October 27, 2021 Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED) Committee Meeting

Audience

Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission Racial & Ethnic Disparities (RED) Committee Members and Staff. The public is welcome to attend.

Date/Time

October 27, 2021

2:30pm to 4:00pm

Location

Video Conference Information:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/94126531534?pwd=anhkOVdpZlZKaDh5NFRzMWRycGNOUT09

Agenda

1. Welcome & Roll Call
2. Approval of September 22, 2021 meeting minutes
3. Review Group Norms
4. Announcements
5. R.E.D. Committee Name Change
6. Workgroup Report Out and Next Steps
   1. Quantitive
   2. Qualititave
7. Public Comment
8. Adjourn

Minutes

1. Welcome & Roll Call
   Co-chair Era Laudermilk called the meeting to order at 2:36pm and welcomed committee members.
   Roll Call: Jacqueline Bullard, Garien Gatewood, Jessica Gingold, Haley Hopkins, Omar Jamil, Era Laudermilk, Karen Levy, Korynna Lopez, Jourdan Martinez, Michelle Mbekeani, Peg Robertson, Julia Schick, Samuel Smith, Tamara Vaughn-Walker, Dana Weiner
   Staff: Katy Culleeny, Maribel Gonzalez, Andrea Hall, Esther Kaplan, Moises Prospero
2. Approval of September 22, 2021 meeting minutes
   Motion: Era Laudermilk called for a motion to approve the minutes from September 22, 2021. Tamara Vaughn-Walker moved approval. Karen Levi seconded the motion. No abstentions. No opposition. Motion carried.
3. Review Group Norms
   Co-chair Michelle Mbekeani shared the committee's group norms.
4. Announcements
   Era Laudermilk announced that the committee is in search of a new co-chair since she will be stepping down from the role. Era Laudermilk plans to remain a committee member. This opportunity is open to commission or non-commission members and requires experience leading groups. The role requires a time commitment of four to five hours per month for a maximum of two years. Committee members should reach out to Andrea Hall or Michelle Mbekeani if interested.
5. R.E.D. Committee Name Change
   Era Laudermilk led the discussion involving a name change for the committee. The committee previously discussed the negative connotations associated with R.E.D., particularly as it relates to indigenous populations.
   The name change options included: IL Racial Justice and Equity Committee, Statewide Racial Justice and Equity Committee, Ending Racial Disparities, Addressing Racial Disparities, Ensuring Fair Treatment, Ethnic and Racial Disparities, Racial Equity Committee, Equity and Disparities Committee.
   Committee members voted to change the name to IL Racial Justice and Equity Committee.
6. Workgroup Report Out and Next Steps
   Executive Director Andrea Hall shared action steps from the initial workgroup meetings.
   1. Quantitative
      In their initial meeting, the group reviewed the one-pagers that breakdown juvenile justice race and ethnicity data. The group agreed that the committee should move forward with sharing these one-pagers to counties who submitted data in the interest of relationship-building. The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) was identified as a potential partner for gathering diversion data. The IL Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) may be able to host a webinar for counties. Considering that data from 2020 will be skewed, the group determined that a multi-year analysis of data will be necessary in the coming year.
   2. Qualitative
      The group will compile best practices at each of the five decision points ahead of the three year mark and potentially pilot their implementation at the local level. Through the use of existing data from 2019, the group hopes to conduct a Racial Equity Impact Analysis, which will be broken down by the five decision points to ensure compliance. Eventually, the group wants to conduct a deeper examination of the five decision points, as this might reveal a process or policy that could be improved. Another action step that was identified is asset-mapping, which will include education or interviews surrounding existing best practices at the local level in Illinois or other states. Lastly, the group aims to utilize the one-pagers as a tool of identifying places for best practice and opportunities for pilot.
      In response to a question from Peg Robertson, Andrea Hall noted that the committee needs to clarify how best practices are defined. Whether a program specifically reduces racial and ethnic disparities usually serves as a qualifier.
      Andrea Hall proposed that only the working groups meet in November and the full committee will come back together in December to hear updates. If committee members decide that they want to join a workgroup, they should contact Katy Culleeny or Maribel Gonzalez.
7. Public Comment
   Era Laudermilk called for public comment. Garien Gatewood shared that the Illinois Justice Project is preparing for the second round of R3 grants. Samuel M Smith shared that Champaign County is in the process of establishing a Redeploy site and is looking for suggestions around what a great program looks like. Jessica Gingold is currently working on special education resource cards to place on public defenders' desks which could help to catch those youth before they enter the juvenile justice system.
8. Adjourn
   Michelle Mbekeani called for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 3:39 PM. Jacqueline Bullard moved approval. Karen Levy seconded the motion. Motion carried.