Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority unveils 2025–2029 Statewide Violence Prevention Plan, urges community adoption

Delreese Adams, executive director of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, introduced the authority’s 2025–2029 Statewide Violence Prevention Plan, describing it as “more than just a blueprint” and urging community organizations to adopt its recommendations.

The plan sets three overarching goals: prevent violence and promote health and safety through trauma‑informed, healing‑centered and evidence‑based prevention; advance equity by increasing access to grants and economic opportunities for smaller and grassroots organizations; and promote collaboration across state, municipal and community‑based agencies through shared data, best practices and ongoing coordination. “It represents a comprehensive public health approach to addressing violence,” Adams said, and he noted the plan will guide “hundreds of millions in annual grant making” intended to strengthen community resilience statewide.

Rachel Garth, the plan’s lead researcher and an associate professor at the University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign School of Social Work, summarized how the goals translate into recommendations for different audiences. For direct service providers she emphasized recommendations for family‑ and school‑engagement, screening and referral networks, and the use of evidence‑based practices across primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. For organizations, the plan recommends strengthening internal policies and training, supporting prevention staff wellbeing, and improving evaluation capacity. For funders and systems it advocates clearer notices of funding opportunities, streamlined application and reporting processes, and support for small and medium organizations through outreach and mentoring.

The plan also directs the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority to build practical resources for adoptation: Garth said the authority plans to develop web‑based resources that translate the plan’s recommendations into tools programs can use. The authority has also established an ad hoc Violence Prevention Committee that meets quarterly; Adams and Garth encouraged organizations to use that forum to learn about funding opportunities, share practices and stay connected. “We have an ad hoc violence prevention committee that meets quarterly,” Garth said, calling the committee “a great space if you want to hear about violence prevention efforts that are happening across the state.”

Implementation infrastructure discussed during the program includes capacity‑building initiatives and a planned statewide event to showcase research, programs and evaluations. Panelists and presenters repeatedly emphasized that local adoption is necessary both to access funding aligned with the plan and to deliver services that are trauma‑informed and culturally responsive.

The authority and the panel urged organizations unfamiliar with the plan or its terminology to engage with available trainings and resources; they stressed that adoption aligns organizations with grant criteria and helps connect evidence and local knowledge to funding decisions. The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority said it will publish additional materials and support forums to help communities adopt the plan’s recommendations.