NCJ Number
190129
Date Published
July 2001
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This report presented 21 identified priority issues gathered during the planning process of the 2001 Criminal Justice Plan for the State of Illinois guiding the State’s resources in the areas of program development, research and evaluation, legislative and policy initiatives, and the administration of Federal grant funds.
Abstract
During the planning process of the 2001 Criminal Justice Plan for the State of Illinois, 21 critical issues were identified in 5 overarching areas: information, collaboration, the utilization of resources, services, and accountability. The Plan set goals and objectives for each issue and recommended more than 200 specific action steps to address them. In the area of information four issues were addressed: (1) the lack of critical information about juvenile offenders and the juvenile justice system; (2) the lack of sufficient information on the needs of victims and the impact of justice system efforts; (3) the community’s need for information to promote mobilization; and (4) the lack of a coordinated criminal justice information-sharing scheme. In the area of collaboration planning, it was recognized that collaboration was necessary to effectively deal with offender and victim needs. The plan identified five collaboration issues: (1) the State should decentralize funding for juvenile justice projects; (2) criminal justice agencies must communicate and expand joint planning and implementation efforts; (3) an improved response to victims through collaboration; (4) a recognition of the importance of collaboration and information sharing to reduce drug and violent crime; and (5) the need to challenge traditional thinking and include the community as a key stakeholder. In the area of utilization of resources four issues were identified: (1) the need to recognize the different needs and resources of various regions; (2) the need for more effective policies and programs to deal with drug and violent crime offenders; (3) the improvement of services to victims through training; and (4) the expansion of forensic science technology. In the area of services five issues were identified: (1) promoting the importance of identifying and responding to risk factors as a delinquency prevention measure; (2) the improvement in handling juvenile with mental health needs; (3) collaborative and multidisciplinary responses to troubled youth; (4) a continuum of offender services; and (5) minimizing the impact of victimization. In the final area of accountability, three issues were identified: (1) the criminal justice system should be held more accountable to crime victims; (2) ensure that offenders are held accountable for their actions; and (3) stakeholders in the State criminal justice system must be committed to developing partnerships with the community.