October 20, 2021 IJJC Meeting Agenda

Audience

Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission Members and Staff. The public is welcome to attend.

Date/Time

October 20, 2021, 10:30am to 12:00pm

Location

Video Conference Information:

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84576815258?pwd=RUpuMnNXTWdoUFJCa3plc08zSnBWZz09

Agenda

1. Welcome & Roll Call
2. Approval of July 21, 2021 meeting minutes
3. Executive Director Report
   1. Financial Report
   2. Administration Updates
4. Committee and Work Group Status Updates
   1. Executive
      1. Action Item
   2. Youth Engagement
   3. Racial & Ethnic Disparities
   4. Planning & Grants
   5. Compliance Monitoring Committee Formation Follow-Up
5. Public Comment
6. Adjourn

Minutes

1. Welcome & Roll Call
   Chairman Rick Velasquez called the meeting to order at 10:37 AM. Executive Director Andrea Hall began roll call.
   Roll Call: Julie Biehl, Jacqueline Bullard, Shelley Davis, Jelani Floyd, Lisa Jacobs, Amanda Klonsky, Tamela Meehan, Michelle Mbekeani, Briana Peyton, Judge Ben Roe, Keyria Rogers, Honorable Stephen Sawyer, Rick Velasquez, Dana Weiner.
   Staff: Katy Culleeny, Maribel Gonzalez, Andrea Hall, Esther Kaplan, Peg Robertson
   Guests: Saranya Tonmat
   Before motioning for the approval of the last meeting's minutes, Rick Velasquez announced an amendment to the meeting's agenda, adding 'New Business/Announcements' as an item for the end.
2. Approval of July 21, 2021 meeting minutes
   Rick Velasquez moved approval of the meeting minutes from July. Judge Stephen Sawyer moved approval of the minutes. Judge Ben Roe seconded the motion. Motion carried. No abstentions. No opposition.
3. Executive Director Report
   Rick Velasquez invited Andrea Hall to share her report. Andrea Hall began by sharing that grantees will be contacted within the next month to plan site visits. Site visits will be hybrid, with the option to take place both virtually or in person.
   1. Financial Report
      New grantees are still getting their programs off of the ground, therefore spending is down. The Commission has yet to receive a determination letter from OJJDP and may not hear from them until November or December.
      Financial reports are a good indicator of how programs are doing. Rick Velasquez asked if programs that are low on spending could be connected to an issue of program implementation. Alternatively, the issue could be due to grantees not submitting their EDF's. If spending does not occur, future adjustments to spending will require the Commission's action.
   2. Administration Updates
      State mandated trainings must be completed by the end of the month. Contact Andrea Hall if assistance is needed. There are currently technical issues with the Open Meetings Act training, but it will be accessible soon.
4. Committee and Work Group Status Updates
   1. Executive
      1. Action Item: Vote on Grantee Budget Revision
         Rick Velasquez shared that the grant awarded to Illinois Collaboration on Youth (ICOY) was $50,000 less than the previous year due to a clerical error and did not provide adequate funding for both the Youth Advisory Board (YAB) and general staffing.
         Andrea Hall shared a proposed budget increase of $100,000 in the ICOY contract which would allow for the commission to have a full time staff member from ICOY. This budget increase would also go towards the contract with Adler to support the Youth Advisory Board (YAB). In the upcoming Fiscal Year, the Youth Advisory Board will be released as its own Notice of Funding Opportunity and operate as its own contract.
         In response to a question from Vice Chair Lisa Jacobs, Rick Velasquez shared that in coming years, the Commission can expect this level of funding in regards to the staffing needed but final numbers may change as issues with Compliance evolve.
         Motion. Andrea Hall moved approval of the budget amendment. This motion from the Executive Committee did not need to be seconded. Lisa Jacobs abstained due to a conflict of interest, as she serves on ICOY's Board of Directors. 1 Abstention. No Opposition. Motion carried.
         Rick Velasquez shared that Era Laudermilk is stepping down as co-chair but will remain a commissioner. With that, there is an open call for a new co-chair. The commission is exploring whether or not a committee member who is not a commissioner could serve as a co-chair.
         This prompted a discussion of the bylaws and the opportunity to make changes to outdated items. Andrea Hall, Lisa Jacobs and ICOY staff will conduct an initial review of the bylaws together and bring the proposed changes to the Executive Committee, then to the full commission for further discussion.
   2. Youth Engagement
      Briana Payton, co-chair of the Youth Engagement Committee (YEC), provided updates. Youth Advisory Board (YAB) applications were launched earlier this month and 25 applications were submitted. The next steps include scheduling interviews with youth and implementing the program in early November. The YEC is contracting with the Adler Institute for Public Safety and Social Justice. Commissioners will be asked to respond to a survey where they can indicate interest in assisting with the YEC. Tamela Meehan shared that some of the applicants have had direct experience with the juvenile legal system and are from various counties across the state.
      Rick Velasquez concluded by sharing that the commission is in need of two more Youth Commission members, which is separate from the YAB. Several Commissioners expressed a strong interest in finding a way to pay Youth Commissioners for their time.
   3. Racial & Ethnic Disparities
      Co-Chair of the R.E.D. committee provided updates. The committee recently established two working groups to conduct research on R.E.D., one qualitative and one quantitative. After examining statewide data, the committee will be sharing one-page summaries with each county in response to their participation in the 2019 data collection. The committee is also working on changing its name.
   4. Planning & Grants
      Lisa Jacobs shared that the committee is still determining what site visits will look like and how outreach will be conducted. Commissioners are encouraged to reach out to Lisa if they want to attend a site visit, especially ones involving the Juvenile Justice Council. A proposal regarding the content and timeline of these visits will be developed at the next Planning & Grants committee meeting. Conversations with grantees provide the opportunity to identify learning communities and areas for practice, which we partner with ICOY to create and sustain. Commissioners should remember this when speaking with providers for grantees.
   5. Compliance Monitoring Committee Formation Follow-Up
      Mr. Velasquez invited Katy Culleeny to provide updates.
      Katy Culleeny shared that Illinois is on track to be out of compliance for Jail Removal again this year. This is related to recent changes in interpretations of the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018, as well as the statutory requirements from the re-authorization taking effect this year that impact other areas of compliance. Executive leadership is in communication with Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) and the committee will be meeting to discuss potential interventions.
5. New Business
   Rick Velasquez invited commission members to share any announcements.
   Michelle Mbekeani shared that the Office of the Chief Judge is collaborating with Juvenile Probation, Adult Probation, and the Social Service Department to better coordinate information on youth 18 years of age and over who are on juvenile probation and are arrested as adults. The Office of the Chief Judge recently received a state grant to hire a coordinator. Key stakeholders participated in a meeting to plan how to best implement this project.
   Keyria Rogers shared that a Peace Hub is being created in Decatur. The grant is sponsored by Illinois Humanities.
6. Public Comment
   There was no public comment.
7. Adjourn
   Michelle Mbekeani moved to adjourn the meeting at 12:06 PM. Motion carried.