Will County Adult Redeploy Illinois Court receives increased state funding, honors from National Association of Counties

in

July 19

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney Glasgow is pleased to announce the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority has increased funding for Will County Adult Redeploy Illinois (ARI) Court by $66,591 this year bringing the state grant total to $450,944.

State’s Attorney Glasgow and Problem Solving Courts Coordinator Julie McCabe-Sterr display the 2018 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties. The honor was presented to Will County Adult Redeploy Illinois for adopting “a holistic court solution to the chronic reoffender.”

The additional funding will enable the State’s Attorney’s local Problem Solving Courts to significantly expand the services they provide to qualifying defendants, many of whom struggle with addiction to opioids or other narcotics. The goal of these courts is to help defendants kick their addictions, avoid felony criminal convictions, find work, and return to their communities and families as productive citizens.

The ARI grant will enable the Problem Solving Courts to provide more substance abuse treatment services, increase drug testing for participants, and expand monitoring of participants through SCRAM alcohol ankle bracelets.

In addition, the expanded grants will allow the Problems Solving Courts to provide: 

  • Additional outside professional counseling for those without insurance for issues unrelated to substance abuse, such as grief, anger management, parenting, and depression. 
  • Bus and train passes for participants to get to court, counseling, and work during their first month in the program.
  • Forklift training to increase defendants’ skills in the job market.
  • Fitness equipment to encourage participants to begin leading healthy lifestyles and to improve their self-esteem.
  • And increased training opportunities for Problem Solving Court staff.

“The expansion of state grant funding is a testament to the effectiveness of the ARI program and all of our Problem Solving Courts, including Drug Court, Veterans Court, and Mental Health Court,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow. “These extraordinary courts and my Problem Solving Courts professionals are on the front line in the battle against the opioid epidemic, and we are restoring lives that have been ravaged by addiction.”

The State’s Attorney added: “Our Problem Solving Courts succeed on two critical fronts. On one level, the program provides the necessary treatment and counseling services to help non-violent offenders deal effectively with the addictions and mental health issues that drove them to commit their crimes in the first place. On a larger scale, these courts help the entire community by turning around the lives of people who once had been a financial burden on society. Everyone benefits when a defendant stops committing crimes and becomes a productive citizen who holds a job, pursues an education, owns a home, raises a family and pays taxes.”

The effectiveness of these courts in Will County has been noticed at the national level. Recently, the National Association of Counties presented Will County Adult Redeploy Illinois with the 2018 achievement award for adopting “a holistic court solution to the chronic reoffender.”

Drug Court, Veterans Court, and Mental Health Court all have defendants whose participation is funded through the ARI grant. In addition, there is a separate Adult Redeploy Illinois Court call for offenders who have longer and more complicated criminal histories.

State’s Attorney Glasgow was one of the first state’s attorney’s to fully embrace the value of the Problem Solving Courts model. He spearheaded the creation of the Will County Drug Court in the late 1990s, and he filed a petition with the 12th Judicial Circuit in 2012 to establish the Will County Veterans Court. Veterans Court provides treatment, counseling and assistance to local