Welcome back to our “Justice for All” newsletter. We have had incredibly productive six months. As we celebrate Pride Month, it is important to reflect on the fact that crime and prejudice both tear at our common humanity. As we will develop anti-crime policies and secure justice in the courtroom, we will always analyze our work within the context of this broader national mission of achieving equity. 

In February, many of you saw that we launched our Lake County Human Trafficking Task Force. The program is described more below. We have already started coordinating the Task Force’s investigation and prosecution activities with the survivor outreach and treatment operations of the Lake County Coalition Against Human Trafficking. I am confident that the Task Force and Coalition will, together, greatly reduce trafficking in Lake County.  

In April, we had the most successful National Crime Victims’ Rights Week ever based on seven community events and never-before-seen social media engagement. All week, we heard the stories of triumph from local survivors of crime as we reached into every corner of the county to inform the public about the important work that needs to be done to support survivors in the community and in the courtroom.  

In May, as an office, we remembered those who have paid the highest price for our freedom during Memorial Day. We were proud to visit Northshore Garden of Memories in North Chicago and to continue our office’s tradition of placing flags at the graves of veterans.  

Finally, on June 3, we launched our Gun Violence Prevention Initiative (“GVPI”). You can read more about this new program below. As gun violence has been increasing since 2017 in Lake County, we need innovative and aggressive solutions that address the causes and the effects of this devastating crime. Our Violent Crimes Unit (started in February 2022) is working with law enforcement earlier and making sure that victims are immediately informed about the legal process. This unit is also responsible for taking our most serious cases all the way to trial. But work can we do as a prosecutor’s office before the bullets are in the air? Our GVPI will reach deep into the community in order to connect at-risk individuals with services before they have committed the crime. In receiving $560,000 of federal grant dollars from the Lake County Board, the GVPI received unanimous and bi-partisan support. In the General Assembly, State Representative Rita Mayfield and State Senator Adriane Johnson secured an additional $500,000 from the Illinois budget for his critical program.  

Thank you for reading and learning more about office’s successes in the first part of 2022.  

On June 3, 2022, our office held a press conference to announce our new Gun Violence Prevention Initiative (GVPI) leadership team and Request for Proposal (RFP). 

Murders and shootings have been on the rise in Lake County. Our office has already committed increased prosecutorial resources to reacting to these crimes including, but the time has come to commit serious resources to prevention and engagement.  

The Gun Violence Prevention Initiative (GVPI) will serve all communities and Lake County and will galvanize a multi-prong approach to saving lives. No other government in Lake County has proposed this type of preventative, comprehensive, county-wide approach to reduce violence.  

This initiative was possible with the substantial investment of $1.06 by the county board through ARPA funds and State of Illinois through budget allocation funds. Community-based organization will be able to apply for the grant. One will be awarded the funds to be able to hire at least 10 Violence Interrupters (VIs) to help curb the rising street violence in Waukegan, North Chicago, and Zion. 

VIs will be street outreach workers who are credible and have ties within the targeted communities. They will meet high-risk individuals where they are and help them create unique risk reduction plans to stay on the right path, away from violence.  

Some of his responsibilities as a JJC Program Coordinator is to attend quarterly meetings, meet with community partners, and create plans to better respond when a juvenile comes in contact with the criminal justice system. A big project he’s been working on since starting is a mentorship program called Lake County Justice Scholars, where seniors from every high school in the County will have the opportunity to mentor younger students and create projects with their mentees.  

“Communities need to start building mentorship programs that will keep the youth busy and active. When children aren’t kept busy and have too much free time on their hands, that’s when mental health issues can arise and lead to committing crime,” Baker said. 

At the end of the program, the seniors will be able to highlight the work they did throughout the year and will have the opportunity to be awarded a scholarship.  

Trey first started mentoring when he was in high school. He is part of former President Obama’s, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, and received a national recognition by Obama for leadership and innovation. Trey said he is passionate about violence prevention and believes the youth need positive role models they can relate to in order to stay away from committing crimes. 

“The thing I enjoy the most is the impact I see in my community. I love hearing their stories, building connections and getting feedback on what’s working and what isn’t working,” Trey said. He added, “I want the youth to know they can trust me, and I want to feel part of their village, I want to feel like home to them.” 

He believes violence prevention is possible with the right tools and people. Trey said he is committed to making a huge impact on the Juvenile Justice Council and is going to make sure the youth from Lake County are seen and are being head. Thank you, Trey, for being a positive role model to the youth of Lake County! 

This month, The Living Room Wellness Center will start having 24/7 availability. The Wellness Center uses medical professionals and licensed counselors, like Sandra, to connect those in need with the proper services, thus serving as an alternative to jail or an emergency room. 

“It is exciting to be involved with the Living Room Wellness Center, a cooperative venture between our office, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, and Independence Center. Addressing criminal justice issues through the lens of mental health is pioneering,” Sandra said.  

In addition to her duties at The Wellness Center, Sandra serves as a therapist for New Horizons, a program through our office designed to help victims of crime who have also been a victim at a previous point in life. Being the victim of a crime can cause a wide range of emotions, and Sandra – as a licensed therapist – uses a client-centered, strength-based approach to help victims identify and reach goals.   

Sandra also helped create the community-based Lake County Coalition Against Human Trafficking in 2017. She continues to be a leading voice on the Coalition as it coordinates with the Task Force started in 2022.  

Thank you, Sandra, for all you do to help those in Lake County who have been the victim of a crime and for those who are undergoing mental health crises! 

On Jan. 12, we announced that we secured additional resources through a U.S. Department of Justice grant for our cyber lab so that we can effectively and aggressively retrieve and use more evidence from phones and laptops. 

On Feb. 16, at the encouragement of our office, State Senator Julie Morrison announced a new bill that would make the court system more accessible by automatically texting updates to victims on pending court dates. 

On March 4, State’s Attorney Rinehart – along with Illinois Attorney General Raoul – announced that Lake County will receive about $8 million over the next 18 years as part of the final settlement of a nationwide lawsuit against three opioid manufacturers and distributors. This settlement allows us to strengthen the work of local organizations like the Lake County Opioid Initiative and lessen the impacts of this epidemic. 

Every February, our nation honors Black History Month – and our office celebrated the many trailblazing lawyers and judges, such as Thurgood Marshall, who fought for justice in the courtroom and equality in77 society. 

In March, our office joined in celebrating Women’s History Month to shine a light on women’s many contributions to our society and honor the many important roles women have played throughout American history.