the cannabis program moves forward.”
“The R3 program will tackle chronic problems that have gone unaddressed for far too long in our underserved neighborhoods,” said Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. “The collaboration between the Justice, Equity, and Opportunity Initiative and ICJIA is innovative and reinvents the grant process with community inclusion and promotes a standard for equity and success that other states will hopefully take note of and emulate.”
The funds will be administered in the 2021 calendar year and include $28.3 million to support service delivery and $3.1 million for assessment and planning initiatives.
ICJIA received 398 completed applications, which were reviewed by criminal justice practitioners, community stakeholders, and formerly justice-involved individuals. All reviewers received implicit bias training along with training on application review. In addition, the Justice, Equity and Opportunity Initiative played a pivotal role in ensuring equity and restorative justice frameworks were centered in every decision throughout the review process. Funded programs will offer evidence-based, promising, or innovative practices within the R3 Program Priority Areas of civil legal aid, economic development, community re-entry from the criminal justice system, violence prevention, and youth development.
“We are incredibly proud of the groundbreaking work we’ve participated in to transform how grantmaking can be used to address local needs and build capacity within our communities,” said ICJIA Deputy Director Charise Williams. “Our research and grants units have worked tirelessly to ensure the organizations on the frontlines of renewing our communities receive the support they need.”
Areas eligible for funding were identified using community-level data on gun injury, child poverty, unemployment, and state prison commitments and returns, combined with disproportionately impacted areas previously identified by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. See the full list of grantees below.
ICJIA is dedicated to improving the administration of criminal justice through work in the areas of grants administration, research and analysis, policy and planning, and information systems and technology. Visit [www.icjia.state.il.us]www.icjia.state.il.us.
ICJIA R3 Grant Awards
Agency Award Amount Program Area(s) Region
1863 FWD LLC $444,245 Violence Prevention, Re-entry Cook- Chicago Southern
Academic Development Institute $830,000 Economic Development, Violence Prevention and Youth Development South Central
Alternatives Inc. $513,997 Youth Development Cook- Chicago Southern
Black Oak Center $38,285 Ecomonic Development Collar
Center for Community Academic Success Partnerships $365,000 Violence Prevention and Youth Development Cook- Suburban
Center for New Horizons $1,952,403 Economic Development, Violence Prevention Services, and Re-entry Cook- Chicago Southern
Centralia $86,442 Youth Development, Economic Development and Violence Prevention South Central
Chicago Torture Justice Center $231,169 Re-entry Cook- Chicago Southern
Chicago Urban League $182,148 Economic Development Cook- Chicago Southern
Chicago Urban League & Safer Foundation $1,911,570 Economic Development, Violence Prevention, and Re-entry Cook- Chicago Southern
Chicago Youth Boxing Club $40,000 Violence Prevention and Youth Development Cook- Chicago Western
Children's Place Association $553,237 Violence Prevention, Youth Development, and Economic Development Cook- Chicago Western
City of Harrisburg $25,548 Economic Development Southern
City of Kankakee ECDA $28,723 Ecomonic Deelopment, Youth Development, Violence Prevention, Re-entry Collar
City of Madison Police Dept $92,291 Youth Development, Economic Development, and Violence Prevention South Central
City of Rockford $520,790 Violence Prevention and Youth development Northern
City of Springfield $80,000 Ecomonic Development Central
Communities United $208,316 Civil Legal Aid Cook- Chicago Northern
Comprehensive Community Solutions $199,813 Youth Development, Violence Prevention Services, and Economic Development Northern
Cook County Justice Advisory Council $600,000 Civil Legal Aid, Violence Prevention, Youth Development, Economic Development, Re-entry Cook- Suburban
Cornerstone CDC $250,000 Economic development, Re-entry, and Violence Prevention. Cook- Suburban
DuSable Museum $264,600 Economic Development and Reentry Cook- Chicago Southern
East Springfield $728,093 Violence Prevention and Reentry Central
East Springfield Community Center Commission $80,899 Youth Development Central
Emerald South $2,500,000 Youth Development, Economic Development, and Violence Prevention Cook- Chicago Southern
Family Counseling Center $253,906 Violence Prevention and Youth Development Southern
