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PROPOSED GRANT AWARD
Department: Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender
Grantee: Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender
Grantor: Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA)
Request: Authorization to accept grant
Purpose: The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender is requesting authorization to accept a new grant award in the amount of $170,000.00 from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) / Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. The JAG program provides states and units of local government with critical funding to support programs in a range of areas, including law enforcement, prosecution and courts, prevention and education, corrections and community corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, crime victim and witness assistance, and planning, evaluation, and technology improvement. ICJIA’s goal with this specific funding initiative is to focus on programming that will support the work of public defender offices to result in a positive impact on the people defended, improve efficiency, and improve justice system services.
Grant Amount: $170,000.00
Grant Period: 10/1/2025 - 9/30/2026
Fiscal Impact: None.
Concurrences: The Budget Department has received all requisite documents and determined the fiscal impact on Cook County, if any.
Summary: The Language Access Enhancement Project (LAEP) in the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender addresses the critical problem of language barriers that prevent effective legal representation for Cook County clients with limited English proficiency (LEP). In Cook County, 400,000 residents (15.7%) do not speak English as their primary language. Through a three-pronged "Three T's" strategy: Translation Services (enhanced interpreter procurement); Technology + Training (modern language access devices and staff development); and Targeted Outreach (multilingual community engagement and law student partnerships), LAEP will directly address constitutional mandates under the Sixth Amendment and federal civil rights obligations while enhancing public safety through improved justice system outcomes. Expected outcomes include access to qualified interpretation services for clients with limited English proficiency, enhanced staff competency in language access protocols, improved client satisfaction and case resolution, increased community awareness of public defense rights among persons with limited English proficiency, and development of a sustainable pipeline of culturally competent legal professionals through partnerships with multilingual law students
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