Press Release - Friday, January 22, 2021
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Delivering on Key Equity Goal, Pritzker Administration Awards $31.5 Million in First Ever Restore, Reinvest, and Renew Program Grants to Organizations Across the State
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.
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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