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PROPOSED GRANT AWARD
Department: Circuit Court of Cook County, Office of the Chief Judge
Grantee: Circuit Court of Cook County
Grantor: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Request: Authorization to accept grant
Purpose: This Safety+Justice Challenge Program Grant will fund the development of a comprehensive plan to examine how the Cook County Department of Corrections is being used and to develop and implement strategies to reduce the incarceration of low-level, nonviolent persons awaiting trial without compromising public safety.
Grant Amount: $150,000.00
Grant Period: 5/1/2015 - 12/31/2015
Fiscal Impact: None
Accounts: N/A
Concurrences:
The Budget Department has received all requisite documents and determined the fiscal impact on Cook County, if any.
Summary: Cook County was one of 20 jurisdictions out of nearly 200 applicants from 45 states selected by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to receive a $150,000 Safety+Justice Challenge Program Grant to reduce the number of low level, nonviolent persons incarcerated in the Cook County Department of Corrections and to increase the number of persons who can safely be released while awaiting trial. The award marks the first time that all Cook County criminal justice stakeholders have joined forces to obtain funding to implement system-wide change that will enhance access to justice.
The awarding of the grant also builds onto recent collaborative efforts by the Chief Judge, the State's Attorney, the Public Defender, the Sheriff, the Circuit Court Clerk, and the Cook County Board President that have helped to reduce the jail population to its lowest point since 1991, while maintaining public safety. These include increased use of electronic monitoring and pretrial supervision, deferral from prosecution programs, and the development of specialty courts that offer alternatives to incarceration. The stakeholders recognize that significan...
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