The Partner | November 2021
We Want To Hear From You!
The Criminal Justice Community Council upholds a primary focus of engaging with our community. That simply isn’t possible without YOU! We need your voice. What does community engagement mean to you? How can we improve? In what ways can we better serve our community? Let us know, and don’t hold back!
Email us at cjcc@lakecountyil.gov with "Community Engagement" as the subject
Comment on our LakeILcjcc Facebook page post about this newsletter
Tweet us at @LakeIL_cjcc using the hashtag #CommunityEngagement
Join the Discussion
Our next Criminal Justice Community Council meeting is coming up on December 15th at 6:00PM. Register here to join the discussion!
Bond Fees
In anticipation of cash bail going away as a result of the SAFE-T Act, Sheriff John D. Idleburg recommended to the Lake County Board the elimination of the $21 bond processing fee for each individual released on bond. The Lake County Board voted to eliminate the bond processing fee effective immediately. Studies have shown that pretrial incarceration impacts the whole family unit and the elimination of the bond processing fee ensure that approximately $55,000 a year stays in the community where it belongs.
Our Partnership with Veteran’s Affairs
In July of 2021, an agreement was reached between the sheriff’s office and Captain James Lovell Federal Healthcare Center (FHCC). Through this agreement, FHCC provided the Lake County Jail an iPad that will allow Veterans the opportunity to be connected face-to-face to social workers and other crucial personnel at the VA. Often times, incarcerated Veterans are unaware of the benefits they have earned through their military service. Having access directly to the VA has helped several inmates learn of assistance opportunities waiting for them when they leave our facility. As incarcerated Veterans prepare to leave the jail and reenter society, the communication and information they learn from their VA representatives allows them additional opportunities and get a head-start on their reentry. This one-on-one interaction between inmates and VA personnel will allow for just that.
Partner Spotlight – The Living Room Wellness Center
Our partners at the Living Room Wellness Center recently celebrated their grand re-opening! Located at 1730 Washington St., the Living Room opened its doors in August 2020 as an extension of the Independence Center. The Living Room serves our community faithfully as an innovative support center for those living with mental health issues or substance use disorders. They offer emergency intervention and peer counseling as well as individual safety and crisis planning at no cost. These are critical components of Lake County’s ongoing efforts to safely reduce our local jail population and deinstitutionalize behavioral health services.
Justice System Partners Study
Justice System Partners (JSP) is interested in learning about people's experiences navigating the criminal court system and the barriers to getting to court as scheduled. You're invited to share your voice and get paid for your time!
You can help inform and engage the community about this work by forwarding this newsletter to three friends and encouraging them to sign up here.
The Safety and Justice Challenge strategies at Lake County, IL are proudly led and supported by:
Lake County Sheriff's Office
Lake County State's Attorney Office
19th Judicial Circuit Court
Lake County Public Defender's Office
Nicasa Behavioral Health Services
This project was created with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as part of the Safety and Justice Challenge, which seeks to reduce over-incarceration by changing the way America thinks about and uses jails.