Family Resources $20,438 Violence Prevention and Youth Development Northwest
First Defense Legal Aid $82,682 Violence Prevention, Youth Development and Civil Legal Aid Cook- Chicago Northern
GameTime $378,188 Violence Prevention, Youth Development, Civil Legal Aid and Economic Development Collar
Garfield Park Community Council $177,968 Violence Prevention Cook- Chicago Western
Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois $249,345 Youth Development and Violence Prevention Northern
Girls In The Game $205,827 Violence Prevention Cook- Chicago Western
Hope Center Foundation $346,519 Youth Development Cook- Chicago Southern
Illinois Collaboration for Youth $79,758 Violence Prevention and Youth Development Northern
Illinois Legal Aid Springfield $32,874 Civil Legal Aid Central
J. Blunt LLC $94,707 Youth Development and Violence Prevention Cook- Chicago Western
Kankakee School District $732,032 Violence Prevention, Youth Development, Civil Legal Aid and Economic Development Collar
Key City Community Development Corporation $86,694 Ecomonic Development Collar
KFACT $186,245 Youth Development Northern
Knotty Luxe $586,301 Civil Legal Aid, Re-entry, Youth Development, and Economic Development Cook- Suburban
Land of Lincoln Legal Aid $57,486 Civil Legal Aid Northeast Central
Land of Lincoln Legal Aid $114,918 Civil Legal Aid Central
Land of Lincoln Legal Aid $57,640 Civil Legal Aid Southern
Law And The Fam LLC $838,890 Civil Legal Aid, Re-entry, Violence Prevention, Youth Development, and Economic Development Cook- Chicago Western
Lawndale Christian Development $134,292 Economic Development and Re-entry Cook- Chicago Western
Local Initiatives Support $501,267 Economic Development Cook- Chicago Northern
Lutheran Social Services $228,702 Re-entry Southern
Macon County CASA $60,212 Violence Prevention and Youth Development Central
Martin Luther King Community Center $245,577 Youth Development and Economic Development Northwest
Maywood Social Enterprise - Loyola University of Chicago $157,595 Youth Development and Economic Development Cook- Suburban
Metropolitan Family Services $1,169,729 Economic Development and Violence Prevention Cook- Suburban
Monroe Foundation $220,189 Violence Prevention and Youth Development Cook- Suburban
NAACP Westside Chicago Branch $1,816,615 Violence Prevention, Youth Development, Economic Development, and Re-entry Cook- Chicago Western
National Diversity & Cannabis Inclusion Alliance $369,625 Youth Development and Economic Development Cook- Suburban
Northern Illinois Recovery Community Organization Waukegan $225,000 Re-entry Collar
Peoria Public Schools $858,669 Violence prevention, Youth development, Civil Legal Aid, Economic Northwest Central
Perfectly Flawed Foundation $91,069 Youth Development and Violence Prevention Northwest
Phalanx Community Services $451,398 Violence Prevention, Youth Development, and Re-entry Cook- Chicago Southern
Praire State Legal Services $531,675 Civil Legal Aid Collar
Prairie State Legal Services $216,576 Civil Legal Aid Northwest Central
Prairie State Legal Services $154,508 Civil Legal Aid Northwest
Prairie State Northern Illinois $193,085 Civil Legal Aid Northern
Project Oz $201,344 Violence prevention and Youth development Northwest Central
Public Interest Initiative $29,805 Civil Legal Aid Southern
Safer Foundation $809,000 Violence Prevention, Reenty, Civil Legal Aid and Economic Development Cook- Chicago Northern
Sherrod's Independent Mentoring Program $100,387 Violence Prevention, Youth Development and Reentry Central
Springfield Urban League $419,702 Youth Development and Economic Development Central
St. Leonard's Ministries $111,877 Economic Development and Re-entry Cook- Chicago Southern
St. Leonard's Ministries $227,143 Economic Development and Re-entry Cook- Chicago Western
The Link and Option Center $80,000 Youth Development Civil Legal Aid and Re-entry Cook- Suburban
The Trep School $255,401 Economic Development Northeast Central
Torito Arts $79,723 Violence Prevention, Youth Development, Reentry, Economic Development Northern
United Way Greater St. Louis $829,240 Economic Development, Violence Prevention and Youth Development South Central
United Way of Adams County $25,000 Youth Development Northwest Central
University of Illinois $312,883 Youth Development and Violence Prevention Northeast Central
Urban League $991,365 Youth Development and Economic Development Cook- Suburban
Urban League Tri County $440,747 Youth development and Economic development Northwest Central
Will County $151,697 Violence Prevention, Collar
Will County $881,700 Violence Prevention, Youth Development, Civil Legal Aid and Economic Development Collar
YMCA of Rock River Valley $86,357 Youth Development Northern
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