Safe and Thriving Communities
Creating safe communities and an equitable and fair legal system for all residents requires continued advocacy for sustainable reforms within the criminal legal system, as well as implementation of community-centered programs that address the root causes of violence. Cook County is facilitating and investing in comprehensive, coordinated planning and implementation to proactively address violence and improve safety in highly impacted communities, align investments and strategies to prioritize the needs of individuals involved in the criminal legal system, promote alternatives to detention and inform criminal legal system decision-making by improving collection, analysis, interagency-sharing and public release of system-related data.
The Safe & Thriving Communities Policy Pillar is led by the Justice Advisory Council, in collaboration with the Office of the Chief Judge (OCJ), Cook County Public Defender (CCPD), Cook County States Attorney Office (CCSAO), Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County and Cook County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).
Goal: Create safe communities and an equitable and fair legal system for all residents.
Objective 1:
Facilitate and invest in comprehensive and coordinated approaches to proactively address violence and improve safety in highly impacted communities.
Spotlight:
Government Alliance for Safe Communities (GASC)
Description:
Through GASC, Cook County, the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago collaborate to streamline grant funding, unify data collection practices and increase capacity building support available to local organizations engaged in community violence intervention and prevention work.
2025 Progress:
• In conjunction with various violence prevention efforts, GASC has led to a 55% reduction in gun deaths in the greater Chicago area since 2021
• Awarded 430 grants to programs advancing community safety since 2021
• Provided 8,871 individuals with community violence intervention (CVI) programming since 2021
Objective 2:
Align strategies to prioritize the needs of individuals involved in the criminal legal system and promote alternatives to detention.
Spotlight:
Supporting Employment and Education Development (SEED)
Description:
SEED is a diversion program for individuals aged 18-26, charged with certain drug-related offenses in Cook County. Instead of entering the criminal legal system, program participants receive educational programming, cognitive behavioral interventions and job training and placement.
2025 Progress:
• Graduated 86 program participants
• Maintained 80% or higher of its hundred-person active caseload capacity since the program’s inception
Objective 3:
Inform criminal legal system decision-making by improving collection, analysis, interagency sharing and public release of data.
Spotlight:
Cook County Criminal Justice Data Dashboard
Description:
The Cook County Criminal Justice Data Dashboard is a one stop, public-facing website displaying key criminal legal system data points.
2025 Progress:
• Increased transparency Cook County’s criminal legal system for the public and the system’s stakeholders
• Deepened public understanding of how each agency portrays and develops its data
Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Letter from the President
- Healthy Communities
- Vital Communities
- Safe and Thriving Communities
- Connected Communities
- Sustainable Communities
- Open Communities
- Equity Fund Addendum
- Equity Fund Financial Reporting