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Committee approves $725,090 in emergency appropriations to renew 19th Judicial Circuit programs
Summary
On Sept. 2 the Law and Judiciary Committee approved four emergency appropriations totaling $725,090 to renew annual grants and programs for the 19th Judicial Circuit Court, funding mediation and visitation services, youth and adult community alternatives to incarceration, and self‑represented litigant supports.
The Law and Judiciary Committee on Sept. 2 approved four joint resolutions that together authorize $725,090 in emergency appropriations to renew annual grants and local programs administered by the 19th Judicial Circuit Court.
The package includes a $50,000 renewal from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services for the court’s Access and Visitation program, a $297,000 Redeploy Illinois grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services focused on youth services, a $369,590 adult Redeploy appropriation for community‑based alternatives to prison, and an $8,500 renewal of an Access to Justice improvement grant to support self‑represented litigants.
Lisa Wolf, director of finance for the 19th Judicial Circuit, told the committee that the access and visitation renewal supports mediation, parent education, parenting plans and supervised visitation and that “during the state fiscal year ’25, we served 67 separate cases.” Wolf said the adult redeploy program expanded local services such as treatment, case management and supervision and that in fiscal year 2025 the program “saw 122 participants with 43 new enrollments.” On the Access to Justice item she said that in 2024 the court’s services served “over 10,000 patrons.”
Committee members asked clarifying questions about eligibility and how services differ from paid mediation. Wolf said the access and visitation grant specifically funds unpaid mediator services for the grant’s target population and that the court operates similar paid mediation programs for other family cases.
All four resolutions were moved and seconded during the meeting and passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition. Motions and seconds recorded in the transcript include a motion for the access and visitation renewal by Vice Chair Roberts, seconded by Member Peterson; the Redeploy youth renewal moved by Vice Chair Roberts (second not specified on the record); the adult Redeploy motion moved by Member Danforth, seconded by Member Peterson; and the Access to Justice renewal moved by Vice Chair Roberts, seconded by Member Danforth.
The appropriations will allow the 19th Judicial Circuit to continue mediation and visitation services for separated or unmarried parents, expand community‑based services for youth to reduce out‑of‑home placements, maintain adult community alternatives to incarceration, and continue in‑court and library services and technology that assist self‑represented litigants.
