[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has made a major investment in support of important crime prevention research and the enhancement of several justice system programs in Illinois.

“Today’s funding represents an important investment in the Illinois justice system, research, and victims’ services programs.” said Durbin.  “These initiatives will help promote the fair and cost-effective administration of justice and will help provide vital assistance and legal representation to those who have been the victims of crimes.”

Under this announcement, the National Council of Young Men’s Christian Associations (YMCA) headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, was awarded $4,627,342 in funding through the National Mentoring Programs to support mentoring activities within the YMCA’s Reach and Rise Mentoring program. This funding will be distributed to YMCA programs in 38 states nationwide. The program aims to reduce juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, truancy and other high-risk behaviors in low-income communities. 

The Northeastern Illinois Regional Crime Laboratory in Vernon Hills, Illinois was awarded $320,580 in funding through the DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program to improve the laboratory’s ability to utilize DNA technology and reduce DNA backlogs.

The National Opinion Research Center in Chicago, Illinois was awarded $1,000,000 through the Criminal History Record Assessment and Research Program (CHRARP) for improving the collection, consolidation and standardization of criminal history records into a format that supports criminal history and recidivism research.

Also under this announcement, the following Illinois entities will receive funding to assist victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking:

• National Opinion Research Center (Chicago, IL): The National Opinion Research Center was awarded $351,825 in funding through the Research and Evaluation on Violence Against Women: Teen Dating Violence, Sexual Violence, an Intimate Partner Violence Program, to help support research into the changing nature of adolescent and young adult dating relationships, the abuse in those relationships, and prevention efforts.

• Wings Program, Inc. (Palatine, IL): Wings Program, Inc. was awarded $352,416 in funding through the Transitional Housing Grant Program to help provide aid to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence or stalking, who are in need of transitional housing or housing assistance.

• Salvation Army Metropolitan Division Family and Community Services (Chicago, IL): Salvation Army Metropolitan Division Family and Community Services was awarded $300,000 in funding through the Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Program to support the Salvation Army’s effort to enhance the quality and quantity of services available to help victims of all forms of human trafficking.

• Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (Chicago, IL): The Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago was awarded $267,177 in funding through the Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Program to help provide legal services for victims of human trafficking. 

The following Illinois universities will receive funding for studies into reducing recidivism in the juvenile justice system and projects focused on mentoring research:

• Northwestern University (Chicago, IL): Northwestern University was awarded $600,000 in funding through two grants from the Invited Research Awards Program to support a comprehensive large-scale longitudinal study of juvenile detainees and a separate longitudinal study of alcohol, drug and mental health service needs and outcomes of youth involved in the juvenile justice system.

• Loyola University of Chicago (Chicago, IL): Loyola University of Chicago was awarded $998,194 in funding through the High-Risk Youth Mentoring Research and Evaluations Program for high-risk youth mentoring research. This research aims to promote positive development among African -American and Latino youth.