Restorative Justice Community Courts get housing program, and new suburban branch is announced
Released On 11/02/2023
Participants in the Restorative Justice Community Court program are now getting help in finding housing through Heartland Human Care Services, according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans.
Also, building on the success of these diversion courts, Chief Judge Evans has announced plans for a new Restorative Justice Community Court in southwest suburban Sauk Village, the first-ever in suburban Cook County.
Restorative Justice Community Courts are aimed at young adults, aged 18-26, charged with non-violent felony or misdemeanor crimes. Started in Cook County in 2017, Restorative Justice Community Courts give young adults a second chance to keep their records clean and get their lives back on track. Those who successfully participate in the program have the opportunity to have their charges dismissed and arrest and court records expunged.
There are currently three Restorative Justice Community Courts in the Chicago neighborhoods of Avondale, North Lawndale and Englewood. A fourth countywide court is located in the Leighton Criminal Courthouse. More details are expected on the south suburban court by the end of the year. Chief Judge Evans announced plans for the new court at a Cook County Board meeting last week.
The RJCC housing program addresses the difficulty some participants have in securing housing, which may be due to a lack of affordable options or past involvement in the criminal justice system. Having access to housing helps participants get back on their feet faster, increasing their ability to become useful, stable members of society, said Chief Judge Evans.
The Restorative Justice Community Courts also enable participants to connect with job training, educational opportunities, and drug abuse treatment, if needed.
“The Restorative Justice Community Courts give individuals charged with low-level offenses a second chance at rebuilding their lives and becoming productive citizens,” Chief Judge Evans said. “We do not want problems obtaining housing to interfere with their progress, so we are pleased that Heartland is working with our courts to address this issue.”
Heartland Human Care Services, a nonprofit focused on social justice issues, plans to house 15 individuals and families, with 5 participants each from the Avondale, Englewood, and North Lawndale neighborhood courts, said Noelle Muñoz, program manager with Heartland’s Housing for Justice Initiative.
The program is funded by the Edward R. Byrne Justice Assistance Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, and there are plans to expand it.
Muñoz said that participants in the Restorative Justice program identified housing instability as a “big barrier” to being successful when they graduate from the court’s program. Participants who are able to utilize the program will get free housing for one year.
So far, one person from the Englewood Community Court has received housing through the program.
“I had trouble getting housing and finding a job,” said a 28-year-old participant, who did not want to be identified. “I was living with a friend but he gave me a deadline. I would have been out on the streets if the [court program] hadn’t helped.” Heartland helped the participant find a studio apartment in the Austin neighborhood. He has graduated from the program and gotten a job as a forklift operator, while also launching his own clothing line.
Muñoz said another eight RJCC participants are in the process of getting housing through the program. A ninth has been referred to the program.
“We ask them ‘Which areas of the city are safest for you? Which train line should be nearby to access work?’” Muñoz said. Heartland has identified landlords willing to work with the program.
“We fully believe in our participants’ ability to grow and overcome their circumstances,” said Muñoz. “When you provide people with the support to make change, those changes can happen.”
The Restorative Justice Community Courts have helped hundreds of participants reform their lives and avoid further contact with the criminal justice system. An internal study by the Office of the Chief Judge has found that, among individuals who have been graduated from Restorative Justice courts for at least a year, just 13.3% had been charged with a new offense, versus 65.2% of those from similar circumstances in a matched control group who were not in an RJCC program.
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